Gratitude Discussion Group

Posted by Debbra Williams, Alumna Mentor @debbraw, Nov 24, 2018

Hi everyone! Just before Thanksgiving @michellegraffradford posted a blog called Gratitude Changes Everything. She suggested three techniques to help incorporate gratitude into our daily lives:


  • Start the Day with Gratitude (before getting up think of three people you are grateful for)

  • Maintain a Gratitude Journal to record times when you are grateful

  • Count Blessings – not sheep! (Review the day and remember moments of gratitude)


Her blogpost was so inspiring that a lot of us decided we wanted to form a Gratitude Group to keep the attitude of gratitude going. The blogpost area is not an ideal space for a big discussion group so I am moving the discussion over here to the “Just Want to Talk” Group. Let’s use this space to share and discuss our Gratitude Journey. I’m going to suggest that we each try to take a minute from the day and post here what has made us feel thankful today. It can be as small as a stranger’s smile on the bus or as large as fulfilling a major life dream – or anywhere in between. We can also discuss how we are doing with the three techniques. Sometimes it is easier to form new habits with support from others.

Michelle's full blogpost is at the link below. You may want to review it or print it out to help get started!
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/living-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci/newsfeed/gratitude-changes-everything/

I look forward to hearing from others in the Gratitude Group and to having others join us here! Thanks to those who already shared great stories. If you haven't yet, what gratitude will you share today?!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

@jodeej

Soooo glad you have air! During our earlier heat wave I was talking to our daughter. She said that the window air she and her boyfriend had wasn't keeping up. Thanks to Walmart and the internet I bought her a second one and told her happy birthday early. Lol
JoDee

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@jodeej
Thankfully I don’t remember the days without air. When I was a kid we lived in a couple places without it and none in the car. Bet it was miserable but we didn’t know anything else. Amnesia isn’t so bad after all.
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@jodeej
Thankfully I don’t remember the days without air. When I was a kid we lived in a couple places without it and none in the car. Bet it was miserable but we didn’t know anything else. Amnesia isn’t so bad after all.
Jake

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I never had air until I was married. None of the houses I lived in growing up had it. Now I wouldn't live without it!

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@parus

I know I have mentioned before how my 4 year old grandson keeps me trying and how grateful I am for him. I did a paper mache landscape for his dinosaurs. He was thrilled!!
Here is a photo of his new dinosaur habitat.

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@parus What a great dinosaur landscape! Your grandson had to be thrilled!

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@jodeej

I never had air until I was married. None of the houses I lived in growing up had it. Now I wouldn't live without it!

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I know, I had a friend years ago who always had air. She made such a big deal out of her house having air. She said the baby had to have it. It was funny, acting like it was a matter of life and death. Do they have air in schools now days?
Jake

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I grew up in Phoenix in the 50's & 60's.
I remember finally getting AC, but my mother always turned it off at night, still over 100. That's why to this day I have to sleep in s "Ice Box"! Love when I stay in a hotel and can crank it down.
Living in New Mexico we have a Semi Evap Cooler. Called a Master Cool. Because we are a High Desert it works pretty well.
We had no car AC. You opened up the windows and let the air come in. When we traveled to Calf. we would leave at dark and drive at night to beat the heat.
I did put a window AC in both my office and bedroom, they work remarkablly well.
Everything you read about sleep tells you to sleep in a cool environment.
Sundance(RB)

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@sundance6

I grew up in Phoenix in the 50's & 60's.
I remember finally getting AC, but my mother always turned it off at night, still over 100. That's why to this day I have to sleep in s "Ice Box"! Love when I stay in a hotel and can crank it down.
Living in New Mexico we have a Semi Evap Cooler. Called a Master Cool. Because we are a High Desert it works pretty well.
We had no car AC. You opened up the windows and let the air come in. When we traveled to Calf. we would leave at dark and drive at night to beat the heat.
I did put a window AC in both my office and bedroom, they work remarkablly well.
Everything you read about sleep tells you to sleep in a cool environment.
Sundance(RB)

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@sundance
WOW, you really do know what the heat is. I was in Phoenix in 1971 from
April-October while my dad was in the hospital (Good Samaritan, Spinal Cord Injury Center) I understand there is a new Good Sam now. It was so horribly hot there. Max temp 122 in 1990. I’m Jan 1971 it was 40 below zero. I can’t inag it so cold in Arizona. Sometimes I’d jump in the pool clothes and all. We rented a cheap duplex and I fell through the wall into to other duplex during a seizure, the good ol days, lol. Didn’t live there long.
Jake

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@sundance6 Remember those days without AC we would travel at night also In Pa we still did have the humidity then but guess I never noticed till I got AC then it was unbearable . I still just use my fans mostly except when its extremely hot. her in Ca

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Today I am grateful to have found a "do-it-all guy". He is removing some seriously overgrown privacy hedges. Actually, they are cedar trees that were planted about 15 yrs ago, too close together, and have just been left to grow. They are encroaching on the driveway and fencing. We are under extreme fire danger here, so almost everything is done by hand, then he wets down the area and uses his chainsaw for the last of the stump. The cedar smell is permeating the air, a nice crisp odor. Trees are too sappy to burn as firewood, though. The front of the house will be brightened up by more light!
Very grateful to be here in this rural town. Yes, it is 28 miles each way to a big box store, and big grocery store. And 26 miles each way, in other direction, to my primary care dr. But the quiet and friendliness has been a real salve to my soul!
Ginger

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@lioness

@sundance6 Remember those days without AC we would travel at night also In Pa we still did have the humidity then but guess I never noticed till I got AC then it was unbearable . I still just use my fans mostly except when its extremely hot. her in Ca

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I do Lady! Go to hear from you! I got a new laptop two weeks ago and had to have my old one(10 years old) downloaded on my new one. Took 'sthe time away from it an business to go north an visit my family. Had fun, took my grandson to the dirt track races and watched him at football practice. Then he wanted me to stay an extra day for his first day at school.
Finally go my new laptop back on Thursday so I am spending time learning Windows 10 and other new things.!
I did manage to go fishing before I went up. Had a Great time until I stepped into a hole in the river. Went down, hit on a rock with my left leg and arm. Arm really bleed, because I take Plavix. The leg hurt and has gotten worse. It's evedenly bleed inturnally. It's down in my knee now. All black and ugly now! It's really sore. Did Yoga this week and it was ok, but just started yesterday.
I did catch and release some beautiful fish! The Black Eyed Susans were EVERYWHERE as were some purple flowers. I was in the rareified air at 8,000' ! Other than the fall it was Great.
Hope all is well with you!!!
Sundance(RB)

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@jakedduck1

I know, I had a friend years ago who always had air. She made such a big deal out of her house having air. She said the baby had to have it. It was funny, acting like it was a matter of life and death. Do they have air in schools now days?
Jake

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The schools around here all have air conditioning in them. Our local school had it in the elementary first, so if it was going to be really hot the first few days of school they would get out early since the high school didn't have it.
JoDee

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