5 points of gratitude (and lots of links)

Every time I visit  Are you Grateful? and 365 Days of Gratitude I am torn. Although I'm always inspired by the abundance mindset I find there, I know I should be reserving some time here for gratefulness as well. And now ... that time has come!

My statement of gratitude (what I am thankful for today):

• Good news from the doctor. After I gained an unprecedented 15 pounds in two weeks, friends insisted I visit my physician. Luckily I passed the physical (after all, no studying was required)! A subsequent x-ray proved that for some reason my only problem is that I am -- quite literally -- full of it! With some medication this, too, shall pass, so today I am relieved ... well, I soon will be! 
• A husband who thinks my situation is hysterically funny! Actually, I'm not really thankful for Frank at the moment ... but I am working on it. My gratitude toward my spouse is a very fickle thing which has a lot to do with how many hours he spends sleeping in front of the TV and how often he laughs at my jokes. My jokes ... not my predicament! Still, he has a heart of gold and the very best intentions. And for that I am forever grateful.
• My outdoor world. Even though it's August, the last several days have brought comfortable temperatures to central Iowa where I live -- perfect weather for enjoying the sights and the songs of a variety of bird life. No flooding or wildfires threaten my home ... and for this I am incredible thankful!
• A new contract. In my work as a consultant, I had just ended one project early due to a client's budgetary woes and was scrambling to get more work lined up. I was beside myself with worry ... well, I was worried anyway. But today I got the phone call I needed and will begin my new job next week. Somebody's looking out for me and for that I give thanks!
• Blogging. Why is it that every time I question the value of maintaining a blog, something happens to refocus me? Someone's comments or online friendship. An exciting new find in the blogosphere. Or, as has recently happened, the receipt of an award. I'll have more on that tomorrow ... but for now let me just say "Thank you" to all you bloggers who inspire me, challenge me and those who remind me to count my blessings!

What are you grateful for today?

In order to be able to achieve and maintain happiness we need to, actively, be able to do two things:

1. Complain and then let go (Dump the baggage, the roadblocks to happiness.)
2. Openly Express Gratitude (The open expression of gratitude promotes happiness.)

In order to be able to achieve and maintain happiness we need to, actively, be able to do two things:

1. Complain and then let go (Dump the baggage, the roadblocks to happiness.)
2. Openly Express Gratitude (The open expression of gratitude promotes happiness.)

After all, everyone has something to be grateful for and/or something to complain about. If you would like to accept the challenge, please follow the appropriate link and do so: "Are You Grateful?", "Complain Complain Complain."

Contributors to "Are You Grateful?" & "Complain Complain Complain" are: 1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Max 3-DianaCA's Metamorphoses 4-Mental Poo 5-My Thoughts 6-Baba Doodlius 7-Wake Up America 8-Life is a Roller Coaster 9-Life and Me 10-pinay mommy's love blog 11-My Happiness Haven 12-And Life Goes On for a Filipino Mom 13-Blessed Sanctuary 14-Expressions And Thoughts 15-Memories by Jenn 16-Reminiscence of My Adventures 17-In the Life of Mne 18-Juliana's Lair 19-Pinay Wahm 20-Lucid Creativity 21-Winged Words 22-Irresistible Fascinations 23-A Little Time 24-See Me For What You Will 25-Greatest Reviews 26-ETC ATBP 27-Gandacious 28-We Are Family 29-Journey to this thing called LIFE 30-www.rajeshrana.net 31-www.rajeshrana.com 32-BaReFooTeD Me 33-Uncomplicated 34-Points of View 35-Pride & Prejudice 36-Colorful World 37-Nora's Notes 38-A Daily Walk With Bill & Gina 39-Strange but True 40-Everything Under The Sun ( Beth Rebokon ) 41-Kaleidoscope 42-Fil-Oz Blog 43-By Osc@r Luiz 44-Comedy Plus 45-Blogging by Sandee 46-Soul Meets World 47-Mae's Memoirs 48-Beyond the Rave Reality 49-Amori, poesie, arte, chat by Hanna 50-Attached at the Hip 51-Carver's Sight or is that Site? 52-Empress Reviews 53-Simple Pleasures In My Heart 54-Lourdes' mia 55-A Grateful Heart 56-Majorsleepyhead 57-Scrappy n Happy in Ohio 58-CHOC MINT GIRL 59-Extraordinary Things 60-ZOOROPAZOO 61-BeNolSatuEm 62-As The World Turns 63-Your Caring Angels 64-Life Is Wonderful To Know Everyday 65-Sugar Magnolias 66-Little Peanut 67-Creative In Me 68-Me and Mine 69-Pea in a Pod 70-the diary of the Pink & Brown Wedding 71-good thoughts, good trades, good life 72-My Blog - all things me 73-Rainbows 74-Little Corner of Mine 75-Me, Myself and I 76-My Planet Purple 77-Amel's Realm 78-A Handful of Surprises 79-A Detour 80-Something Purple 81-Vanity Kit 82-Are You Grateful? 83-A Simple Life 84-BlogTips.Com 85-Balitang Kalye 86-Mariuca 87- Emila Yusof 88-A Total Blog 89-My Life in this Wonderful World 90-MommyAllehs 91-Things That Suck 92-A Mother's Stuff 93-Princess Vien 94-My Inner Thoughts Revealed 95-Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 96-Apples Of The Eyes 97-Nita's Random Thoughts 98-Nita's Corner 99-Thomas Digital Services 100-A Mother's Thoughts101-Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta 102-My Perfect Escape 103-Vanidosa. Marie 104-Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe 105-Lynda's Loft 106-Listening..Learning..Living 107-LadyJava's Lounge 108-The Painted Veil 109-Poeartica 110-Maryannaville 111-the life of a psychotic weirdo 112-CARPE DIEM 113-Turn-u-Off 114-asian mutt international 115-Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 116-LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER 117-AZZY'S BLOG-A-ROONIE! 118-glad to be here 119-WilStop 120-Dare to Blog 121-WebGeek Journal 122-Foster Me Up 123-This is My Life 124-DaveylynneDR 125-Life Realities 126-aNgRiAniWorld Dot Com 127-All That Matters 128-My Inspiration Sharing Land 129-Hidup Biar Sedap 130-Mutiara Hati 131-EM Muhammad 132-I Digress 133-Mapped Memories 134-Working It 135-Startin' A New Life too, 136-Little Secret 137-FEEL FREE to Express Yourself 138-iAM-Mai 139-SOLOFLIGHT 140-BLACKNICKEL 141-NEUROPATCH 142-EMJEI SAYS 143-Big Money List 144-daily information 145-TRCoach 146-LOVE YOUR LIFE! 147- INSTANT MESSAGES 148-MEME ME 149-mEldita's untamed world 150-mEldita's uncensored life 151-i.MEL.dific 152-SNAPSHOT 153-DAILY STOCK PICKS 154-The Pet Haven 155-Pet's Garden Blog 156-Ketuk_angel Weblog 157-Laketrees 158-Enroute 365

