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…What are you thankful for?  ❤︎

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There is a lot going on in the world today, much of it disturbing and even scary. Our individual lives have their own ups and downs, and we face our own difficulties and crises. Spiritual practices – prayer, meditation, singing, journaling – help sustain us through difficult times. One of the most powerful tools we have is within us already and available at any time: Gratitude.

When you begin to focus on the good things in your life and in the world, you begin to shift your perspective and your way of thinking. And not just in that one moment; more and more you see the beauty and happiness rather than pain and struggle. The world around you seems more happy and joyful.

Join First Parish in practicing Ten Days of Gratitude!

For the ten days leading up to Thanksgiving, we will post to share our gratitude regarding a specific subject, along with a photo of something or someone that captures that feeling and a one or two-line explanation.

We are surrounded by blessings, so let’s share the love!

Check out the posts so far:

Facebook  .  Website: Gratitude 2023

We invite you to participate, too!

Starting this week…

1. Check out our posts on Facebook or our website.
2. Snap your own photo of something that relates to the subject of the day.
3. Post to your social media timeline with your own expression of gratitude.
4. Tag the First Parish page so we can see what everyone is sharing!

In this way, we can all do our part in spreading positivity, gratitude, and inspiration rather than criticism, self-righteousness, or negativity.

Have fun and get creative!  Some of these are easy to capture as a photo and some less so. The photo is intended for you to reflect on how you feel gratitude. Perhaps “friendship” is a photo of running shoes because you take long walks with your best friend every week. Or the photo for “people who inspire you” is a book that changed your life or opened your eyes to something new. There are no right or wrong answers; just share from your heart about what sparks gratitude for you personally.

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If you want to plan ahead, here’s the list of subjects:

Follow along

• Day 1 (Nov. 14th) – Faith & Spirituality – Facebook, website
• Day 2 (Nov. 15th) – People Who Inspire Us – Facebook, website
• Day 3 (Nov. 16th) – Work & Service – Facebook, website
• Day 4 (Nov. 17th) – Friendship – Facebook, website
• Day 5 (Nov. 18th) –  Nature – Facebook, website
• Day 6 (Nov. 19th) – Our Resilience  – Facebook, website
• Day 7 (Nov. 20th) – Love & Belonging  – Facebook, website
• Day 8 (Nov. 21st) – Home & Family  – Facebook, website
• Day 9 (Nov. 22nd) – Our Community  – Facebook, website
• Day 10 (Nov. 23rd) – Thanksgiving – Tradition – Facebook, website