2014 Gratitude Challenge!

Since my blog is about thinking Happy Thoughts, and since that basically represents being grateful, I would like to present you with a challenge this year:

Here's How it works:

Every month this year I will challenge you to be thankful in new ways. Each month's challenge may vary and some of them may be repeated, or if you liked the month before better you could always use the same challenge with the new month's theme. 

Each month I will write a reminder of what the theme is and expand on it more to give you a broader idea of what that might encompass. 

Here's what I need you to do:

PLEASE TELL ME about your experience, let me know the ups and downs. This is a first for me, so I want to learn. I am open to new ideas, so don't be shy.

You could very well take this list and use the themes as a guide for an average old gratitude journal, writing something you are thankful for from the specified theme each day. But I am hoping you will come back each month to hear about the next month's challenge because I have some good ideas up my sleeve and hopefully they will challenge you and me to be grateful in ways that we haven't been before!

Themes: 

I am not going to go in detail about them now because I need to tell you about January’s challenge since we are starting so late and I don’t want to bore you too much with details! But believe me I will explain and give ideas when the time comes :) 

How better to show gratitude for something than to care for it. So I know that there are many health challenges out there, but this one is a little different. 

This Month's challenge is:

Do something good for your body every day this month and write about it. 

Something that you can be thankful for!

Such as: making a fruit smoothie, walking instead of a driving to your favorite restaurant or creating a healthy version of your favorite dessert (beware this can go VERY wrong). In that case you could try a healthy recipe from pinterest (this can also end in disaster, but the odds are a bit better) I have tons of ideas pinned here and here if you need inspiration. 

I will check back in a few days to update you on how the challenge is going for me. 

In the meantime, here are some 

IDEAS of great things that you can do for your health 

That will leave you feeling thankful that you have the ability to do them and the luxury of things like dental floss, gyms, fresh fruit in the winter and applications on your iPhone that help you count calories! 

Count Calories using Myfitnesspal 

Go for a walk instead of driving somewhere

Measure out your food

Drink 8 glasses of water

Take a long bath

Journal what you eat

Floss your teeth 

Make a smoothie

Take your vitamins

Use milk with a lower percentage of fat

Read a book instead of staring at a screen

Brush your teeth after dinner

Eat fruit instead of dessert

Stretch (Seriously! This can avoid injuries and feels so good!)

Don't deprive yourself! 

(using moderation) 

indulge in something you love 

So there it is folks! Now get yourself a journal or a 'Happy Thoughts Chronicler', preferably one that just cries out to have happy thoughts written in it, like one of these, and start writing!

Here's to a 2014 filled with Happy Thoughts!