Year: 2013

Gratitude Dare

Day 7: 30 seconds

Keira

How did this morning go? Need more work? Me, too. But we’ll get it. Tomorrow, continue to re-program your morning wake-up response, but let’s add a step. When you wake up in the morning, after you’ve gotten dressed (to avoid falling asleep), take 30 seconds with your eyes closed and just give thanks for being awake, alive, and cognitive. It’s funny, but adding each additional step seems to create internal warmth. just the thought of closing my eyes and just enveloping myself in thanksgiving seems to set my internal soul ablaze. I’m looking forward to that flame lasting me throughout the day.[warning]Remember: along with our morning gratitude routine, reprogram your responses to look for the silver lining, and write down 3 things you’re grateful for at the end of the day.[/warning]

Gratitude Dare

Day 6: Great Day

Keira

So we’ve helped ourselves look back on the day with positive feelings, and now it’s time to look forward to a day with positive feelings. Tomorrow morning, along with writing 3 paragraphs full of gratitude and looking for the bright side, start your day off with a pick-me-up. Though I’ve never experienced the “thrills” (aka the drug-induced chemical reactions) of coffee, I have a feeling this will be more beneficial, with less withdrawals. Although, I bet a chemical change might still happen?

When you wake up tomorrow, what is your first thought? I confess, mine is something like “ughhhh, it’s morning already?” or, “Why am I up before my alarm, again? I still have x minutes I could be asleep,” depending on if my body wakes me up or my alarm clock does. But just imagine what I could gain by changing that thought? I’m sure I’ll need some practice. But I also foresee that getting out of bed will become much easier. I will probably accomplish more, and it probably wont be as exhausting to survive all the way until the next bedtime (Seriously, why is daytime so exhausting?). Once again, I’m not seeing any downsides. As long as I don’t give up, because I’m sure I’m going to have to force-feed the statement a few times.

Gratitude Dare

Day 5: Bright Side

Keira

Look at the bright side. Sounds easy enough… and by thinking it doesn’t sound easy, you’re not looking at the bright side. By so doing, you’ll be creating an odd Thankgsiving-paradox. How’s that for motivation?

But seriously, spending a whole day looking at the bright side sounds exhausting and so worth it! Imagine how well your day will feel tonight when you only have the bright side left in your cognition?

Today, each time something undesirable comes up, think of the silver lining. I think this will look a little different for everyone. Some people will coat the day with silver in a slightly humorous way

The dog threw up again? Well, at least he’s a living vacuum.

Others will take the “some have less than I” approach

I broke my favorite dish! At least I was lucky enough to have more than one dish so I could pick a favorite.

I find myself at a different setting. I’m not very funny, so my humor would only come out sarcastic (which defeats the purpose). And I guess I’m too comfy with my possessions to be thinking of everything others don’t have. I’m more logical.

My daughter’s going to be late, again? At least she’s learning the importance of time management.

I’m also more creative. Especially when I get caught off guard.

Finances are tight this month? It’s the perfect time to rotate our food storage!

I’ve just spent the whole day working and I have nothing to show for it! … I remember a story about a man told to push against a mountain. Maybe today, I just needed to push.

The problem I usually have (and maybe this will sound familiar), is that I am both a realist (often misinterpreted as a pessimist), and a worrier (lets call it over-thinking. ;c). I think the worry is what makes my realist-side seem more pessimistic). I am also easily caught up in a black-vs-white, good-vs-bad mentality. Everything has a label, a category. Today, and for the rest of the month, I’m will need to make a conscious effort to take everything out of my “bad” mental folder and re-label it with a “good, because ______” folder. I think, at first, I’ll only be able to handle the obvious negatives, but I’m hoping by the end of the month, the little slivers of negativity can be caught and redirected, as well.

[warning] Don’t forget. We’re expanding upon this challenge every day. Keep writing 3 grateful paragraphs down in your place of choice until the end of the month. [/warning]

Gratitude Dare

Day 4: Three Paragraphs

Keira

Now lets get serious. I think on most days, the average person can come up with one thing they’re grateful for. Even on bad days, a person can be grateful that the day is finally over (yes, I’ve had that thought before). However, coming up with 3 distinct events/ideas/things becomes pretty intense. Especially since we’ve already discussed how our paragraphs need to tell the whole story.

