I love a social media challenge. I especially love a social media challenge that forces me to focus on the good. That’s why when Gini Dietrich posted The Grateful Challenge on Spin Sucks this morning, I was the first (of quite a few) to say “I’m in.”
The point of The Grateful Challenge is to “list as many things that you love in just 10 minutes, with the hopes that you can get to 99.”
Ever the rule-follower, I am setting my timer for ten minutes and proceeding, with a plan to leave the finished product relatively unedited (although I won’t be able to resist a little bit of cleanup!).
The Grateful Challenge
1. My husband. It hasn’t always been easy but 22+ years in, I know I have my best friend on my side.
2. My daughter. I only hope she sees in herself the magic I see in her.
3. My son. He and that “different drummer” keep on marching. For all I know they’ll be the ones to change the world.
4. My crazy cats, Alice Cooper and Bella.
5. A faith that sustains me.
6. Memories of my mother-in-law, Barb, and the echo of her voice in my head every day.
7. My father-in-law, even though he and I argue for a half hour every day about the true meaning of 4:30.
8. A home.
9. This town, which is wonderful, the place where my children were born and raised, but is not New York City.
10. New York City. It will forever and always be where I am most myself.
11. Broadway.
12. A July week this summer that included days in NYC with my daughter.
13. Tenley Albright. Meeting the woman my daughter was named after this July was the culmination of 18 years of hoping on my part. She made it a stellar evening.
14. Estela and Silvia in Guatemala, Stanley in El Salvador – the children we sponsor through Unbound. Meeting each one of them and their families changed me.
15. Toastmasters. I may have to give up on ever having any substantial impact on the world by acting but Toastmasters allows me to perform 5-7 minutes at a time.
16. The ridiculous and overwhelming amount of plenty we have here in the U.S.
17. Related to #16, Publix.
18. All the times a guardian angel has prevented me from having auto accidents.
19. The times I am trusting that same guardian angel will watch my 18 year old driver.
20. Leaning about Camp Gordon Johnston and the men who served there; endlessly fascinating.
21. Books.
22. Specifically, ^^ Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
23. My new part time employment with Weaving Influence. I am still floored every time my boss thanks me for something or asks “how can I serve you?”
24. Blogging.
25. Social media; all the incredible connections I have made that seem a lot more “real” than words and pictures on a screen.
26. That one friend whose phone calls help me stay sane.
27. That one friend who is almost exclusively the reason I am an advocate of gay marriage.
28. Running.
29. Running people.
30. Yoga.
31. Fitness, fitness people, fitness duds.
32. My parents. The ultimate sacrificing people.
33. TURKEYS! RUNNING WITH TURKEYS!
Holy heck, only 33? Well, that’s where my ten minutes went.
ps: running with turkeys is a thing:
Gulf Winds Track Club Turkey Trot Tuneup November 23, 2014
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
**Note my incredible coach Kristie belongs on here too! I just can’t bear to go in and edit as I already broke the ten minute rule for one critical edit! 🙂
Hahaha! “TURKEYS, RUNNING TURKEYS”
Not to mention t’giving-related exercises! (Throw the pumpkin, spread your feathers, etc.) #Florida
Isn’t it sad that you’re surprised when another human being thanks you?
Yes, it is. But it makes it all the sweeter and not taken for granted.
Thirty-three…ninety-nine just numbers. I love your list and could relate to a few of them.
Thank you, Laura. This list ended up being so different than the mental one that I was composing all day but maybe late nights bring out truth! 🙂
Oh….this is a GREAT ideas for a challenge. I’m doing my Third Annual Gratitude Challenge on my blog this month and am always done (but know I’ll need something new next year). I’ve been doing #TToT which stands for Ten Things of Thankful and it has been VERY rewarding. I don’t think it is possible to put too much focus on or spend too much time being thankful–because the more you do the more you have. Thanks for sharing this great idea! ~Kathy
Thanks for your comment, Kathy!! I agree it’s almost impossible to squeeze in too much gratitude!