Multiply Your Blessings – 30-day Challenge for Attracting Miracles and Improving the Quality of Your Life
This challenge is based on Pam Grout’s book, Thank and Grow Rich. If you are looking for some fun and light ways to increase the joy and happiness in your life, I highly recommend this book to you. Pam’s approach is lighthearted and entertaining. As you will discover for yourself, she sees life as an endless opportunity to play games, dance and share good humour with the world.
One of the games described in the book is the 30-day Count Your Blessings Challenge. The objective of this game is to multiply your blessings simply by counting them every day.
The rules of this challenge are very simple:
(1) First thing in the morning (before even getting up), declare that you expect something amazing/awesome/miraculous to happen to you
(2) Each morning, make a list of 3 (three) blessings – do not repeat them
(3) Tell the world (or at least your best friend) what these 3 blessings are
(4) Repeat for 30 days, no exception, no excuses
I’d add one more rule: at the end of the challenge, reflect on all these blessings. How these have changed over the past month? What truly miraculous events have appeared in your life?
Multiply Your Blessings – 30-Day Challenge
In this article, I share my experience with this fun game. Feel free to play along and share your blessings and miracles.
Day 1, monday
Aug. 21, 2023
- Effortlessly booking a wine & cheese tour for my mom and me;
- Picking a full bowl of ripe tomatoes from my garden;
- Listening to my favourite romance audio-books on the way to work
Day 2, TUESday
Aug. 22, 2023
- Dining with an old friend;
- Seeing a pure white pigeon within a flock of grey ones;
- Trying a delicious Danish veggie sandwich made with unique multigrain bread
Day 3, WEDNESDAY
Aug. 23, 2023
- A hummingbird flew near my office’s window for about a minute;
- Finding a beautiful white feather during my walk in the park;
- Spotting a hot air balloon during my walk in the park – hot air balloons are not a typical scene in this region
Day 4, THURSDAY
Aug. 24, 2023
- During stormy weather and heavy rain, the sun appeared behind the clouds for a moment;
- Receiving Diana Cooper’s new book, The Golden Future: What to Expect and How to Reach the Fifth Dimension, which I preordered about a month ago;
- My son made a dinner for me knowing that I’ll be late from work
Day 5, FRIDAY
Aug. 25, 2023
- Finding the perfect wood board for my new handmade coffee table;
- Landing an unexpected deal for a custom-made order;
- Being home with my family, sound and safe, during a rare severe thunderstorm.
Day 6, SATURDAY
Aug. 26, 2023
- A curious squirrel looking through my office window at what I’m doing;
- Having a great evening at the local fun fair;
- Chatting and laughing with my kids.
Day 7, SUNDAY
Aug. 27, 2023
- Playing the piano undisturbed for a half an hour;
- Enjoying working on a wedding gift project;
- Enjoying the sun after a week of heavy clouds and rain.
Day 8, MONDAY
Aug. 28, 2023
- Enjoying a delicious breakfast made by hubby;
- Listening to my favourite podcast, Inside the Wooniverse by Colette Baron-Reid, while cleaning the house;
- Chatting with my mom.
Day 9, TUEsDAY
Aug. 29, 2023
- Meditating on a relaxing, peaceful music;
- Walking in the neighbourhood after work enjoying the quiet evening;
- Laughing with my daughter at old family photos and videos.
Day 10, WEDNESDAY
Aug. 30, 2023
- Living in a bright, spacious and beautiful house;
- Listening to Carl Doy’s gorgeous piano performance;
- Successfully finishing all my work-related tasks for the day with ease.
Day 11, THURSDAY
Aug. 31, 2023
- Driving a beautiful, amazingly functioning, brand new, hybrid car;
- Finding a pinecone seed on one of my tomatoes, although there are no such trees in my yard;
- Spending a fabulous, full of laughter and delicious food evening out with my daughter and our friends.
Day 12, FRIDAY
SEPT. 1, 2023
- Working from the comfort of my home office;
- Crocheting my sunflower hand back while listening to one of Mary Balogh’s audiobooks;
- Admiring the super rare blue moon visible on the clear night sky.
