My friend Darin Garcia, whose company K&J Windows installed the new doors and windows I craved after the late, great garage invasion, has come up with a charming new website that I think has got to be unique, or very close to it: Write God a Thank You.
The idea is that members of the social website will be able to express thanks for the positive things in their lives and share it with their friends. From WriteGodAThankYou.com, these messages of gratitude can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+, or, if one prefers, users may create private gratitude lists and prayer journals.
Even if you’re not religious, this idea has some interesting aspects. As it develops, quite a few studies have shown that mindfully reflecting on one’s blessings, rather than dwelling on the troubles and annoyances of life, creates an amazing range of benefits. A pair of researchers at UC Davis reported that people who kept a gratitude journal exercised more, experienced fewer ailments, felt better about their lives, were more optimistic, and made better progress toward personal goals than those who recorded hassles or neutral life events. They also found that people who gave thanks daily “were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another.”
As readers who’ve been around for a year will recall, even a skeptical old pessimist can take a few minutes a day to focus on the positive aspects of life. Whatever those might be.
Try it. You might like it.
My favorite movie is one from the 90’s, called ‘Swingers’ (tying back to the swing dance revival that was big at the time). One of the most hard hitting lines was when one character says to another: “You don’t look at the things you have. You only look at the things you don’t have.” I think that applies to so many of us in so many ways, I know I’m guilty of it far too often. This is a good reminder! Thanks.
There’s more to the story.
Shortly after the site went live (just a couple of days ago), Darin was driving across a main drag in North Phoenix when a woman drove right out in front of him. In the seconds he had to react, his car’s brakes couldn’t bring his vehicle to a stop and he T-boned her car at 40+ mph, totaling both vehicles.
Several things to thank God for: Her 12-year-old, who was not in a seatbelt, escaped serious injury, as did the woman and Darin; and Darin had just left his own son off at school, and so neither of his kids were in the car. Side airbags (and miracles) save lives!
A friend recently gave me a 5-year memory book. Each date in the year has 5 entries big enough for just a few sentences, with spaces for each of the next 5 years. I’m working to fill it with positive reflections every night before bed. I have about 3 years and 350 more days to go to fill it!