21 Days of Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who joined me in the 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge. Thanks for your willingness and your enthusiasm.

I hope you found some new inspiration and perspective, and I really hope the challenge made for an extra happy Thanksgiving. I appreciated the opportunities to dig deep, to revisit some of the best (and hardest) moments of my life, and to give thanks for the people who make it all worthwhile.

Thinking about gratitude each day helped open my heart to a little extra softness and patience and peace. This challenge fostered meaningful conversations with my friends and family and made me realize how many more of those conversations I wish I had.

Again, congratulations. And may you bring your thanksgiving forward into every day of the year.

With gratitude,

KID

21 Days of Gratitude Challenge

Day 1: What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

Day 2: Make a list of 20 people that make your life better.

Day 3: Think of your travels. Why are you grateful?

Day 4: Think about a person you love. What makes that person easy to love? How does that person enrich your life?

Day 5: How is your life better today than a year ago?

Day 6: What are your three greatest strengths?

Day 7: What do you take for granted?

Day 8: Think about a beautiful place outside that brings you joy.

Day 9: Try to go this entire day without a complaint.

Day 10: Think about a job or work you’ve had in your life that taught you valuable life lessons. What did you learn?

Day 11: Think about one time in your life a child has brought you heart bursting joy.

Day 12: Think about a person you love. Think about why. Now go tell that person. And don’t forget the why.

Day 13: Think about a difficult time in your life in which you persevered. Think about all the ways in which you grew because of this perseverance.

Day 14: Think of a teacher, coach, or mentor who has made a significant impact in your life. In what ways has he or she made a difference?

Day 15: What three accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

Day 16: Think about a relationship, friendship, or job that didn’t work out. What doors opened because that one closed? How is your life better for it?

Day 17: Think about a mistake you made in your life. Think about what you learned from it.

Day 18: Pay it forward in some way today. Random act of kindness. Go.

Day 19: Think about your favorite holiday tradition. Why are you grateful?

Day 20: What is the very best thing that happened to you yesterday?

Day 21: You made it! Congratulations. What have you learned over the last 21 days?

I want to do a 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge. And I want you to join me. Please say yes.

Life is good and life is sweet. But sometimes we get so stuck in the mud and the mania that we forget about all that goodness and sweetness. Especially at this time of year.

I’ve been thinking about this idea for a long time. I’ve been writing and searching and collecting and hesitating. But now is as good a time as any. And any time is a good time to give thanks.

This isn’t much of a challenge. It’s really more of an invitation. I promise it’s not going to require much of you. The only thing you need is two minutes of quiet time and reflection each day.

Bonus points if you scribble a few words down on paper or in a journal. I am a believer in the power of pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard or thumbs to smartphone). And if you do take notes, you’ll have something to hold onto at the end. But if that’s not your style, don’t worry about it. The only thing that matters is the thoughtfulness. Just two minutes of quiet consideration will work. And do the mind and the body and the heart a whole lot of good.

These two minutes could make wonderful starts or ends to your days over the next three weeks. But you can also find two minutes anywhere they become available. Like at the kitchen sink or in the shower or during a commercial break.

The challenge is two good minutes of thoughtful reflection and gratitude. Two minutes a day for 21 days. That’s it.

I will send a question or prompt via email to you every morning starting tomorrow and ending on Thanksgiving Day.

Read the prompt, think about it, maybe jot down some notes. Then go on with your life.

If you are already a subscriber to this blog, you’re good to go. If you’re a subscriber and you’re not up for this, just delete away.

I don’t know what to expect out of this journey, but I bet we can find something worthwhile, maybe even a little magic. And I know with certainty that a grateful heart can make a big difference, especially in difficult and overloaded times.

I hope you’ll join me.

Look for Day 1 tomorrow.

With gratitude and love,

KID