All too often we only set aside one time per year to really, truly give thanks for all we have. Even those who feel they don’t have a lot have one thing we should all be thankful for; the gift of life. Beauty is all around us and if we can capture that sense of continued awe when we stop, take a breath, and appreciate all of the things we enjoy but take for granted, the world instantly looks like a better place.

Gratitude and appreciation is truly the conduit to happiness, a sense of purpose, and a fuller life. I’ve been meaning to start a gratitude journal now, and the idea struck me that it would be even more powerful to share it and inspire others to do the same. My aim is to find one thing to be grateful for each day which will force me to dig deeper to see tiny details that make our lives great but go overlooked.

Without further ado:

#ThankfulThursday – 8/13 – 8/19/2015

Today I’m thankful for…

8/13/2015 – Big Skies.

One of the things I really appreciate whenever I’m back in the Midwest is the huge, sprawling, seemingly-infinite blue sky. It’s as awe-inspiring during the day as it is at nighttime when the stars come out. Best of all is that it’s extremely humbling and brings the minutiae of our daily squarely into perspective.

8/14/2015 – Conscience.

The concept of a conscience is a powerful one. Many people hold the belief that, deep down, all people are inherently good and are driven to be good to their fellow people. It’s often exceptionally innate and I’m glad it exists and guides people toward being good people and making the world a better place to live in.

8/15/2015 – Backpacks.

Wherever I go where I need to carry stuff, I’ve always got a pack that’s got my back – my backpack. Commuting, hiking, camping, and biking are all made so much better with my great backpacks.

8/16/2015 – Campers.

Campers are amazing little homes that go where you tow them. You can be in the middle of nowhere but have a safe and comfortable space with many of the creature comforts of home in an affordable, lightweight package.

8/17/2015 – Curiosity.

Curiosity may kill the cat, but at least the cat was never bored in the process. I think my curiosity is one of my favorite traits. It keeps me hungry to learn and experience new things. It fuels my personal growth and always gives me something to do. Being curious makes it easy to stay busy and rarely bored – and I like to say it’s always better being busy than bored.

8/18/2015 – My Flaws.

I think being “perfect,” if it could ever be achieved would be boring. You’d have nothing to reach for, no reason to explore, nothing to learn, and basically nothing else to live for. I’m thankful for my flaws because they give me something to try to improve, and my flaws are uniquely me.

8/19/2015 – Balance.

2015 has been a bit chaotic – in mostly good and exciting ways. Through it all I’m thankful for the luxury of balance in my life. I work hard and rarely turn off but I’ve been able to attend to the other aspects of my life – the people and experiences that really matter to me. This won’t always be the case but I do my best to always be thankful when the scales are at parity.

Your turn

I’m always looking for more inspiration, so tell me, what’s one thing you’re grateful for from the past week? I’ll share a few submissions during next week’s post and intend to keep that going all year long. While I love #ThrowbackThursday, I’d love to see #ThankfulThursday take off too.

The more we can say thanks, the better off we’ll be. Especially because we don’t know if we’ll be able to say “thanks” to those we care about tomorrow or to those who’ve touched us that we’ll never cross paths with again – why wait?