Joyful January #Day 14: Top 10 Gratitude List

Write a gratitude list and share it! 

Gratitude has such a great capacity to increase our joy through encouraging mindfulness, appreciating the moments in our lives. The more we focus on what we are grateful for the more we see how much we have to be grateful for. When we share our gratitude with others we can create good vibes where they might even feel more grateful and positive too! I belong to an online gratitude community where we share what we are grateful for each day, it is an uplifting space to be and the practice of sharing enhances our sense of gratitude. 

Knowing that we were going to have a gratitude challenge I took some time to flick through my photos folders and just let the gratitude flow. I thought I would share some of these just in case you were looking for inspiration or ideas (please note: they are in no particular order, just how they came out). You certainly don't need to go into the same depth as I have. Every night before I go to bed I write a gratitude list of up to about ten things, it is a lovely way to get ready to rest as it makes me acknowledge the good in my day even if it has been a tough one. 

I am grateful for the beautiful world we live in. There is beauty in the wide vistas, there is beauty in the small things like a flower growing in an unexpected place. We are so blessed to live near beaches and rivers. I love the water, I am grateful for the way it cleanses me and soothes my soul. 

I am grateful for the rich Maori culture of Aotearoa (New Zealand). The more I learn the more I am proud to come from this country and the more I want to learn. The wisdom of our indigenous cultures where people and nature are entwined is as important now as ever.  I am grateful for the kaiako/teachers I have had so far and those who share their knowledge so willingly.                                                           

I am grateful for the beautiful big skies we get to enjoy from the back deck of our home. Isn't nature amazing? It sometimes takes my breath away. 

I am so grateful for the freedom to travel that I have had in the past and that we currently enjoy in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Going to different places can open our eyes to new ways of seeing and thinking, as well as present us with new appreciation for our own home too. 

 

I am grateful for our furred and feathered kids at home. Some of our pets have been with us for a long time and all are treasured family members. They bring us much joy and comfort. We are lucky to have them happy and healthy for so long. 

I am grateful for the town I grew up in. It has shaped me in so many ways. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone else. I have so many happy memories (and not-so-happy ones). These trees were my favourite place to climb up and read books. I am grateful for the bar-be-ques we had under these trees. I am grateful for the model my parents were to me and how much they loved me the way I needed to be loved no matter what was going on in their lives or how rotten I was- unconditional love in action right there! 

  

I am grateful for the work I do. It can be messy and challenging and fun and ever-changing. I love that the work that I do is varied and changes like the seasons. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to share my learning with others. I am grateful that I get to work with so many different people in so many different ways and at the heart of it all is a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. 

I am grateful for my little family. We have lovely times and have shared many beautiful memories. I am grateful for the way that we are working together to map a positive future together. I am grateful for the way my husband cares for our boy and my mum as well as how he tries hard to look out for me. 

I am grateful that I got to be a mum. 

I am grateful that this kid shares his goofy mum with others. 

I am grateful that we share a love of reading. 

I am grateful that he shares his wisdom, ideas and dreams with me. 

I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to be his teacher. 

I am grateful that he inspires me to be a better person every day. 

I am grateful that he loves me and forgives me so readily. 

I am grateful for books and to the authors who write these books. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my love for books with others. There are books for every season and reason. I am grateful for my book angels who lead me to the right book just when I need it. 

I am grateful for blue sky days that promise long fabulous days full of good things. They bring me hope. It makes me want to be outside getting stuff done or have some adventures. 

I am grateful for the moon. There is something magical about the moon. I love seeing the moon change over the month, she shows that we all have times when we feel full and others when we are more empty, she shows us that change is part of life. 

Pause for a moment and soak in the gratitude you can feel right now. Ahhhhhh... 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

The Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit. This is an opportunity to start your year with tips, tools and techniques to ensure you have the health, energy and vitality to beat the end of term slump and fatigue, and be the best version of yourself all year long. For more information please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/