Reasons to be thankful. Some people like to keep a stone with them – a touchstone to help them remember things in their life to be grateful for. I could never get it to work for me. It’s not that I wasn’t grateful for the multitude of richnesses in my life, it’s the stone thing – just not me. One day I found a particularly beautiful piece of paua shell in a rock pool and it became my gratitude amulet. It’s about the size of a thumbnail, and is almost flat – it reminds me of a guitar pick.
A few weeks ago I lost my gratitude shell. I looked everywhere for it around where I was sitting at the time, at home, and then at work. Not a sign, and yet I didn’t feel as though I’d LOST it, rather I simply couldn’t find it. I’ve frequently thought about it, and figured it was off helping out someone, somewhere else. Weird, I know, but I believe some ‘inanimate’ objects do have a life of their own. And this little piece of paua shell certainly has a life – a spirit – of its own.
To my complete surprise and delight, my shell turned up today. In my jacket pocket. Exactly where it had vanished from those weeks previously. Don’t. Don’t even try to say it was there all the time. Or that I hadn’t worn the jacket since then. Instead, I invite you to consider that, just possibly, my gratitude shell was off assisting someone else, somewhere else, in accordance with its unique life calling. I’m so grateful it’s come back to me.
Manifesto
20. Every day say thank you.
42. Every day celebrate. Who you are. What you have achieved. Things that matter to you.
43. Every day accept you will make mistakes. Learn from them. They are opportunities in disguise.
![[Facebook]](https://i0.wp.com/freshnewday.net/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png?w=800&ssl=1)
![[Twitter]](https://i0.wp.com/freshnewday.net/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png?w=800&ssl=1)
![[Email]](https://i0.wp.com/freshnewday.net/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png?w=800&ssl=1)