January 2015 is soon gone. 
31 days out of 365 days with gratitude is now completed. 
It has not been easy. Neither January nor the exercise. 
But it has indeed been worth it. 
Last week I wrote an article on my Net-T-Net blog.
The title was; With shared values everything becomes easier. 
My takeaway from the January exercise is that with gratitude many things becomes easier. 
 

Returning from two hours of walk-and-talk with someone I admire. 
Grateful for being allowed to be her friend. 
Arriving back home close to 5 p.m. 
Noticing with joy the extra 1.5 hours of daylight. 
Pass by these small green guys making their arrival through the soil. 
Grateful for spring approaching & grateful for relationships! 

Lazy Friday with the absolutely amazing Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild on Netflix. 
And I know it's a little thing, but when you like food as much as I do, and especially good foods, then it's actually a little-big thing that my home made pop-corn addiction, made the old fashioned way in a pot and with coconut oil, suddenly appeared to be quite healthy a few years ago. 

Joe Vinson, Ph.D., and a pioneer in analyzing healthful components in chocolate, nuts and other common foods, has explained that popcorn actually contains more of the healthful antioxidant substances called "polyphenols" than fruits and vegetables. At the same time one serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 percent of the daily intake of whole grain. 

Well what's not to like here. Totally grateful for research! And hey science-guys 'n girls, please do not change your minds! Cause I'd actually love to keep feeling that I am almost eating vitamins while laying low like broccoli...

I had to cheat today.... I had wanted to take the pictures myself - every single day for 365 days. I also decided that the pictures had to be related to something that I felt truly grateful for, on that specific day. Not the day before, and I not OK to be just a thought. It has to be felt. The last part I have kept, also today. But the first part I had to deviate from today. 

I haven't taking this picture myself.  

I had actually already collected a lot of gratitude during my day today. It has been a really good day!
A lot of sensations for once. 
Compared to just a few years back where every day was so hectic that I hardly heard a bird, smelled the sea, felt my own heart beat. 
Today I do! Because I have chosen to so. 
It's not good money wise I have to say. Compared to back then. Not yet at least. 
I hope it will be one day. But I still do lot's of stuff that doesn't pay my bills. 
However I am grateful. Because I love what I am doing. 
And at the same time I actually do hear the birds right now. Actually for the fifth day in a row this morning. I do smell the sea. I notice people smiling to me in the train. Even spend time talking to the train driver. 

For that reason I had also taken a photo of a small new flower, making it's amazing spring appearance. 
And I appreciated an absolute wonderful day with my "colleagues" at Global Mindset. 
And afterwards a really mind blowing meeting - at least for me - at a new football club in Copenhagen.
 
My daughter is now actually going to play really serious football, and suddenly she is much closer to her dreams than ever before - though still a long and tough way to go!!! So grateful however that her dedication has brought her this far. 

So I had actually collected all that during my day, and then this picture arrived at my inbox just a few minutes ago. From a wonderful French family from Lyon that we exchanged house with, back in the Summer of 2012. 
I have received New Years greetings from them ever since, and once in a while exchanging short messages and updates on Facebook. 

I don't really know what it is that makes me feel this warmth. And it actually doesn't matter at all either. I enjoy networking, and I love feeling connected. And feeling connected to someone that you actually don't really know, someone living almost 2000 kilometers away, but someone that you've let into your home, like they let you into theirs. That just makes me feel really good, and well that was my choice of gratitude today.  

Totally grateful for soccer!
Absolutely don't know how to play the ball myself. Hardly know the rules. Don't ever watch the games on TV. 

But witnessing the joy, dedication, willpower, friendship, aspiration, shape and focus my 14 year old daughter gains, and has gained, every single day since the age of six, and hopefully many many more years to come, I cannot help absolutely loving that game.  

Being passionate about something is a gift. I am absolutely grateful that she gets to experience that feeling. 

Received an invitation today to a meeting with the coach, at the new club she's being tested for. 
Going there tomorrow... 

It does look as if most of Helsingborg is on fire. Doesn't it? 
But luckily that's not the case! 
It's 4.30 p.m. and the sunset is reflected in the windows. 

Flames are only within me. 
Today I had an absolutely wonderful feeling of joy due to really great effort made by a client I work with. 
Situations like that leave me with no doubts at all; I am doing what I love!

Grateful that the interview is now turned into an article that has been send. 
Hopeful that my work will be approved. 

A perfect day with an abundance of gratitude. 

Waking early feeling rested. Looking out to discover snow, blue sky and sunshine. 
Opening the garden doors, and hearing the blue/yellow "great tit" singing his spring twitter outside. 
Noticed the song only for the second time this year. And every single year it has the same enlightening result. 
Enjoying breakfast, and my first wonderful smelling cup coffee, while the rest of the house is still silent. 
House-awakening with morning hugging & kisses. 
Bringing everyone out for a long walk. 
Listening to the running of water in the forest streams, the sound of snow under our boots, and the quite dripping of the melting water from the leaves. 
Watching one teen and one pre-teen returning to young age while playing with the ice on the lakes, and exchanging boots in order to slide better down hills. 
Walking back along the coastline all by myself. Smelling the salty water, loving the sound and the splashes of water in my face while taking my wellies for a small run in the water. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my back and my hair. And my heart dancing when watching people leaning back, enjoying the sun, and praising the first spring-like day. 
Back in the house after a couple of hours walking, only to eat lunch and return to the forest for a run. 
Just couldn't let you go! 
Returning home to 250 squats with my teen daughter. 
Having dinner served by two non-fighting kids. And eating way too much! But not caring a bit. Except for the stomachache.
Cuttling in for a movie, three under one blanket. 
Kisses, hugs and a goodnight chat with the pre-teen, and half an hour of "talking like a waterfall" with the teen. 

The best day of the entire months so far! 
Almost felt gratitude every minute of this day. 
 
And it actually didn't take much. 
Just the use of all senses.  

Friendship is not only a big thing. 
It's a million little things. 

Exercising & Blushing. 
Reading & Learning.
Writing & Sharing.
Driving & Singing.
Interviewing & Empathizing.
Connecting & Appreciating. 

An entire day without one single invoiceable hour.
And yet feeling enriched.