Thankful Thursday: Practice Gratitude

Happy January 8, 2015, Everybody!

Today is an extra happy day for me because for the first time since I've started working in a school, we are celebrating a SNOW DAY! Woohoo!  School was mercifully cancelled today due to high winds, low temperatures and poor visibility on roadways. Highway 2 between Chester and Havre was actually marked for "EMERGENCY TRAVEL ONLY." Thankfully, someone in a decision-making position at our school agreed with that assessment. I got the automated call at about 6:30 this morning. Excellent!

So, in yesterday's post about hunting with Harvey, I hinted at a new series I'll be doing on the blog. I've tried to do a few series here and there in the past, with some success. Hunting on the HiLine is sporadic, but does happen each year in the fall to go along with hunting season. I also did one called Find it on the Farm, which was fun, but I fell out of doing it. Maybe I'll bring it back sometime though. Does anyone who remembers that series want to see it back?? Let me know what you guys think.

The new series corresponds with the new year and my New Years Resolution this year. Typically, I'm not big on dramatic resolutions. I'm not into fad diets or whatever the latest workout craze is. I just keep doing my thing, trying to eat intuitively and exercise in ways that work for me. When I think about resolutions and self improvement, I like to think about how I can improve my attitude, behaviors, or personality. Not always easy. This year, I'm rehashing an old favorite growth area for me and that's minimizing negativity.

Simply put, this year, my resolution is to practice gratitude. 



I really try to be on the lookout to avoid negativity, which again, is not always easy. I'll be the first to admit that I don't need any help being negative or overly critical all on my own, especially toward myself. So, I'm renewing my approach to think positive this year. The catchphrase I'm giving my own personal mini-movement is Practice Gratitude. This is the year I Practice Gratitude and continue to be a force for positive vibes toward myself and everyone I meet.

What this means to me is to look for reasons to be happy and thankful. It's easy to get lost in a spiral of negativity or self doubt. Gratitude is acknowledging and appreciating what is good in our lives. Whether it's something within ourselves, or a situation we find ourselves in, or the people we interact with, there's always something good to focus on, big or small.

My new weekly series on the blog will be called Thankful Thursdays. Each Thursday, I'll do a post about something that I'm particularly grateful for in that week. It could be one big thing or person, or it could be a list of several things. This is my pledge, and part of my resolution this year, though. To make a conscious effort to identify what I'm grateful for, think positive, and share it with everyone else as a way to hold myself accountable. Maybe you'll find something you didn't know you were grateful for, too?!

What am I thankful for today? The school cancellation, for sure! I've already had a productive morning. Over break, I finally cleaned off my desk that's basically been sitting and rotting and piling up clutter and dust for a very long time. So, today, feeling inspired and thinking about the Thankful Thursdays/Practice Gratitude launch, I dug out my old drawing supplies.

Gotta have coffee!

I haven't used this stuff in years. It's entirely possible that I haven't touched any of this since my drafting and sketching courses in college. Nice to feel the weight of a pencil and the soft, thick, smooth lead of a Prismacolor!

Anyone else use Prismacolors?
They're the BEST!

 What I came up with after an hour or so of drawing and coloring was the following poster:

This poster summarizes all the major themes I am truly thankful for in my life. Wedding ring for my husband and my marriage, Harvey, hearts to represent love and family, some wheat stems to depict our farming lifestyle and family land, and a running shoe for my love of running, coaching Track, and my health. Oh, and the handprint to represent my job (my company uses handprints in their logo) and the children I've come to know and love from working at school.

I would like to give some credit for this new series (and my New Years Resolution!) to Jeff, since we've both been trying to be more positive lately. And also to Amanda at the Runninghood blog. This post she did back in December (Read here: http://www.runninghood.us/2014/12/whats-up-running-parenting-life-goals.html) mentions something she is doing with her kids. She's encouraging them to begin journaling and taking one page each week to make a list of things they are grateful for. This is partly when the seed was planted for my new series, I liked her idea so much. Then, Oiselle started a Pinterest campaign/contest where essentially you post your New Years Resolution on their Pinterest board with the hashtag #theyeari and you can be entered to win cool gear and so forth. So that's when I really got motivated to finalize my resolution as Practice Gratitude and get this all started!

This is #TheYearI Practice Gratitude. In marriage, in life, in relationships with family and friends, toward my dog, at school, with my running and my health. All of it. 

So there you have it! The first installment of Thankful Thursdays on the blog! What would your Practice Gratitude poster have on it? What are you feeling thankful for today?