Writing 3 separate blessings makes you really look at your day. At least it made me look closer. I asked myself, “what DID I benefit from today?” It changed my perspective from, “well this was good but that was bad,” to “Even though that part took a lot of work, I’m glad I get to enjoy this benefit from it.” Had I only had to come up with one thing, I would have picked the best part of the day, and all of the rest of the day would have been erased from history. There are so many little blessings each and every day. There is more than one event in a day that deserves recognition and highlight. Let’s give rise to all good things, not just the one best thing.

Today, we get to look closer at our day and realize we have more than one thing to be grateful for.

 

Gratitude Dare

Day 3: Tell the Stories

Keira

Welcome back! You’ve mastered the ability to write sentences of thanksgiving. Now, we get to turn that sentence into a whole paragraph. I suggest sticking with the phrase “I am blessed because…,” but if it just doesn’t work for you in something, don’t feel constrained. First and foremost, this project has to work for you. I could go all grammar-geek on you again and discuss that a paragraph needs at least 5 sentences, but that’s technical, rather biblical-scribe-ish. If you feel like you’ve done your gratitude justice, count it. 

 

Make sure that when you’re writing your paragraph, you add enough information and story so that when you look back on it, you can recall the events that touched you. This challenge counts as brownie points with the journal-tracking angels in heaven (there might be such a thing, you never know…), Plus, it doesn’t really count for anything if you just write down a few scattered details and then years later you’d look at these memories and gratitude statements and say, “well, this is totally pointless.” I don’t want you to waste your time, I want it to count for something. Just imagine, instead, having a terrible day and then coming across this entry and getting to relive such a gratifying and uplifting experience (because even if it’s little, in your memory, it will become big later) and having that memory be just the thing to make your day all better. Doesn’t that sound promising? I think it’s a romantic thought, at any rate.

Gratitude Dare

Day 2: Blessed

Keira

Congratulations on making it to day 2! Wasn’t yesterday so hard? Today, Instead of writing one word, we’re going to make it into a sentence. Write 1 sentence of gratitude beginning with “I am blessed because.” The beginning of this sentence is very important. “I am blessed” has a very different feel than “I am thankful for.”

Lets have a little grammar-geek talk here. We’re dealing with subjects and objects. Subjects are the persons, places, things, or ideas that are DOING the action:

 I am, you did, it was, etc.

Objects are the persons, places, things or ideas that are RECEIVING the action:

to him, for her, from there, 

As natural human beings, we tend to look at everything from the subject perspective. We put ourselves in the drivers chair. I am, I had, I made, etc. And that makes sense, It’s a rather healthy place to be… Most of the time. But it’s also exhausting, pressure-laden, and self-centered; the opposite of what we want to gain from this challenge. That is the main difference in

I am thankful for…

(We’re in the driver’s seat. We’re creating the action. We’re thinking of Ourselves and what we are doing), and

I am blessed because…

(We are receiving the action here. We are thinking about some outside force acting upon ourselves.It’s passive. It’s a way for us to step out of the driver’s seat and let someone else lead).

Today, lets take a break from blazing our trail, and just let our blessings happen to us. Oh, and write them down, of course.

 

Gratitude Dare

Day 1: Just One Word

Keira

We’re going to start out really easily on our gratitude dare. Today we just need one word. Like I said, easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Didn’t want to overwhelm everyone (okay, I didn’t want to overwhelm ME). Lets start small and just get our feet wet. Besides, this is going to take off quickly enough.

What is one word that sums up the thing you are most grateful for?

There. That wasn’t too hard. Was it? Babysteps, people. It’s all about the babysteps.

