Gratitude

This is a great idea by my friend @conradt and I was delighted to be nominated by another great friend @mariannewest

The concept here is that we have a lot to be grateful for. No matter what our situation, there is always something to be thankful for. You can see @conradt's initial post here to get a background of what this is all about. The general idea is to spread positivity here on Steemit for 7 days, by posting each day about something you are grateful for, and in doing so promote a positive mental health outlook and to show we all have things to be grateful for, even in the face of adversity and struggles, there is always a chink of light, if we look close enough.

For me the key to this lies in trying to stay positive and remembering that there is nothing we can do about the past, without figuring out time travel - I'm still working on that one, so in the meantime, I try to remember the only thing I can do, is what I am doing right now, everything else is past tense or future projection. I feel strongly that over thinking about the past, as well as fearing the future is a root of a lot of peoples mental anguish. We must remember to live in the moment, go for a walk, smell the flowers, tell someone how good they look, open a door for someone, help an elderly person with their shopping, take 5 minutes out of your day to talk to your neighbours. There is so much we can do to stay positive, the toughest part for many is getting past their mind and how people might perceive them I feel.

What am I grateful for today?

It might sound a bit corny to say, but I am thankful for my senses. I can see, hear, talk, smell and touch. The vast majority of us have the use of these senses, yet it is easy to take them for granted. The next time you see a blind person or a deaf person, look at them, and I bet you see them smile, so even without a god given sense, they are still grateful for something, and can smile at the world. So, us lucky ones that have all five have a lot to smile about :o)

I feel blessed that I can look at a rainbow, and on occasion a double rainbow!!

I love that I can taste a lovely beer or enjoy a tasty curry. Better still, both together with family or friends.

I can hear some of my favorite music, which is a tonic for the soul... If you have 5 minutes, give this a listen, it is just beautiful, especially with the BBC Orchestra accompanying one of my favorite bands Elbow..

I am grateful that I can smell the flowers of the world, with their amazing kaleidoscope of colour, reflecting the suns beams from 149.6 million kilometers away, and bouncing onto the back of my eye. The earth and it's inhabitants are something to behold. Wake up and smell the flowers :o)

I am lucky enough that I can feel the sand beneath my feet while watching my son enjoy the beach when on holiday.

Nominations

@deirdyweirdy - I think this will be right up her street, with her positive vibes.
@dennisauburn - He is a positive guy, and will have great stories to share.
@creatr - Another really positive guy, whose posts I love to read.

If any of you don't want to take part, that is of course, not a bother :o)

The rules:

• Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
• Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated
• Mention three people who should do this on each day.
• Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post
  Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible.