Thankful for Me – Family Gratitude Challenge
Do you ever feel like hours turn into days, days turn into months and months turn into years? I know I do. Raising children seems so mundane and hectic sometimes that we forget to slow down and appreciate the day to day beautiful moments that happen in a family. Whether it be getting a hug from a toddler (or even better a teenager) or watching your children help each other, moments like those can stop me in my tracks forcing me to appreciate my daily life.
I didn’t always have that attitude. It has morphed over time. Partially because I am a cancer survivor which forces you to reflect on your gift of life and partially because my oldest left for college. That is a BIG wake up call that your children won’t be with you forever.
Thankful for Me Reflection
We are taking on the Family Gratitude Challenge to improve our family bond and to be grateful for all that we have. The first lesson is titled Thankful for Me.
The reflection starts by asking is it selfish to give thanks for the miracle that is you, for the unique person in your family?
You may think so at first. But we must love ourselves before we can freely give love to others in our family. That’s an important life lesson for many. As no two fingerprints are alike, so it is that no two people can be exactly the same, even if they try to be.
In what ways are you different from everyone else in your family?
What characteristics mark your personality?
What individual traits make you the person you are?
Even as genetics can be an interesting mix of traits handed down through the DNA of our family, we still come out like no one else, and that’s what we’re here to celebrate today: the YOUniqueness of YOU!
It’s not silly to know yourself, love yourself, and give thanks for all the things that make you special and different in your family. In fact, if we take an exploratory approach of our best qualities, we can often set ourselves on a better path. Discovering what brings you joy can lead to a deeper exploration and development of your talents.
Determining how we can use our strengths to help others can put us on a path of service to others that fulfills us while making a difference.
Remember, feeling good about the person we are can bring a burst of new-found confidence and joy to your family. This is not bragging. This is about quiet acceptance of ourselves, so that we may more readily give to others.
Get the Complete Family Gratitude Challenge
In today’s fast-paced society, family time is sparse. Parents spend hours at work or busy at home, followed by running children to different activities. Day after day of this, year after year, can make you feel like you are in a rut. Families need to slow down and realize that there is much to be grateful for every day of our rich and blessed existence. By participating in the Family Gratitude Challenge, even the most ordinary moments can fill us with rapture if we take the time to acknowledge the profound in the mundane, the small miracles all around us that can slip by in a blink if we forget to notice them. Complete with your family promoting the joyful reflection on the gift of life
Download your FREE Thankful for Me Lesson
Sign up to receive the Growing Play weekly email newsletter and announcements to be redirected to the FREE Thankful for Me lesson. It includes 2 gratitude exercises to go along with this reflection.
Stay tuned for more gratitude lessons!
