Final Task: Day #21:
Publicly reflect on the 21 days The Gratitude Challenge and what this process has meant to you.

Wow, it’s been three weeks since I began my journey with the Gratitude Challenge and I can definitely a feel a change in my perspective. Along the way, each day in fact, I was asked to take pause and reflect upon the blessings in my life. Some days I acted on specific tasks while others I focused on deep thinking and writing in my journal.

During the first week, one day’s instructions were to journal about the positive aspects of something negative going on my life. At that time, we were dealing with a stressful family issue at home. It was an issue that, in the past, would have caused friction between my husband and me. What I realized that night was, that instead of being at odds, we were on the same page and in total supportive of each other. So, although, the issue didn’t resolve in a heartwarming fashion, the progress my husband and I made as a couple far surpassed its negative wake. I’d like to think that I would have taken note of that fact had it not been for the assigned journal task but it could have quite likely been overlooked…by me.

In week three, I faced my reflection and got a bit caught up on why I am so hard on myself. What I learned to focus on was how much my friends and family love me just the way I am. More than that, I realized that we’d all change something physically about ourselves if given the chance so why not use that time to do something good, even if it’s for you. Positive action is always more constructive than negative thought. And that’s my new motto.

Today, on 9/11, I can’t be anything but grateful for my country and the men and women who give their lives to protect it. As a child, I remember being thankful that I wasn’t growing up in a time of war. When planes hit the Twin Towers eight years ago, I knew the case wasn’t going to be the same for my children. Watching as our country pulled together to become a family in the months following 9/11, seeing those flags fly proud and tall, and this year, witnessing history as we elected the first black President has only increased my patriotism. Truthfully, I cannot begin to put into words how grateful I am to be blessed with this life, our freedom and for being an American.

This morning, as I was making my daughter her usual scrambled egg breakfast, I glanced over and spotted a beautiful praying mantis on the kitchen window. Knowing that today is 9/11 and also the final day of my own personal gratitude challenge, I felt that it was an image meant for me to see.



Thank you for taking this journey with me.

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