Each December flies by so quickly, I don't even have a chance to breathe.
This year, I want it to be different.
I want to stop rushing around, feeling like I'm always behind.
I want to see the sparkle in my little one's eyes when she grins at me.
I want to hear the crunch beneath my feet on newly fallen snow.
I want to take in the hidden beauty of the life around me.
I want to be amazed by my eight year old's ingenuity.
I want to savor each delicious bite without feeling guilty.
I want to feel the warmth on my face as I snuggle up next to the fire…
In short:
I want to notice the magic of everyday.
Because if we don't… we're missing out on our lives.
If you feel the same way, I invite you to join me in a challenge this month:
Simply practice taking notice and giving gratitude everyday for the next 30 days.
Why? Because I have seen how a moment of pause, to take in what's around me, has led to feeling more connected, more loved, and more fully alive. But it's easy to forget. So I'd love your support in witnessing my challenge, and I'd really love for you to join in with me. Let's keep it simple: No daily blogging. No mandatory check-ins. No pressure.
After all, the whole point of this challenge is to simplify life, reconnect, and to enjoy actually LIVING.
The Challenge:
Take Notice - Throughout your day, look for the beauty that surrounds you. And when you spend time with someone, or step outside, or take part in a tradition, or experience anything else that you welcome into your life: stop for a moment. Take notice. Breathe, and take it all in.
Give Gratitude - Each night take a minute to write about one thing you're grateful for. Get specific. Why are you grateful for that thing, person, or experience? (Learn more about the power of details when it comes to gratitude with Marie Forleo's recent video.)
Witnessing and Contributing:
Like I mentioned, I want to keep this simple. This challenge is about really immersing yourself in life, which is impossible to do if you spend all your time online. So I have no set schedule to email you, or post on the blog, or any of that. If I feel inspired to share something, I will. And I invite you to share and contribute in any way that feels right for you.
Most if any of my sharing will be on:
Instagram - (perhaps some photos of special moments, or everyday beauty I find)
Facebook - (where I may share some of the experience, what I'm grateful for, and invite you to share as well)
Ready to take on the challenge? Why not start now by sharing in the comments what you're grateful for today and why. Continue practicing taking notice and giving gratitude throughout this month, and I'm sure it will transform the way you view and experience your life.
If nothing else, remember this:
Slow down.
Breathe.
Notice.
Live your life.
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Grateful for the warmth and coziness of home on this cold, wet, dreary day. Grateful for the time to practice and enjoy creativity. Grateful for all of the ideas shared and exchanged via the internet!
Thanks Kristal,
I needed this today. Since the first day of this year I write every night, on a little piece of paper what I was thankful for that day. But I find that it feels kind of empty. I’m gonna make that change to not sum up some things, but to dig deeper. Thanks for that insight! You keep telling me the right things on the right time, so I am grateful for finding you on the big world wide web! Going to bed now (It’s bedtime in the Netherlands) and start today. :)
Love, Anne
This is a great challenge. The last couple of months have been hard but I’m going to slow down and be grateful for life and what I have. I will take this challenge on. Thanks. Happy Holidays!
I am grateful for feeling truly rested. I just got a new bed a fews day ago. I am starting to realize I have spent the last 7.5 years, since I moved back to Winnipeg being sleep deprived. I feel so good now that I am getting some deceit deep sleep. I am very grateful!
I am grateful for my husband, daughter, and for the years I had with my mother-in-law {whom passed away today].
I am grateful for the breath of life the good Lord has blessed us with.
I am in for this challenge!
Have a blessed Christmas and New Year!
I am grateful the all of the moments I shared with my Mamaw. She past away a week ago and we laid her to rest yesterday. I was taking it very hard, still am a little, but I am learning to just spend my time remembering the good things and the happy memories and looking at her beautiful face in photographs helps too. I am also grateful for a wonderful family and a loving boyfriend who is here for me through what ever life throws my way. I feel so blessed to have someone to lend me a shoulder and hold my hand when I need him. I am grateful for all of the love in my life!
Kristal Thank you for inviting me to do this challenge with you. I have so much to be grateful for. So I just want to share with you how grateful I am to be alive and for people like you to inspire me to be better.