Gratitude Dare

Gratitude Dare

Keira

I’m having this dilemma in my head. All about gratitude vs. cheesiness. It seems as though November first runs around and everyone is all about flooding Facebook, blogs, and the internet at large with thanksgiving. Good for them. I’ve done the research. Everything points towards health benefits. There are no negative side effects (aside from utter cheesiness). But I just can’t get past the “everyone is doing it,” thing. I want to be grateful. I like that it can help re-align your life and your brain. And I have no doubt I could use an emotional detox after this  year. So how do I join the bandwagon without jumping on the back of the very-overcrowded November Challenge truck? Especially because come December 1st, that truck tends to dump it’s members right out in a frenzy of “Christmas Grump.” I want a permanent detox. I want a genuine heart. I want a thorough cleanse that goes deeper than words. I think I’m going to start my own November Challenge. It just hit me. Up until this paragraph, I had no clue where this post was going. I guess I should call it a Gratitude Dare. Do you remember a few years ago (okay, more than a few) when Fireproof came out, with all of its truth and cheesiness? I guess the concept is the same. Except instead of saving a marriage, it’s more about saving a life. So if I remember right, you start out with one step, and you add one step a day, and by the end you’ve made a whole month’s worth of good habits. So… Here goes. My Gratitude Dare.

  1. Write one word to describe something you’re grateful for.
  2. Write 1 sentence of gratitude beginning with “I am blessed because.”
  3. Write a paragraph about why you’re grateful for something.
  4. Now make it 3 things. Write a paragraph about each.
  5. Look at the bright side.
  6. When you wake up this morning, tell yourself it’s going to be a great day.
  7. Take 30 seconds with your eyes closed and just give thanks for being awake, alive, and cognitive.
  8. Go for a walk. Enjoy the weather.
  9. Tell some one thank you.
  10. Get out of your comfort zone to tell someone thank you.
  11. Send out a thank you note.
  12. Apply the anyway principle.
  13. Serve someone less fortunate than yourself.
  14. Serve someone you feel is more fortunate than yourself.
  15. Give a gift.
  16. Give something you own to someone without.
  17. leave an anonymous unexpected surprise.
  18. Give of yourself.
  19. Call your mother. Or your father. Thank them.
  20. Dedicate today to expressing gratitude to your spouse.
  21. Is there a person you’ve always been grateful to that you’ve never expressed? Thank them.
  22. Wake up early.
  23. Read scriptures/doctrine.
  24. Pray.
  25. Practice Mindfulness.
  26. Solve your own problem.
  27. Now onto the harder stuff. Today, give thanks for the negatives.
  28. Today, thank God for your imperfections.
  29. Give thanks for the things you’re still waiting for.
  30. Have you thanked yourself yet?

I confess that this sounds hard, and if I didn’t really want a change of heart, I’d put it off until next November. That makes much mores sense, right? I mean, I may actually have followers on this blog by then. And yet, I don’t know what’s going to happen this year. It already feels like I need to be grateful now and not postpone (there’s a concept. Not postponing gratitude…), so ready or not. Here goes. If you’d like to join in, you can post here and let us know how you’re dong or you can write on our Search for Seven Facebook page.

A Day in the Life

Happy Halloween

Keira

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It’s Halloween, but most of the festivities here are already done.

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The mummy hotdogs and pizza are eaten. The witch has a nose pinned back on, the fish are all “caught”, and the “potions” are strewn around. The costumes are set aside for tonight, and the punch bowl is empty. That being said, there’s still a brain mold full of jello sitting in my fridge because I forgot all about it.

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Yeah, I wish I could say that was out of the norm for me… But oh well. We’ll just have a family game night tonight.

These mob bosses and one adorable Hello Kitty are looking forward to a night full of treats, tricks, and freezing temperatures.

A Day in the Life

Battle of wills

Keira

We’re currently on our way back from my  high school reunion (oh man, was that an eye opener), and jamming out to Hispanic music. Lest you think we actually enjoy it, let me explain:

I speak Spanish, and I think it’s kind of fun to listen for words I actually remember. Ranger, however, can’t listen without saying something about how it reminds him of circus music and changing the channel quickly. While we were flipping through stations on our drive and it tuned into a Latino station, I sarcastically said, ” here we go, let’s listen to this.” Not to be outdone, he left it there. Well, I can’t let him outlast me, when I’m the one that claims to enjoy it. And I honestly could probably stand it just fine except I keep expecting him to change it.