Comments

[pepsoid]

What a useful and invigorating exercise! :)

I don't get around much these days, Internetally speaking, for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that I am presently the dad of a month-and-a-half-old getting-more-gorgeous-by-the-day baby girl (a !MAJOR! thing I have to be grateful for), but your post has jogged my brain into endeavouring to remember to at least mentally make regular lists of "What I am grateful for"... :)

[Brenda replies]

Mel -- Thanks for the opportunity to join in with your Gratitude Statement project! We all need to reflect on our blessings more often!

Comedy Plus and
RennyBA -- Thanks for stopping by. I do have much to be thankful for!

Tammy -- I could relate to so much in your comment! Like you I'm trying NOT to get caught up in how much traffic I draw here and I DON'T want to include any ads; both have the potential to distract me from what I set out to do. Also, like you, I've started "following" commenters on other blogs and have loved the new blogs found that way! (And about the links in comments, when I first started blogging it was considered poor form to include your own link within a comment, but okay to pass along a referral link. I, in fact, appreciate it when commenters tell me of another blog I'm sure to enjoy!)

[Mel]

Your “Gratitude Statement” has been posted on the “Gratitude Site.” The URL is < http://areyougrateful.blogspot.com/2008/08/133-5-points-of-gratitude-and-lots-of.html >. Don't forget to come by and copy/paste the current list of participants back to your post. Doing this frequently insures maximum link benefit for everyone who participates. And by keeping your list current with mine you won't have to respond to individual participant requests to add them to your list. Staying current is optional. However, if you do stay current, you will maximize the “link-love” for everyone who participates. My suggestion is to schedule a visit to < http://areyougrateful.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-submit-statement-of-gratitude.html > once every couple of weeks and add the new participant links.

Please let me know if there are any changes that you would like to make to the post.

Thanks for participating. If possible, try to get others to participate; again, totally optional. Also, you can contribute as many “Statements of Gratitude” and/or “Complaints” as you wish.

BTW, yours is one of the best that I have seen!!!

[Comedy Plus]

You sound like a very grateful person. I'm glad you have a new job lined up. Have a great day. :)

[RennyBA]

Actually there is a lot to be thankful for - your post is a great reminder.

Btw: To your ?: The Göta Canal is mostly used by tourist now.
Glad you've had your Iowa sweet corn too :-)

Have a great end to your week!

[Tammy Warren]

This is really not funny! I did laugh....very hard. Sorry. I wish I could blame my weight gain on something. I am sure you will feel much better soon.

I am so glad to see you enjoying the outside world. It is so easy in this little blog world to get wrapped up with reading. It is a wonderful place to read and grow stronger as a person. On the flip side, I have discovered that it is addicting. I have resolved myself that I will not make it about the number of hits that I have. I know that many do, and that is great for them. I know many advertise, etc. and have to. I am just so glad I ran across you. I believe it was reading a comment you had written on http://matthewwheeler.typepad.com/im_coming_back_as_a_bug_b/. I find a great deal of blogs that I like by just reading comments. I am not even sure if it is proper to post a link in a comment. Oh well, if not I am sorry.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful day. I am sure the 15 will drop right away....haahah.