“The truth is that it’s what we say to ourselves in response to any particular situation that mainly determines our mood and feelings.” – Edmund J. Bourne

The noun, thankfulness, is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as:

1. Conscious of benefit received
2. Expressive of thanks
3. Well pleased (February 10, 2017)

Merriam-Webster.com defines happy as:

1. Feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc
2. Showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment
3. Pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc (February 10, 2017)

A few years ago I started making a routine of being thankful for at least 3 things a day by stopping and making a point to state them to myself, almost like a prayer of thanks. I started doing this as a wellness tool to help change negative thought patterns. Knowing that I am responsible for how I feel this thankfulness routine has helped me to stay positive. Even on days when things are rough or challenging there are so many things to be thankful for. It is like the idea that “every cloud has a silver lining.” Some days it is as simple as three words: family, coffee, hugs. Other days it is more descriptive: the sound of my boys laughing while we played tag in the backyard…

That said, I thought what a great exercise it would be to create a list of things that I am thankful for. Here are 25 things I’m thankful for. These 25 stem from my top 3: my boys, my husband, and myself.

1. The sound of my boys laughing
2. Every laugh we share together
3. Being a mother and all that comes with it
4. Rainbows
5. Family Vacations
6. Sunsets
7. Clear night skies full of stars and a shining moon
8. Thunderstorms
9. Hot chocolate in a snowstorm
10. My dogs
11. My love of reading, getting lost in that great book
12. My blog (writing)
13. Creating memories
14. Good health
15. For all the colours in life
16. Good food
17. Music (especially when the boys sing & dance to it)
18. For words
19. Nature
20. Marshmellows over a campfire
21. The seasons
22. Challenges – they enrich life
23. Coffee – the taste, smell, and warmth
24. Running & yoga
25. Life

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle

What are 25 things you’re thankful for?

By Shari Marshall – 2017