Thankful Thursday { Volume 1 }

Roald Dahl Print – {Roald Dahl was my all time favorite authors as a child!}

It is so important to stop and be THANKFUL for what you really do have instead of wishing you had something else. 2012 was a rough year – both emotionally and physically. It was very hard at times to keep a smile on my face and there were some days that I did more crying than anything else. I just could not find my happy place at times. I am very optimistic about 2013. To take my fears and turn them into learning lessons. To take my tears and turn them into healing water for my soul. And to be thankful for what I really do have.

Positive Wall Print

I think gratitude journals are a great tool to use. I have many journals and I write constantly – I still do prefer handwriting over typing. I seem to react to my own thoughts and remember better when I physically write vs. typing. Plus I have horrible ADD and knowing that I am a click away from the internet DOES not help me any!

Sharing what we are thankful for should not be about bragging rights. It should be a positive tool for each one of us to use to continually look into OUR OWN lives and to appreciate the small things and the big things we are presented with on a daily basis. I think most of us forget these at times. We see our friends facebook pictures, read blogs, watch TV, thinking “Wow – I wish I had that house. That body. That car. That life”. When we have all that we need right in front of our face.

There may be some of you that find more negatives in your life than positive. Believe me, I have been there! If there is something that you don’t like about your life I only have one piece of advice: CHANGE IT. Own up to it and take steps to become a better person. Have a better life. Become more positive. If you want something bad enough, you CAN have it! But it must be earned through some patience, determination and hard work. Dream it! Believe it! Own it!

Never let the odds poster

This week I am thankful for:

My family. I was able to see most of them on our family’s Christmas Party hosted at my Grandparents house. For most of us, this is the one time we actually get to sit down together, shoot the shit, laugh and enjoy. When we were all young, getting together was easier and a lot of fun! Here is a group shot of all the cousins together:

Two of us are married, two of us have kids, the oldest is turning 30 this year (me!) and the youngest graduated high school last year. It have been such an amazing time growing up together!

Nights by the fire. I seem to be always cold so I love just sitting in front of the fire, soaking up the warmth.
Seattle. It might sound strange to be thankful of a large city but I am very thankful I live in this area. Seattle has a lot to offer and is such a diverse, kind city to be in. I am constantly amazed by how much natural beauty I am surrounded by. The ocean in one direction and mountains in another direction – heaven.