>Gratitude Challenge, Day 12

>Today, make the effort to live life with a positive outlook. Restrain from criticizing the people around you. Dare to see the glass half full. Listen more than you speak. Give freely of yourself. Practice kindness at every opportunity.

Confession time.

I’ve been stuck on Day 12 for a month now.
Yes, a month. I actually started the G.C. way back in September.

I’m not sure which part is the hitch in my giddy-up – whether it’s the “live life with a positive outlook” or the “restrain from criticizing the people around you” or the “pracitice kindness at every opportunity.”

I never really thought of myself as a mean person, but clearly I was wrong.

I have yet to go an entire day without thinking something critical about somebody – it may not be spoken aloud but the nasty little thoughts still flit through my mind.

I try to practice kindness. But it doesn’t happen at EVERY opportunity. Not at all. Not even close.

I give of myself every day, but not freely. Often it’s begrudgingly, or with gritted teeth. Especially when it’s to little demanding people of extremely short stature and sticky fingers.

And finally, I am an utter failure at listening more than I speak. Oh, completely. I can’t shut up.

I guess the one positive thing I can say about Day 12’s challenge is this: it’s made me more aware. I may not be succeeding any more than before, but at least I’m cognizant of my failures.

Here’s to another month of trying.