365 days of simple thanks

I feel a longing deep in my soul to show thanks. Simple thanks for the simple pleasures in life. It is WAY too easy for my cynical, critical self to focus on the negative...and trust me, there's a lot to be negative about. Too much ranch dressing, they forgot my ranch dressing, too many news stories about Michael Jackson, too much pettiness about health care reform, not enough fun in my life, too much responsibility, my dog is too high maintenance...and the list goes on and on. But the truth is, that I have been blessed. I have a life that I love, with people that I love and who love me. I also have Cable TV that I can watch all of that political bickering on and I can change the channel whenever I want. And...I have a dog that I love dearly and I can't imagine life without even if I feel some days all of my energy goes into waiting on him hand and foot.

I truly believe that when I focus on the negative in my life, it FEELS like nothing is working and it is easy to be depressed. When I focus on the positive, I can clearly see the good in my life and I can focus my energies on things bigger than myself. So, this is my attempt to take time each day to focus on the good things in life and to show thanks for the things I have been blessed with.