Becoming Grateful Day 14: Take Pictures of What You're Grateful For

Take Pictures to Capture 
What You're Grateful For 
Part I

I've been pretty excited to try this idea out. Taking pictures of things I am thankful for, or something that represents an item or idea I'm grateful for, should be fun and a great way to literally focus in on what you appreciate in life. Now I'm not a professional photographer by any means. Most of the pictures I take on my non-smart phone turn out pretty grainy. My husband did buy me a pretty awesome camera just before our baby girl was born, but I only know how to snap a pic on Auto, and even then they are obviously taken by an amateur. SO DON'T BE INTIMIDATED OR LET THAT STOP YOU FROM TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS! And you can use whatever camera you have, a phone, point-and-shoot camera, a Polaroid, whatever you've got.  The point is to take a little time to look for things you appreciate and capture it to always have.

When looking through your lens or screen, you'll be focusing directly on the item you are thankful for. Take a minute to really look at it and think about what it means to you. This exercise will also help you to look at your world a little closer. Maybe there is something you haven't noticed before that you in fact do appreciate or overlook when busy with the day to day minutiae. 

Now if you're like me,  you could probably go around snapping pics of pretty much anything and everything because if you didn't, you'd feel guilty for leaving something out. To help avoid this worthy, although not necessary, ambition and follow this list of things to photograph.

1. Each member of your family.
   
   
   
2. All your pets. 
3. Your car or bicycle.
4. The computer you're on or other technology.
5. The front door of your home. 
6. The sunny/or rainy/or snowy weather - whichever one you have and are grateful for. 
7. The view from your home or favorite look-out spot. 
8. Your church or place of worship.
9. Your microwave.
10. Your feet.
11. A beautiful garden or tree.
12. Books.
13. Your favorite pair of shoes.
14. Grandparents.
15. Your pillow.

This is a pretty random list but it will help you get started. If you have children, get them involved by making up your own list together. Then you can go around finding each item and snapping photos. Another fun way is to use the next list and take pictures of items that represent each one.

1. Love
2. Beauty
3. Happiness
4. Kindness
5. Friendship
6. Faith
7. Comfort
8. Nature
9. Health & Strength
10. Excitement

“While many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important.”

I'm off to take pictures myself, but stay tuned! I'll be sharing some of my pictures with you in Part II later today. Post some of your pictures using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and share with all of your friends and family what your'e thankful for. Spoiler Alert - One of our upcoming ideas is to make a gratitude board! So get you pictures printed at your local Costco or print them off yourself to have ready to use!