It's time for our second Thankful Thursday!   

In support of the value of "gratitude" (read my first blog post to find out more), I'm asking everyone to share who or what they're grateful for this week.

I'm immensely grateful for my husband.  I don't even know where to start to telling you everything he does to make me feel incredibly spoiled.  He's an amazing parent to our two kids and dog.  He cooks the majority of our meals, he does almost all the dishes (he says he enjoys it), and he takes out all the garbage, recycling, and compost.  Plus, he sings while he does it all!  And no, he's not a stay-at-home dad.  He does all this on top of his full-time (plus overtime) job.  (I would also mention how hot he is, but I don't want this to go to his head.)  

Who are you thanking this week?

We each have an idea of who we would like to be and the lives we would like to live.  Think about your own ideals.  How are they different from who you currently are and the life you're currently living? 

Do any of these sound familiar?

• You tell everyone you "love the outdoors" but can't remember the last time you went hiking, camping, or kayaking. 
  
• You see yourself as a patient, fun-loving parent, but you frequently find yourself raising your voice when the kids are ignoring your requests.
• Living a "green" lifestyle is important to you, but sometimes you just don't have time separate your garbage, walk rather than drive, or use cloth diapers.
• You envision yourself as fit and athletic, but you never seem to find the time to go to the gym or participate in the sports you love. 
  
• You hate the idea of eating packaged food, but regularly cooking fresh, whole foods takes so much energy, time and planning that you just don't know where to start.

It all becomes a little overwhelming, doesn't it?  

Well, I'm here to reassure you that you don't need to do it all at once.  Just make one or two small changes, and you'll be amazed at how you'll feel rewarded and more confident!  This will then have a ripple effect to other areas of your life, and some of those big, scary changes will start to seem more and more within your reach.

Need some inspiration?  Head over to Eager Beaver (live like you give a damn) to get some fun ideas for your bucket list.  Sara Kinninmont talks about choosing "to live your life with intention, breaking out of long-held routines and comfort zones, filling it with adventures, big and small. The focus is on feeling alive, right now."  

Matt Cutts (Engineer at Google) gave an inspiring TED Talk entitled "Try Something New for 30 Days".  He talks about biking to work, writing a novel, giving up sugar, and other challenges he gave himself.  Some of them stuck, and others he discarded on day 31.  It sounds like a fun way to get closer to living your "ideal" life, or maybe discovering that what you thought was your ideal life was really more about what other people expect from you.  But that's a topic for another blog post.  :)

So, will you accept my challenge?  If so, please share with us in the comments... what new thing are you going to try?