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 – 9/10 – 9/16/2015

Today I’m thankful for…

9/10/2015 – Knowing What I Dream For.

While I don’t exactly know how or what I’ll do to “get there,” I have the privilege of knowing “My Why.” I know why I want to work hard and as a result, I know what I’d do with success and seeing my dreams come true.

The “whys” I have also have relatively little to do with me – they are mostly about taking care of and enabling other people and to see their dreams come true as well.

9/11/2015 – Fresh-Picked Food.

It’s remarkable how complex our world is today when fresh-picked produce is a borderline novelty. There is something special about food that’s recently been picked and you have to brush the dirt / dust off of it before you can eat it. It’s tasty, wholesome, and you really feel more connected to the food you’re eating.

9/12/2015 – Smoked Meat.

Fire has given humans life for many thousands of years, so it’s no surprise that the smell and taste of smoke is delicious to us. Ever since I got a small electric smoker I’ve become a bit – umm – obsessed with real barbecue and smoked meat. Sinfully delicious.

9/13/2015 – Loving Parents.

There is perhaps nothing more powerful to be thankful for than to simply have supporting, loving parents. I’ve done great things, I’ve done foolish things, I’ve done crazy things, and I’ve done silly things – and they’ve never been anything less than completely supportive of whatever makes me happy. Even more important, they’ve always helped me learn from my mistakes along the way instead of shaming me for them. That’s what being a great parent is all about, and I’m so blessed to have that gift in my life

9/14/2015 – Cheap Hard Drives.

Our digitally-driven lives rely on one thing – data. And where there’s data, there’s a need to store it. Welcome the hard drive.

Now, be thankful that hard drives with plentiful storage capacities are so, so cheap and make this digital universe affordable for almost anyone.

9/15/2015 – Seeing Mileage Roll Over To A Big Number (Like 100,000 Miles).

I don’t exactly know why, perhaps it’s a weird OCD tick, but it’s always so satisfying to watch big milestones roll over on your odometer and watch 99,999 miles roll over to that nice, round 100,000 mile marker.

9/16/2015 – Moments You Could Spend A Lifetime In.

I’ve found the ingredients for a “perfect” moment to include 3 things: a beautiful/exciting setting, happy emotions, and someone extremely special. Those three things like nothing else fill me with this euphoric feeling of being overwhelmingly content.

Those moments need nothing else in the whole world and that feeling would sustain me for a lifetime. I’m so thankful to have had as many of those special moments as I’ve had.

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?