as i wrote last week, i decided to begin a new photo challenge this month. a thankfulness/gratitude challenge. there is still a prompt, but the focus is on being thankful for whatever that prompt inspires. it pushes me to be a little more creative & reminds me to slow down & be grateful for ordinary, regular things in life. it’s a chance to focus on what i have, instead of what i don’t have. and gratitude is a beautiful thing. it inspires a change in perspective and a rememberance of the beauty & simplicity of everyday life.
with that said, here come the first seven pictures of my gratitude photo challenge. hope you enjoy! and, if you want, take a pic of something you are grateful for & post it somewhere (facebook, instagram, your blog, twitter, or email it to someone.).
day 1: words
day 2: technology
day 3: nature
day 4: clothes
day 5: knowledge
day 6: memories
day 7: innovation
this photo challenge is exactly the change that i needed. it’s renewed my sense of excitement in finding a photo for the day. there is truly so much for which to be thankful in life. of course, there is much that is painful & dark as well. there is so much suffering and negativity. but, there is one thing i have learned in life… all of that negative crap is there. it’s not going away. i don’t need to surround myself with more negativity. no. i seek out people who lift me up, who life up others, and who seek to build bridges & hope, instead of tear down & separate. and i don’t need to be the bearer of more negativity in the world either. so, perhaps my little corner of the world can be a place of rest, of calm, of peace, of positive energy. perhaps that is one of the missions that i have in life…
now, being positive, seeking to give off light & life instead of darkness & gloominess, does not mean being unrealistic or ignoring the suffering that is there. at least it doesn’t mean that for me. it means discussing and acknowledging that darkness & pain that exists, talking about it, confronting it, and then, moving forward. taking a step out of the darkness, or looking to find the sliver of light that exists in the midst of the darkness. believing that there are things such as blessings that are in disguise; that when bad things happen, they can be transformed. ultimately, it is believing that hope is stronger than fear. that light & love conquer darkness. that life is a journey that is worth experiencing. and that along the way, there is so very much to be grateful for.
i am so thankful for all you who stop by here at one time or another. the encouragement, support, and inspiration you give to me is more than you could ever know.
What an inspiring and love-filled post! You warm my heart. Thank you so much for this thoughtful and uplifting reminder of all that there is to be thankful for. Hugs, Gina
I love this. You have such a way with words and expressing yourself. Great pictures and that is a great challenge. I can’t wait to see the rest of your pics this month. (:
That one Swedish store looks very much like Ikea… is that the standard or is this store similar to it?
I was thinking: If you truly do come up with your own challenge in December, I am in. But you have to have really interesting prompts….! 😉