What Are YOU Grateful For????
What’s up, you amazing Poopies? Hope you’ve had a good week! Things remain busy as ever over here in Poopville. But, honestly, that’s how we like it! Until Friday that is…and then we need a little down time to take in our place in the world, slow the pace, catch our breaths deeply and remember what’s truly important – and especially, what to be grateful for in our lives. And with that, I’d like to request something of you all for the MOMtra this weekend. Instead of me offering you something to say and repeat as a way to bring some calm and serenity into your lives, I am leaving it up to you all to do for yourselves over the next few days. I will, of course, prompt you with an incredible idea that inspired this post.
So, in my attempts at becoming more social media savvy, I’ve started following people on Twitter and have even posted a few PoopieMommy tweets myself. I’m easing my way into it, as there is so much to follow out there, it can honestly be a bit overwhelming. The abundance of information in the Twittersphere is remarkable and daunting all at the same time, but now that I’m starting to follow people with substantial, educated and entertaining voices whom I respect, I’m beginning to be more comfortable and really enjoy reading their feeds. And a perfect example of this leads me to today’s Make- Your- Own MOMtra. One of the organizations I follow on Twitter is The ONE Campaign. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the ONE campaign is a grass roots, advocacy organization co-founded by Bono that fights extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and putting pressure on political leaders to support policies and programs that save lives – especially children. By following ONE, I’ve been introduced to other activists and philanthropists who use Twitter for the greater good. One such person is Ashley Judd, who over the years has become a truly dedicated activist in the fight against hunger and poverty and disease. I read her tweets often and one from yesterday inspired me to include it on PoopieMommy. She sent a tweet asking if any of her followers had completed their daily ”gratitude lists.”. YES! I thought, this is so simple, but so important! The following is an excerpt from the website based on the book The Gratitude List by Todd Aaron Jenson:
Everybody knows that “thank you” is good manners, but recent science is demonstrating and proving inarguably that living a life of gratitude is also good for you. A daily dose of gratitude promotes health, happiness, and positive social relationships, according to studies conducted by leading psychologists at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and University of Miami. Related studies have found other benefits as well, all of which could arguably be linked to a grateful mind-set: clearer thinking, better resilience during tough times, higher immune response, less likelihood of being plagued by stress, longer lives, closer family ties, and higher performance in the workplace or academic setting. Clearly “thank you” is not only good manners. It’s a way of life that can change the world! (www.thegratitudelist.org)
Poops, what are you waiting for? Use the gratitude list as your daily MOMtra! It literally starts like this…what are YOU grateful for? There are no wrong answers and once you see your list in writing you will be amazed at how powerful it is…how easily it can shift your entire mentality toward your day, your week…your whole life! Here’s a list of some things I’m grateful for at this very moment:
- for my good health
- for the good health of those whom I love and cherish
- for the mild winter/beautiful warm weather
- for being able to laugh our way through this ridiculous home-selling process (not losing my sense of humor!)
- for the ability to blog/write/connect with you wonderful followers
- for the fact that PoopieDaddy has a good, secure job and we have health insurance (I read a frightening FB post from a friend in Phoenix who knows a little boy with unimaginable health problems and his parents’ insurance is about to run out)
- for the fragrant smell of the rain today and the eucalyptus on the mantle…with the breeze coming through the open window, it’s permeating such a pleasant scent throughout the house
- for my amazing, supportive friendships
- for taking this time in my day to allow myself to feel gratitude
Wow. I literally feel uplifted. And I promise you will too! Make your own gratitude lists over the next few days and read them back to yourselves and encourage your families to make them as well. Your kids are never to young to start feeling a sense of gratitude for their own lives as well. Seeing all the blessings around you in a more tangible way makes you realize how much you should appreciate and be thankful for in your life which inevitably leads to more happiness. I will always have new MOMtras for you in the blogs to come, but this one should definitely become a permanent practice in your life. I know I will be making my gratitude lists as often as I can!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my darling Poopies, and I’ll see you back here next week. Thank you so much for helping me move up the ranks…last time I checked, I was number 88 on the big TopMommyBlog list! Woo hoo! Please don’t forget to share my link with your pals and forward me on FB and Pinterest. I have a very cool idea for gaining Twitter followers which I will reveal shortly and I’m countin’ on y’all Poops to help me put my plan in action! Our PoopieCommunity is growing steadily, and for that, I AM VERY GRATEFUL : )
