Grateful Challenge

Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks, invited her readers to participate in her annual Grateful Challenge. The premise – set a timer for 10 minutes and try to create a list of 99 things you are grateful for.

Studies have shown that practicing gratitude can improve our happiness. So, Gini’s challenge is absolutely worthwhile!

“It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” Naomi Williams

In no particular order, here’s what I’m grateful for:

1. Kyler
2. My parents
3. My sisters
4. My sister-in-law
5. My in-laws
6. My “Italian” friends – Danielle and Nicole
7. Experimenting in the kitchen
8. Running water and central heat!
9. The mountains
10. Seeing the sunrise on an early morning run
11. Brené Brown and her inspiring books/life work
12. My Ekklesia family
13. iPhone
14. Candles
15. Flowers in the garden and in vases
16. Being a bookworm
17. Grocery stores. Getting food shouldn’t be this easy.
18. Pine Belt PRAM and its supportive community
19. Cindy for pushing me and believing in me
20. The opportunity to pursue a graduate degree
21. The ability to travel
22. The ability to run, bike, swim
23. My bike and the challenges its helped me overcome.
24. Coffee. Every day.
25. My supportive small group ladies
26. FitBit
27. Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends
28. My PassionPlanner. It keeps me straight and focused.
29. The Minimalists and their podcast
30. Exchanging smiles with strangers
31. The feeling of ocean air
32. Hiking
33. Music and its power to unite
34. What I’ve learned through the SpinSucks Community
35. Dark chocolate
36. Barre3 online classes
37. The Whole30 philosophy
38. My 5th grade teacher who taught me to believe in my creativity.
39. My 3rd grade teacher for recognizing my individual needs.
40. My kindergarten teacher for her kind spirit.
41. The Knowles family cabin
42. Getting to study abroad in Florence
43. Laughing so hard it hurts
44. Christmas coffee mugs. Somehow it makes coffee taste even better.
45. Getting snail mail
46. Quiet time to recharge
47. Friends who pull me out of too much quiet time
48. Getting to travel home to see my family
49. My running shoes
50. Carrots. Such travel friendly snacks!
51. Trader Joe’s. Please, come to Hattiesburg, MS!
52. A good glass of wine in good company
53. That all five of my senses work
54. The Jackson Station running trails
55. The invention of the toothbrush
56. That my parents paid for orthodontia and way too many mouth surgeries. Otherwise,
57. my teeth would be a wreck!
58. The opportunity to go to school.
59. Colored pens
60. The internet and its abyss of knowledge and ability to connect.
61. Rick Steves! Keep on traveling.
62. Avocados.
63. Access to medicine and doctors
64. Eggs. I should probably get a few chickens. I eat soo many eggs.
65. My huge extended Moran family. Affectionately dubbed the Moran Clan.
66. Amazon Prime and Netflix. I loath commercials, unless I am analyzing them during the Super Bowl.
67. A husband that doesn’t make me watch football. Too much sitting.
68. The opportunities that lie ahead
69. All the future memories to be made
70. Kyler’s knack for pushing me to be better.

Well, I didn’t quite get to 99. Ten minutes goes fast!

Happy Thanksgiving!