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In this post, I am capturing Day 3 and Day 4 of the Gratitude Challenge. The goal for Day 3 is: write about something you feel grateful for today. Day 4's focus is on: Give thanks for something negative in your life. Apparently, these 2 goals conflict with each other, but it turns out that they don't, really. Let me explain... Yesterday (Day 3) was Wednesday, and one thing stood out in terms of what I was grateful for: being able to attend my weekly yoga class at night. The rest of the day was pretty good too: interesting work, playing with Daniel, connecting with friends, etc... And I am obviously grateful to have a great job, the most precious kid (OK, I am biased!) and a network of good friends. But I am really glad that, as a busy working mom, I am able to regularly add to my schedule 1.5 hour for myself, where I can unwind and take care of myself. I know this is not a given... And I am particularly thankful for - my husband for diligently keeping his Wednesdays nights open...

As part of the Gratitude Challenge I am participating in for the next 21 days, I have been asked to put together an alphabet of Gratitude. It was an interesting exercise of introspection and a good way to revisit my knowledge of English (how many good words do I know, that start with "I"?). Here is my list: A irplane: A great invention, that allows us to visit so much of the world and stay in touch with far-away friends and family in so little time. B arcelona: A great city from many standpoints (lively, beach, food, culture), and where my husband and I met. Fond memories! C alifornia: The place we have made our home for now. Far from family, but attractive enough for us to stay. D aniel: My precious son who added so much to my life in just 20 months. E urope: Where my roots and family are (especially France, where I grew up, and Germany, which is almost my second home). I love the European culture and I miss it here. F amily/ F riends/ F acebook: How convenient all these wor...

Today is September 21, World Gratitude Day. I am lucky to work in a company that recognizes the importance of being grateful and of seeing the positive side of life. After all, this is what Tinyprints delivers every day: nice, customized cards, that allow people to share their happiest moments with their friends and families. Tinyprints started the Gratitude Challenge movement in August, with 30 bloggers who were asked to take note of the brighter side of life for 21 days. The stories were powerful, and the video below captures some of the highlights. Now it's my turn to start the challenge. So for 21 days (and hopefully beyond), I will be paying -more- attention to the little things that make life so worth living. Stay tuned, and feel free to join the challenge too! What I hope to achieve during this challenge is a little bit more awareness for the positive things in my life, big and small. It's very easy to get caught up in the stress of work, the difficulties in balancing jo...