Lately, my coworkers have inspired me more and more, especially this 100 Happy Days Challenge – and it reminded me of the weekly Thankful Thursday posts that were always the highlight of my week.

So it’s time to bring them back. 🙂

Today it seems extra fitting, as I’m thankful for so many things and also for a few diamond-in-the-rough events…

  1. Working from home – This has been a career goal for me, and I’m so incredibly blessed to have that chance as the Community Champion for Buffer. I am surrounded by an incredible team and part of a community unlike any other I’ve known. Screen Shot 2014-07-17 at 3.18.39 PM
  2. Adventurous chickens – Owning 13 chickens and 4 ducks is a constant daily adventure. Especially when they are adventurous, bull-headed teenagers who insist on pushing boundaries. For me, though, this has been an exercise in letting things go and realizing I can’t control 17 birds at all times. Or any times. And so far, they’ve all come back home.
  3. Bucking horses – In this gift is also the fact that I’m so grateful to be able to ride my horse whenever I want – he’s closer to my home now and at a barn with a covered arena (heaven!) Yet today in our weekly lesson, he was a bit…rambunctious. I ended up tossed to the side while trying to mount and with a twisted ankle. Well, I’ll heal. And the true gift in this moment (aside from no serious injuries for either of us) is that it served as a reminder of how truly green he is, and that I wasn’t respecting that fact enough. I’m renewed in my resolve to give this horse the attention and training he needs. Time to step up to twice-weekly lessons, at least. 🙂 (Poor horse didn’t expect that response, I’m sure.) 😉
  4. Inspiration to simplify – I’ve been reading Essentialism, Minimalism and Simplify (feeling like I need another -ism in there) and found the inspiration to de-clutter my life and home in order to make room for the truly important and essential. It’s a slow but intensely rewarding experience to bag up all the unnecessary belongings and tasks and ship them off. The freedom from letting go is a gift that I can hardly put into words.
  5. Amazing coworkers – It’s hard not to gush about my job because it fills my day and it’s truly a gift. 🙂 But daily these amazing people inspire and encourage in ways I’m not sure even they are aware of. It’s yet another thing to be thankful for.

I could surely go on. Life’s gifts are all around us if we simply open our eyes at what we’ve been given.

I’d love to know — What are you thankful for this week?