Sharing thanks for reading A.J. Jacobs gratitude journey, "Thanks a Thousand"

A great TED book I just read. It's the 4th book I have read this year on my quest to read 60 books in 2019.


What Gratitude Journey will you take this year?

I recently turned 60 and decided to set a goal to read 60 books this year. I am always thankful for a good book and love to read a variety of genres. I love learning, and enjoy using my imagination as I read eloquent words to transport me to different worlds and discover characters. 

I loved A.J. Jacobs idea of setting out on a gratitude journey to thank everyone involved in making his morning cup of coffee that he buys from Joe's Coffee. This leads him to thank over 1000 people and takes him on a journey starting with thanking his barista to visiting cup manufacturers, along with coffee farmers in Columbia. The books also highlights the gratitude research that has been done by positive psychology academics affirming the benefits of gratitude. Gratitude can help you sleep better, lift depression, heal faster and even help you be more generous and kinder to strangers.

I enjoyed his discussions with his kids on the importance of saying "Thank you!" and their curiosity that sparks him to take this gratitude journey.

Living in our modern world we all take for granted how many people have been involved in making a simple product like our morning cup of coffee. It made me appreciate how much work, design, and care went into making a great tasting cup of coffee. It opened me up to think about the simple things I enjoy and how much effort has been done by a multitude of people so I can easily buy and savor something. It also made me think that even the $3 price for a cup of coffee may be well worth it. 

Thank you Mr. Jacobs for sharing your gratitude journey in writing "Thanks a Thousand" and making me want to try a cup of Joe's Coffee next time I am in NYC.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 24, 2019 at 4:31 PM

    It's a pity you don't have a donate button! I'd without a doubt donate to this brilliant
    blog! I guess for now i'll settle for bookmarking and
    adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this website with my
    Facebook group. Chat soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 10, 2019 at 5:52 AM

    Hi! I've been following your site for a while now and finally got the courage to
    go ahead and give you a shout out from Kingwood Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the
    excellent work!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 19, 2019 at 10:20 AM

    This is a topic which is near to my heart... Thank you!
    Exactly where are your contact details though?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 19, 2019 at 4:05 PM

    I constantly spent my half an hour to read this blog's content
    every day along with a mug of coffee.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 20, 2019 at 2:51 AM

    Greetings I am so grateful I found your website, I
    really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Google for something else, Regardless
    I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a
    marvelous post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the moment but
    I have saved it and also included your RSS feeds,
    so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the awesome work.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for sharing your gratitude!

Best of Sharing Thanks

Ten Easy Gratitude Habits

Image
Gratitude is scientifically proven to make us happier. I've put this Top Ten List together to help jumpstart your gratitude habit! This new thankful attitude will help your mind focus on the little joys available to all of us everyday. These suggestions are easy to do! Share your experiences in adapting some of these thankful habits. Wake up Thankful: When you open your eyes, Say thank you, thank you, thank you! You are alive, and the new day is filled with possibilities for you! Take time to stop and smell the coffee! Take the time to breathe in the sweet aroma of a cup of coffee, or home made blueberry muffins.  Enjoy your morning shower. Is there anything better than clean hot water streaming down on you, especially on these cold winter days. Be thankful for the clean water we have. Take a gratitude break. Incorporate a 1 minute break by taking a deep cleansing breathe and think of something your thankful for in this small moment of peace. Give thanks for your food
Read more

Create a Sharing Thanks Journal with someone to cultivate a Grateful Heart

Image
    I am very thankful for this very special Christmas gift given to me by my daughter Liz. She made me a Sharing Thanks Journal. I love her heart design and the picture of us she printed to adorn the inside of this very special journal. The best gift of all was that we used the journal together to practice gratitude. She wrote the first entry listing four things she was thankful for and passed the journal back to me. We use the journal to share what we are thankful for. It has helped me practice gratitude and has helped me and my daughter connect on a deeper level. It is wonderful to have a dialogue where we share our blessings. I love writing my thanks and sharing what brings me joy. It could be a beautiful sunset, or a kind smile a stranger gave me. I love learning about what my daughter is thankful for. I recommend sharing a journal with someone special to help your gratitude practice. It will allow you to focus on counting your joys and help you connect to someone in a lo
Read more

Thankful for Chihuly's impressionistic water reflections at New York Botanical Gardens

Image
I love sharing beautiful spaces with fellow friends who appreciate the impact of art fused with nature. So thankful to my friend Liz who invited me to go see the current Chihuly exhibit at the New York Botanical Gardens. I loved how Chihuly's pieces enhanced the beauty of the main greenhouse exhibits. We were blessed with a crisp fall day with blue skies. I took this video to capture the wave of colors undulating that looked like painter's brush strokes in the water. Below is the glass work that made these beautiful reflections. If you live in the New York area I recommend you go to the New York Botanical Gardens to enjoy this artist's brilliant work. The NYBG also has some fun fall displays. My friend and I enjoyed posing with pumpkin man. Below are a few more pictures from the greenhouse that illustrate how well this artist's work merges with nature. Hope you are enjoying this autumn season. Please share a fall activity that your thankful for! If
Read more