There is nothing quite like engaging with passionate and enthusiastic people. They have a magical way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and they ALWAYS find the silver lining no matter what! I think that many people so often forget just how much there is to get excited about! - IRRESPECTIVE of the stresses faced!

I mean sh!t - I have bills to pay, responsibilities and obligations... none of which particularly excite me lol - and even less if I am behind or not able to fulfill them timeously... but yesterday afternoon on the way home from picking Jude up from school he sat next to me and BURST into song to Jail House Rock - Elvis Presley (yes, that's my shizz nizz haha!) - he was waving his arms, swinging his torso and hips as much as the restraint of the seatbelt allowed haha and as I joined him in song, I just looked at this beautiful little person in complete AWE!

Everything in life is relative and it is not fair of adults to say that children don't have their own respective level of stresses - no MATTER their age... but as he RAN up to my car as I drove through the "kiss and go" part of the parking lot and literally LAUNCHED himself into the seat, he threw all his "worries" away. He was PRESENT in the moment. The moment where he knew, he wouldn't have to listen to teachers or do any school work until the next morning and he ran with that passion, all the way to the bank!

He didn't sit and drain his present moment with the thought of what tomorrow may bring - be it school work, teasing from other children, general disappointments or whatever... no - he just LIVED IN THE MOMENT COMPLETELY! And I am so blessed to have this living, breathing little reminder in my life to do JUST THAT!

I am of the firm belief that the habit of practicing gratitude on a daily basis is the key to shifting our lives in a positive direction. This is not only the expression of gratitude for the positive things in our lives, but also for the challenges which we are often faced with.

But sometimes, we can get wrapped up in our day to day existence and agenda, and it is not that we aren’t grateful, but rather that we simply forget to actually verbalise it or take the time to offer it a moment of dedication even in thought.

It is also true that surrounding yourself with the positive attitudes and mind-set of others, that it has a ripple effect on yours too…

So for ALL of us, including myself, I have decided to start this #gratitudetrain. We all spend a good portion of our lives here browsing through our Steemit feeds, so why not build a positive habit in the process. I think it will be great to share something every day that we are grateful for in our lives, no matter how big or small it may be.

Whether it is a new career path, a new hobby, an achievement of your child, a new relationship, a challenge overcome or simply a new pair of shoes… it doesn’t matter! There is without question… ALWAYS something we can take a moment to be grateful for!

Step 1.
So starting today, in the comments section of #gratitudetrain post No. 1 – write something that you are grateful for in your life and start it with the number… as in if this is the first time you are sharing on the #gratitudetrain, then write the number “1.” And then state what you are grateful for.

Step 2.
Keep a record of your #gratitudetrain expressions shared in the comments somewhere in a word doc or such.

Step 3.
When you reach 30 – then publish a post on your own profile and be sure to use the #gratitudetrain tag or to tag me @jaynie in the post.

As simple as that!

The idea of this being, that not only will you develop a healthy and positive habit but at the end of 30 days when you share your own post, you will be able to reflect back and realise, just how MUCH GOODNESS there is in your life!