I just finished a round of 7 Days 7 Smiles with some phenomenal people. It was so much fun! I enjoy seeing what makes you guys smile so much. It’s amazing to see what makes people smile. We are all grateful for so many different things, large and small. And thanks to a sweet reply from Jessica, I was reminded of something I do with my students in their journals each day. (If you haven’t jumped over to do 7 Days 7 Smiles, I highly encourage you to do so. It’s completely free and so much fun!)

This got me thinking…

I ask my students to tell me three things they are grateful for each day. I also ask them to tell me one thing they are grateful for that is fleeting, something that could be gone in 10 days, 10 minutes, or 10 seconds. This last one really makes you take a second look around you.

While many of them are consistently grateful for family, food, and shelter, there are always those that surprise me and make me smile. Grateful for forgiveness. Grateful for mercy. Grateful for the bird who sings so sweetly. Grateful for the clouds and being able to find pictures in the sky.

We all get in such a rush with our busy lives. When asked for something we are grateful for we can usually think of some of the bigger, and more consistent, parts of our lives. BUT, thinking of some of the simpler, more fleeting parts of our lives is sometimes more difficult. This really requires us to “stop and smell the roses.”

And to know me well…is to know the following :

“Cake is happiness! If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!”
― C. JoyBell C

I’m challenging myself to a week of sharing my gratitude for the simple things in life, 7 whole days. Will you join me? Add what you are grateful for in the comments below. Let’s have a week full of gratitude!

Today…

Today I am grateful for  technology, but not so much for work purposes today. Today I am grateful for technology to find out that sweet friends have returned safely home from travels in other parts of the world. I am grateful for the ability to see my dad smile by receiving a text from him with a picture of a beautiful butterfly first thing this morning. Technology has such a huge impact on what, and who, we are able to connect with.

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”
― Mark Twain

What are you grateful for today? Is it something big or something small? Add a comment below to share what you are grateful for today.

You got this!

Amber

P.S. If you haven’t been over to the 7 Days 7 Smiles page, check it out HERE.