At the beginning of this year, I started reading through One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This book simultaneously intrigued me and repelled me. Ann is an esteemed writer and people rave about this book. But also, the thought of thanksgiving felt both juvenile and like a chore to me, even though I’ve heard over and over again how important it is. I finally gave it a try just so I could knock it off my TBR pile and was surprised and delighted by the raw depth on the very first pages. The biggest actionable takeaway is to start counting the gifts God gives you. And since the new prayer journal that was gifted to me also had an entire section for gratitude, I started writing down things that make me happy.
You guys. This has been so unexpectedly life-changing. It’s so easy to focus on the things we don’t like, but just taking two minutes each morning to write down things I’m happy about has me looking for happy things all day long. It makes me more aware of how many happy things are in my life and helps me have a more positive outlook in general. There’s lots to be happy about, and seeing that puts me in a better mood. Writing down happy things is the difference between trudging through your day and stopping to smell the flowers, sometimes literally. Counting the gifts that God gives to me helps me get so much more enjoyment out of life.
Some Things I’ve Learned About Gratitude
It’s hard
Counting the gifts is unexpectedly difficult. I try not to repeat anything on my list, and since I used coffee on my first day, that one’s out for the rest of the year. Some mornings, when it’s 6:30 am at the tail end of a long week, I can’t think of anything that was making me happy except coffee. On those days, I might not actually write anything down. Some days feel like gifts are overflowing and I write ten things down. Gratitude comes easier with time.
Remember the Giver
Instead of just enjoying the gift, I need to keep bringing to mind the Giver of said gift. One of my goals when I started keeping track of all these little things that make me happy was not to just feel better about my life. I wanted to see the happy things and recognize them as gifts from a good God who gives me good, good things. But that’s hard to do if I don’t recognize the gift and point my soul in the direction of the Giver, and oftentimes I don’t.
Count the unhappy gifts too
Another thing I’m learning about counting gifts is that it would be a lot better for my soul if I started recognizing the gifts that I don’t want but are still good gifts meant for my good. God doesn’t tell us to be grateful for only the things that make us happy but says to give thanks in all things (LINK?). I realize that I’m saying this in the same post where I’m about to list a bunch of things that make me happy. That doesn’t invalidate those things. It just means that I’m beginning to recognize what the next step of growth is for me: give thanks for things that don’t make me happy. I’m not sure how I’ll do this yet, but if it were impossible, our loving Father wouldn’t have asked us to do it.
7 Things That Make Me Happy Right Now
Our cats
Bringing two cats into our home has been such a joy. I knew we would love it, but I didn’t quite foresee just how life-giving it would be. I think we were really, really blessed with these two
These two are so cuddly.
French press coffee
I bought an electric kettle that heats your water to the exact temperature you need for french press coffee and I swear it actually tastes better. My one or two cups of coffee a day have been such a treat lately.
Farm-fresh fruit
It could be because we’re on Whole30 (one of my June goals!), but Charles and I have really been enjoying all the fresh fruit this summer. Watermelon. Strawberries. Apples. Cherries.
Weeknight baths
It feels extra luxurious to put the to-do list aside and spend some time on self-care before I go to bed, especially on the weekends.
Enid A. Haupt Garden
This little slice of paradise is a treasure hidden behind the Smithsonian Castle and very close to my office. It’s my favorite lunchtime walking spot by far. I try to go several times a week and it always makes me happy when I do.
Library books
When I created my summer reading list a couple weeks ago, I put almost all of the books on there on hold at my local library. Four have already been available for pickup and I’ve finished reading one! I often read ebooks just so that I don’t have to go anywhere, but it sure does feel nice to hold an actual book in my hand.
Clean floors
I have to admit, this is not something I was hugely grateful for before we got cats. Now that we have two playful little guys tracking litter on the reg, I enjoy the moments of clear floors even more.
What’s making you happy right now?
