Week #272 – Keep Counting!  (33 Days of Gratitude Starts Now!)

Greetings Tribe — and Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving may be “over”…but there is no reason to let the gratitude stop!  November is known as “Gratitude Month”…but for the past few years I’ve proposed we keep it going:  

And this year is no different.

Because after our single biggest day of giving thanks — we turn and face the most commercial season of the year.  It’s no secret that retailers thrive on feelings of lack to drive their profits.  And as many of us are trying desperately to simplify the holidays — retailers seem to scream even louder to get our attention.

It turns what many desire to be a season of happiness and contentment into a season of lack and comparison.

And so, I wanted to repeat my challenge once again this year…to continue giving thanks into December and give ourselves the gift of gratitude this holiday season!

(This idea was born out of my own lack of gratitude three years ago.  You can read about it on Week #115.)

So here it is!  A very simple, one-page calendar that you (or your kids) can hang on your wall or refrigerator and fill in each day — and a challenge to Count Your Blessings for 33 days straight!  (Which will take you right up to New Year’s Eve!)

Think you can do it?!

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: KEEP COUNTING!  Amid the stress and strife of the season ahead…give YOURSELF the gift of gratitude!  Download the 33 Days of Gratitude PDF and start counting your blessings today!  Or check out Week #270 for ten fun “Gratitude Game” ideas for how to keep track. However you do it, come New Year’s Eve — you’ll have 33 reminders to celebrate all that is going right and well in your life!  (And I will too!)

Spread Happyness — Share Freely!  And start counting your blessings today!

11/29/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #271 – Thanksgiving Week: Make your moments matter!

As we head into Thanksgiving Week, I’m reminded of a post from two years ago about a woman named JoCheryl Holcombe who lost EIGHT family members (TEN if you include an unborn child and a close family friend) in the Sutherland Springs, Texas shooting on November 5, 2017.

At that time, an acquaintance of mine (who is friends with Cheryl) shared JoCheryl’s Facebook post from the day her town gathered together to celebrate the lives of the Holcombe and Hill families that were killed en masse just ten days before.

You can still see JoCheryl’s public message on FB here.

I couldn’t possibly add anything to that — except to agree and share it with you again.  As you gather together with family this week — if you get along or you don’t get along — remember, it may feel like you have forever.

You don’t.  

(But then again, you do!)

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead is this quote from JoCheryl Holcombe:
“So, when you think of those you love and it feels like you have forever, just remember you don’t, but then again, YOU DO! make this life matter, our soul is the only thing we take with us when we are done…it’s worth tending, it’s worth making meaningful deep connections and living each moment in the fullest most meaningful way. BECAUSE everything can change in a holy instant “
(JoCheryl Holcombe via Facebook — 11/15/17)

Spread Happyness — make your moments matter!  

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Week!

11/22/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #270 – Gratitude Games (Ten Easy Ways to Count Your Blessings!)

Some weeks are easier than others to post about Happyness.

This week is a challenge. Forget what’s going on at a national level. Yesterday’s school shooting in Santa Clarita (which is in my backyard) is yet another reminder of the absolute and utter chaos we live in on a day-to-day basis.

At which point…I’m immediately reminded of the basics. One of which, is gratitude.

Gratitude.

There’s been more written than I can recap here about the benefits of gratitude (just Google “benefits of gratitude” and you can read up on it yourself) — but suffice it to say it’s a relatively low-risk endeavor for a potentially high return.  Gratitude is free, it’s accessible to all, and you don’t have to be in a perfect spot to start.

(In fact, being in an imperfect spot might prove the benefits even more.)

You just need to start.

So I thought I’d repeat a few common ways I’ve seen to count blessings — and open up the floor to see if we can expand the list!

Ten Easy Ways to Count Your Blessings this November

1. In the Morning — as soon as you open your eyes (and before you reach for your phone) take a moment to appreciate the air in your lungs, the comfort of your bed, the first light of sun, the warm body (or bodies) next to you, the fact that your coffee just clicked on, or that you have a job to go to (or that it’s the weekend).  You get the idea!
2. In the Evening — once again, when your head hits the pillow (and before you start to scroll), take a moment to reflect back on your day and go over all the things you are grateful for…or, at the very least, that the day is over and you survived!
3. Alone — you can practice gratitude all on your own.  (No one has to know.)
4. Together — you can rope others in: family, children, coworkers, friends, a boyfriend/girlfriend, or accountability partner.  Make it a group a challenge!
5. Numerical – decide on a fixed number for each day, like one at a time or three a day.
6. Alphabetical — this is my method!  I keep a journal with alphabetized pages where I randomly jot down things that I’m grateful for.  When I’m having a bad day, I can page through the journal quickly to remind myself of all the things that make my heart happy!  And when something occurs to me, it’s easy to find a spot to file it away!
7. Compounding – starting with November 1st, come up with a corresponding number of items for each calendar date (so one on the first, two on the second, three on the third, etc.).  If I added it up correctly, this will result in a total of 465 items on your list!  (Someone, please check my math!)
8. In a Jar — keep a pretty jar or vase with strips of paper handy (on the kitchen counter, in the entry way, or in the living room) where your family can randomly jot down things they are grateful for.  Set a date to empty and read through all the items.
9. On a Tree/Wreath — likewise, keep sticky cut-outs (your can get these in Michaels) or ribbons or strips of paper near a small indoor tree or wreath and add your thoughts throughout the month.
10. Through the Mail — set aside thirty blank notecards to jot down one thank you note each day throughout the month!

