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.

@imallears

@lioness
Have you gone stir crazy.? Asking Leonard for dark chocolate! I’ll send you some from my amply supply for which I am grateful along with my full freezer, stocked wine fridge and of course my family and friends and good health and great weather....not necessarily in that order.
We always appreciate our blessings but it takes a pandemic to reflect upon and express that appreciation out loud.

Kudos to everyone for good spirits and humor. And @jakeduck...please don’t let your candy supply dwindle....we don’t need a grumpy old codger on this forum.
🍷
Cheers

FLMary

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@imallers Well wont hurt to try he only lives about 150.miles away thought he might hop,skip and jump over here especially if I give him some sauerkraut when he gets here .haha I had a supply of both but ran out this staying home is making me do it haha be safe take care Fl Mary

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@lioness

@gingerw I just read this post to you from funcountess . Im glad your husband is home makes life easier . Hopw you doing well up there . Are you also staying in or isn't that an order there yet? Its getting boring but for out own good I know Take care

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@lioness We are practicing social isolation, as recommended by every state now. Last week we did some shopping and got paint for the bedroom. The gal at that home improvement store told us there is a big run on paint and do-it-yourself supplies. Since people are home, why not work on it? Makes sense to me. We are making a run to store once every two weeks. We have a lot of things to get done around here, so each day can be different. Our little town has few resources. Only restaurant in town closed down last week for at least two weeks. Only gas station out at the junction is closed until end of April. All churches are doing online services. People still get out to walk, though. You take care, too.
Ginger

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@lioness

@imallers Well wont hurt to try he only lives about 150.miles away thought he might hop,skip and jump over here especially if I give him some sauerkraut when he gets here .haha I had a supply of both but ran out this staying home is making me do it haha be safe take care Fl Mary

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@lioness
I throw garbage out Linda not buy or eat it, but would I‘d be happy to send you some good quality candy.
If I have to buy some dark chocolate to get some sauerkraut that’s a mighty high price to have to pay.
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@lioness
I throw garbage out Linda not buy or eat it, but would I‘d be happy to send you some good quality candy.
If I have to buy some dark chocolate to get some sauerkraut that’s a mighty high price to have to pay.
Jake

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What’s with all this candy? Everyone having a sugar rush? Think I will go have my enchilada for dinner.

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@gingerw

Today I am grateful my husband is here at our retirement house, rather than at his job 800 miles away. It is in an essential industry, but he is working from home. Yes, they need him "in-person", but he is really seeing the value to be in a more isolated environment.

And I am grateful to see Spring trying to cheer us all up, with wild flowers blooming, birds twittering in the trees, and the warming weather.
Ginger

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@gingerw I am glad too that your husband is able to be there with you. How are you doing?
My daughter and her husband maintain separate apartments, she is in NYC, he is in Philadelphia. She has a very good job where she is and he stared a technology software business in Philadelphia. For now, she is there, working off-site. I am very glad that she is not still in NYC.
JK

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@gingerw

@lioness We are practicing social isolation, as recommended by every state now. Last week we did some shopping and got paint for the bedroom. The gal at that home improvement store told us there is a big run on paint and do-it-yourself supplies. Since people are home, why not work on it? Makes sense to me. We are making a run to store once every two weeks. We have a lot of things to get done around here, so each day can be different. Our little town has few resources. Only restaurant in town closed down last week for at least two weeks. Only gas station out at the junction is closed until end of April. All churches are doing online services. People still get out to walk, though. You take care, too.
Ginger

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@gingerw According to my son, it's impossible to buy fitness equipment now too. He generally goes to a gym but he has a lot of room free in his finished basement so he could easily put some equipment there.
I wish I could figure out how long this isolation will last. If I thought it was going to be many months I would buy a treadmill. I looked at them on Amazon yesterday and there are some that are fairly reasonably priced. I would hate to buy one if I only needed it for a month though.
JK

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@contentandwell

@gingerw I am glad too that your husband is able to be there with you. How are you doing?
My daughter and her husband maintain separate apartments, she is in NYC, he is in Philadelphia. She has a very good job where she is and he stared a technology software business in Philadelphia. For now, she is there, working off-site. I am very glad that she is not still in NYC.
JK

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@contentandwell We got half the bedroom painted, which was the goal, yesterday. As the walls are textured, which I love, they also take more paint and effort. Bless his heart, I did cleaning not painting, and he was fine with that. Today we will assemble the bed, which is an older 1970 side towers with mirrors and headboard style, pretty massive. We had a captain's bed made to fit it. Neighbor will be available if we need his muscle. All this boils down to, we don't need a gym right now! Walking and using stretch bands seem to fill out our need for exercise ;))
Ginger

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@contentandwell

@gingerw According to my son, it's impossible to buy fitness equipment now too. He generally goes to a gym but he has a lot of room free in his finished basement so he could easily put some equipment there.
I wish I could figure out how long this isolation will last. If I thought it was going to be many months I would buy a treadmill. I looked at them on Amazon yesterday and there are some that are fairly reasonably priced. I would hate to buy one if I only needed it for a month though.
JK

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Hi content and well,
The stay at home order will last until the number of cov19 goes down. Better safe at home then being sick.
Being retired from a bacteriologist
Point of view, home equipment is far safer these days then visiting a health club.(gym). Even a simple cold, or seasonal flu that one can pick up can be dangerous to us seniors.
Take care

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@funcountess
Hi
So true about the gym but I miss my classes so much. I’ve been telling people for years to stop touching their faces while in class that it became a joke. I’ve always washed my hands after class or if not, when I went to my car , used wipes and wiped down the steering wheel and everything I touched. Routinely everyone wipes down the equipment. I’m 79 this month and the last time I had a knock me down flu was in college.

Apparently mitigation really helps . I’m not sure when the gym will reopen or when group classes will resume. I’ll have to play it by ear and see how it is in my county. My daughter converted her sons room into a gym/guest room but still goes to her gym for the elliptical. I don’t have the room for large equipment and these classes are so social and I’ve made close friends over the years. I’ll never give it up but will have to decide when to return. I have a step up, weights and bands at home. Home equipment is a good idea but too often accumulates dust.

Gym germs...ugh!

FL Mary

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@imallers be safe at home Mary. You can go to youtube there are a lot of exercises on there you can follow along at home then when this virus in out of the country you can all have a party at the gym People need to take this more seriously then they do or we will end up like Italy So stay safe Jake needs you

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