So excited to have my friend Shannon sharing her gratitude! Take it away…
Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can come together. Marilyn Monroe
It was May 1, 2009. I was on the set filming a pilot episode for a new television show, when I got a call about my husband. He had been in a terrible accident .
It was three hour drive to the hospital. When I arrived they were still trying to determine the extent of the damages. It was about a week before the dust settled and I was able to take him home. For months he required around the clock care. It was hard for both of us but he was a wonderful patient. He was so grateful to be alive! I knew that with time he’d be able to walk again.
My days were filled with care-taking and maintaining my business. In November of that year, my niece suggested that folks fill their Facebook posts with thoughts of thanksgiving for the entire month. I loved the idea! I believed that seeking and sharing gratitude would help me focus on the good.
Each morning, I’d grab a cup of coffee and think about what I was grateful for, and post it on Facebook. At first, I simply wrote out a sentence that expressed gratitude. ( I must admit that back then, some mornings it took me two cups of coffee to get there.) Later, I added pictures. I found that by reflecting on a visual image, I discovered new gratitude triggers. Here’s a post from 2012: “Today I am grateful once again for half-full :O)”
Three and a half years have passed, and I’m still writing daily gratitude posts. I have found that gratitude is not just a “morning thing”, it’s a huge part of my day. Here’s a wonderful video by Dr. Christine Carter on Why Gratitude Works:
Christine Carter: Why Gratitude Works
An interesting thing happened when I started the visual component of the gratitude posts. Because I needed a picture a day to go with my posts, I have found that I spend my day on high alert for gratitude. I see a thermostat and I’m grateful for instant warmth. I see a smile and I am grateful that someone is feeling and sharing joy. This shift has left little time for me to focus on the not so pleasant aspects of my life. I don’t ignore the bad stuff, I just don’t live there anymore. (OK well most of the time!)
Fast forward to today and you’ll find me conducting workshops on gratitude and this week I’ll be launching a web site dedicated to the topic. TodayIamGratefulfor.me will offer free daily gratitude posts and inspiration to it’s subscribers. I hope to have contributors from all over, sharing positivity.
The accident turned out to be a wonderful course correction for me, and for that, I am truly grateful.
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Shannon Grissom has been called the Sock Monkey Lady. Maybe that’s because Shannon has a line of Sock Monkey golf club headcovers that are carried on tour by six LPGA pros.
But that’s only one color in her crayon box, and Shannon like to create with them all. The rest of the time, Shannon is an artist, television producer/host, songwriter, author and goofball who carries her camera with her everywhere she goes.
Shannon ‘s studio in Hollister, CA is open by appointment.
Thank you for sharing my story!
And what a wonderful story it is! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Linda!
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