What about you?  What are your favorite ways to count blessings?  Please share them with me via email (below) or in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Play the Gratitude Game!  We’re halfway through November…it’s not too late to start.  Pick an idea and run with it!  Try it for a month and see if it lives up to the hype.  What have you got to lose?  Or if you have an idea you love, please take the time to share it with me!  Nothing Spreads Happyness like a grateful heart!

And while I’m at it, let me just say again, I’m so grateful for YOU!!!

Spread Happyness — share your favorite Gratitude Game in the comments!

11/15/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #269 – Election Week Repost: Vote “YES” to Happyness!

This past Tuesday was another Election Day, so I thought I’d repeat my annual Election Day post! Because while some decisions come around only once every year (or four years) — there are hundreds (if not thousands) of little decisions that shape us each and every day!

All across the country, people once again cast votes for Governors, Mayors, representatives, and propositions. Perhaps you supported some of these candidates, debated these choices, or stood up against the ones you don’t believe in.

Can you think of any other decisions you’ve given that much time to?  Or how many “votes” you’ve cast within that time — for or against all kinds of decisions in your own life?

A quick internet search returns multiple sources quoting that people make up to 35,000 decisions every day…from when exactly to get out of bed to when to call it quits for the day.  Some sources say that we make over 200 decisions about food alone!

Each decision is a silent vote:
– YES – I will get out of bed.
– NO – I will not hit the snooze bar again.
– YES – I will floss.
– NO – I will not pick at that blemish.
– YES – I will weigh myself.
– NO – I will not check Facebook before I shower.

The list goes on…and it’s easy to see how we can amass THOUSANDS of little decisions in a very short period of time.

Some of these decisions are quite easy — because we’ve already made bigger, pre-set decisions about them so they fall neatly in line:
– YES – I will go to work and be on time
(therefore, I will get up and out of bed and hit the shower immediately).
– YES – I will take care of my physical health (therefore, I will floss every day, leave my face alone, and weigh myself daily).

When you “vote” early and often for the things you truly want in life — temptations, like really wanting to stay in bed, become small and insignificant compared to the big goals of providing for your family, succeeding in your career, or living a happy and productive life.

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: Vote “YES” to Happyness!  While some decisions only come around once every year (or four years) — there are hundreds (if not thousands) of little decisions that make up EVERY SINGLE DAY of your life.  Add those up — and you have millions of little decisions that shape the course of your entire lifetime.  So what do you say?  Yay or Nay?

Remember to Vote “YES” to Happyness — one precious moment at a time!

Spread Happyness — and share your thoughts!  How do you say “YES” to Happyness?

11/8/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #268 – Thank You, First Responders!

Greetings Happyness Tribe — and Happy November!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in California…wildfires have dominated our news. And at every turn, there is one common theme — immense gratitude and appreciation for the first responders who run to the front line to battle the blaze.

Which has me thinking about a post I wrote just about two years ago this time.  We had just experienced a flare up of fires in our area, and my church used the hour in between morning services to write thank you notes to firehouses all across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

I thought that was a great idea.

Your police department, firehouse, or ambulance squad doesn’t close because it’s a holiday or because there’s snow.  They don’t get to lock the door and call it quits for the day.

They are ready and waiting — away from their families and friends — to serve you in the event of an emergency.

The wildfires in California once again have us all thanking our first responders.  How about you?

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: Thank your first responders!  November is a great month to practice all kinds of gratitude. Be sure to stop by your local firehouse, police station, or ambulance squad and Spread Happyness their way with a goodie bag, some cookies, or a thank you note letting them know you appreciate their being at the ready while you spend time with your family.  Also, feel free to share the photo above with anyone that you want to say thank you to this week!

(And if you are a first responder — I thank you! And I would love to hear your perspective!)

Spread Happyness — thank your first responders this week!

(And if you or someone you know has a fun way to Spread Happyness this holiday season — please let me know!  I’d love to feature their story of Happyness in Action on the blog!)

11/1/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com