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 – 7/9 – 7/15/2015

Today I’m thankful for…

7/9/2015 – Forks in the Road.

This week I’m in the process of something that could fundamentally chart an enormous change in my life. It will go one way – or it will go the other. The proverbial fork in the road. It’s scary, isn’t it? Or is it exciting?

I tend to thrive in uncertainty, even bask in it. I think uncertainty is wonderful because it isn’t boring – in uncertainty you can dream up anything in that grey space of the future. At the same time, when I really think about the significance of a fork in the road it is definitely a little scary – which way goes the way I “want” to go!?

I think that question misses the point altogether. In life, we will never get “somewhere.” There is no destination, unless you consider death a destination – it’s all about the journey. When you look at it that way it doesn’t matter which fork you choose – you’ll never know how the other fork would have ended up anyway; it’s just the nature of the journey itself.

And the journey is a beautiful thing; with all of its forks, bends, and curve(ball)s.

7/10/2015 – “Coincidences.”

I tend to not be a particularly “supernatural” person and I have a mixed relationship with the concept of fate. But there are some things in the randomness of the world that feel far too coincidental to be just coincidences. In my case I often find these at the forks in the road I find myself at the precipice of and somehow other extraordinary circumstances seem to point me one way or the other.

Other times things just “work out” in ways I couldn’t fathom – ask my about a few examples in the comments if you’re curious. These coincidences sure feel like the Universe nudging me along – even if I’m skeptical of the feeling the whole time.

7/11/2015 – Musical Instruments.

Music is amazing and instruments are incredible inventions in and of themselves. It’s fascinating to me that we have a natural tendency to find certain sounds and tones and combinations of those to be “beautiful.” Music is actually a remarkably abstract concept when you really think about it, and the world wouldn’t be the same without the tools to make those beautiful compositions.

7/12/2015 – Documentaries.

I really, really love to learn about new things and I love long-form documentaries that tell a story at the same time. My Girlfriend took me to see “Living in the Age of Airplanes” by the National Geographic (and narrated by the one and only Harrison Ford) in IMAX and it was amazing.

It also had a special significance to me because of the recent passing of James Horner, who was a passionate aviator and scored the documentary (and so many other great film pieces). Documentaries are stories filled with facts and I have a great appreciation for them.

7/13/2015 – A Great Dinner.

Dim lights, wonderful food, and great company is when I often find myself the most content and at peace. It’s almost everything we need at a basic level in one neat package and it satisfies all of the senses at once.

7/14/2015 – Globalization.

The “G Word” is often seen as a dirty, politically-charged topic. There are challenges with globalization, but what I know for sure is that I love the fact I can have fresh-picked fruit from South America and spices from around the world for a price that would make you think it only traveled around the corner. There’s something to be said about small-scale economies that should be fought for, but we do take advantage of a great number of luxuries in an ever-global ecosystem we live in.

7/15/2015 – Alone Time.

Having time to be by myself and to take life at my own pace is a remarkable way to recharge my batteries and hit the “reset” button. It’s also when I do some of my best contemplative thinking and straighten out the myriad of things happening in my life. I’m thankful that I enjoy and thrive while being alone and actually find a way to cherish those moments of simplicity when it’s only yourself you have to answer to.

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?