Thank you for this. I am definitely joining in. This is exactly what I need to get me through the ladt 3 weeks of work before the holidays start. I am tired, emotionally drained and desperately need a pick-me-up. I am starting this challenge today!
Wow!.. This is truly a challenge. I work as a school secretary (which is great because in two weeks we’ll be on vacation for 4 weeks..;), the next two week are really packed with stuff that needs to be done. I will be extremely busy.. On top of all the other stuff I have to do.. But, I accept the challenge because you inspired me to slow down and be thankful for what we have.. Therefore, to start I want to say thank you for my family, specially my husband. He is always supportive of what I do and he is patient with me.. He always says he is at the bottom if the list after work, school, other classes, kids and grand kids… Sometime he is!! So, today I’m thankful for having him in my life..
I’m grateful for the cold weather, my husband, my son, my 3 grandsons, walks with my dog, hot apple cider, steaming cup of coffee, a garage so I don’t have to scrap snow
I am grateful for my warm bed and my furry babies who are sharing it this minute, my husband ,my friends and family,but mostly i am grateful for this wonderful life no matter how turbulent or thrilling or happy because life is meant to be lived!!!!!
Grateful for the reminder that each day is a gift and to stop and
be present in the moment.
Oh WOW. At this moment, I am looking out my window at a beautiful rippling lake with the sun shining bright and palm trees swaying in the breeze and thinking how grateful I am to be able to avoid the snow, ice and cold of our New York home and how blessed we are to be able to do this. It really makes me stop and think how fortunate I am. It’s time to breathe and take things slow and easy and to think about the real meaning of this holiday season.
Oh what a great idea this is! When I first read your email, I dismissed it as just another thing to add to my busy schedule before Christmas! Today, I thought I’d read it anyway and wow, its brilliant!! Thankyou for the reminder to stop and ‘smell the daisies’!
Right now I’m grateful for the rain I hear spattering outside – we have had a very dry spring and my veggie garden is loving this extra bit of wet!! I’m going outside to be still for a minute and really pull the feeling of gratitude in this moment, deep within.
I am grateful for this message. I have been really depressed by life: it seems that despite my best efforts, I am unable to point it in the direction I want it to go. This will remind me to pause and be grateful for what I have, even if things don’t go my way.
Hi Kristal!
I think this is a great idea! Today I’m grateful to be able to spend a cozy day inside (It was raining here today) and relax. I love rainy days (even though sometimes my allergies bother me at this time of year).
This is a wonderful challenge. I especially like the idea of being specific about gratitude. Today I’m grateful for time. Even thought there never seems to be enough of it I’m grateful for each moment. Too often I stress about not being able to do everything instead of just enjoying the moment. There is always enough time to do exactly what I’m doing right now. Looking forward to journaling every day this month about gratitude. Thanks Kristal!
Hi Kristal
What a brilliant idea. Thank you for your inspiration. I have in the past, especially if things are getting touch practised gratitude, but not always everyday. I’m grateful for my husband, he is very understanding. My children and friends. They make life worth living.
I am so grateful for this life that I could not have imagined for myself. Healthy children, grandchildren, husband and career. I am grateful to live in a country where I am free to be anything I want to be. Most of all, I am grateful for every single bit of courage and strength that God has given me to get where I am today. I love every minute of my life.
there are so many things I am grateful for that it’s hard to write just a few.
Firstly I am grateful to God… for His love, forgiveness, strength, plan for my life and so much more.
For my family,I have 3 beautiful children and 12 wonderful grandchildren.
for my Church family who accept, love and support me
..there is so much more I could share
…I have kept a daily Gratitude journal since I read 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Gratitude really does change our attitude for the better
Well tonight I am thankful for my health, imperfect it may be most of the time especially after my scare this afternoon. I thought my pulmonary embolism had returned but thankfully it has not. So while I am not in “perfect” health I am at least as healthy as I am going to get for right now and I am not fearing for my life like I was earlier, because that is no way to live. I will do my best to take up this challenge :) Good luck to all and God Bless.