One Thank You

Firstly, I want to thank each and every person who voted on the poll on the right. I appreciate the feedback and it's good to know what people want to hear! After all, the purpose of this blog is to keep you inspired, so the best way to do it right is to write things that you want to read about.

So far, I see that a lot of votes went for "change/growth" which I think is so special!! Hashem, look at your special children! They all want to change and grow and become better! They are looking for inspiration and want to come closer to you! What do they want to hear more about?! Your children want to know how they can change, how they can grow, how they can become better!!

There are many areas in which we can all improve. I would like to try to choose different areas and address specific topics to change and grow in. For today (or should I say tonight?!), I'm going to do something which can really be life-changing, if you really do it right and take this seriously.

We have so much good, so much bounty, so many "extras" in our lives. There is so much to thank Hashem for, it is not normal! Did you ever notice how much we have?! Take a look next time you go grocery shopping - look at the aisles and aisles and shelves full of food. There are so many choices out there! You wanted to buy a little snack? Well, there are all kinds of snacks and depending on your taste, you can find so many different varieties of foods...you'll see super snacks (in how many flavors?), potato chips - rippled, bar-b-q, honey-bar-b-q, ketchup potato chips, onion garlic...How many choices of cereals are there? So many different companies, choices, flavors, colors and shapes! Did you ever think about what a bracha this is? Hashem has showered us with so much good - we have to just open up our eyes and see it! There are so many brands for each food item we want, ketchup, pasta, cheese, orange juice - wait, how many choices of drinks are there these days?! Snapple, soda, even water! You can choose what flavor water you'd like to drink! Is this not chasdei Hashem? Can't you just feel Hashem's love when you see all the choices He gave you?!

So for today, I'm asking you to challenge yourself. Give yourself a specific time of day (right when you wake up in the morning, while you brush your teeth, while you eat breakfast, on your way to school/work, at recess/lunch break, on your way home from school/work, while you prepare supper, a few seconds after you are done eating supper, while you get ready for bed or those few seconds you have before you close your eyes and drift off...or you can choose any other time of day that works for you) and at that time, tell Hashem THANK YOU. Say, Hashem, I want you to be a part of my life. I will now take this time to Thank you for ONE thing that went right today or for ONE thing I am grateful for. (You can change the number to two, three or four, if you'd like, I'm just trying to make this as simple as possible so everyone can feel that they can do it.)

See how long you can keep this up for. You did it for a day? Great! A week? Even better! Each time you thank Hashem, you are growing in your relationship with Him and becoming a better, happier person. You are appreciating the gifts Hashem gave you - and that is something special!

I'm not giving any other ideas for now - I'll wait and see what you can come up with. If you would like to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear it! What are you thankful for?!

The list can be endless...