Day 13, SATURDAY
SEPT. 2, 2023
- Being in perfect health and high energy;
- Releasing another pound (aka losing weight) to the energy field;
- Shopping at Costco and realizing how fortunate I am to be able to afford all that.
Day 14, SUNDAY
SEPT. 3, 2023
- Spending the day with my family in the beautiful Niagara region;
- Being able to buy high quality clothes for my daughter (something I wasn’t able to do a few years ago);
- Finding and buying a selenite crystal in the form of a heart.
Day 15, MONDAY
SEPT. 4, 2023
- Enjoying a delicious cup of freshly brewed coffee in the comfort of my favourite room (aka the art room);
- Having electricity, water and Internet at home;
- Having the technology and tools to work from home (I know, it’s a holiday, but I was marking students’ assignments…).
Multiply my blessings – mid-term reflection
At the beginning of this experiment, I was very excited to share all the fun and amazing experiences. For the first few days, I had something new happening every day.
At some point, however, I stopped being outside as much and noticed that seemingly nothing exciting occurred. That’s when I realized that the true blessings are in the small things such as spending good time with my family, being in excellent health, having electricity and water at my disposal 24/7, and much more. That is, I was taking all these for granted when the truth is that I am blessed to have and enjoy them all. For instance, so many people suffer from various illnesses. Likewise, there are so many places on the world where people do not have access to electricity or water, or these utilities are so expensive that households can barely afford them.
Yes, I am blessed in so many ways. And although I wouldn’t consider myself lucky as I worked hard to get here, I truly appreciate the abundance in my life.
How about you? In what way can you multiply your blessings?
Day 16, TUESDAY
SEPT. 5, 2023
- Hiking in the amazing Elora Gorge Conservation Area at Grand River;
- Supporting a small, local business by purchasing one of their great lotions made with rose geranium (it smells divinely, and the feeling it leaves on the skin is unforgettable);
- Starting a brand new 30-day piano course for learning the blues.
Day 17, WEDNESDAY
SEPT. 6, 2023
- Working in my pyjamas all day and feeling fabulous about that;
- Enjoying being at home with the AC on when the temperature outside is reaching 42C;
- Eating delicious sweet corn, freshly roasted – we bought the corn yesterday when coming back from our trip to Elora. As we were driving, we noticed a stand near the entrance of a farm. You could buy corn by simply picking up the quantity you need and putting the money in a jar. The true blessing is witnessing that there are still people who trust their fellow humans to do the right thing – take what you need and pay for what you’ve taken. I was deeply touched. This is the highlight of my week!
Day 18, THURSDAY
SEPT. 7, 2023
- Teaching international students and learning from them as much as they learn from me;
- One of my brothers confirming that they are coming over for the holidays in December;
- Enjoying the splendid rainbow over the highway while driving back from work (for at least 20 minutes).
Day 19, FRIDAY
SEPT. 8, 2023
- Receiving a Divine sign in the form of 11:11 when sending my daughter to her first day at the university;
- Being able to drink 2.5L water throughout the entire day;
- Celebrating my daughter’s first day at the University and laughing with her when sharing her new adventures.
Day 20, SaTURDAY
SEPT. 9, 2023
- My brother and sister-in-law approval to enter the country – the approval was received within minutes although the process could take a few weeks;
- Listening to the audiobook The 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin;
- Eating a salad made only with veggies from my garden.
Day 21, SUNDAY
SEPT. 10, 2023
- Purchasing the airplane tickets for my brother and sister-in-law;
- Finding and buying Not-So-Scary Pumpkin Brew coffee by Joffrey’s (this is a rare finding in Canada);
- Receiving the gorgeous Bird and Red Ivy Journal which I purchased from Peter Pauper Press.
Day 22, MONDAY
SEPT. 11, 2023
- Arriving at work 30 minutes faster than usual;
- Finding a prime parking spot (just as I entered the parking’s main level, a car exited);
- Encountering a difficult situation with a few of my students – you may argue whether this is a blessing; however, I see it as an opportunity to learn, grow and expand.
Day 23, TUESDAY
SEPT. 12, 2023
- Receiving an email that we are required to return to the office 2 times a week after being allowed to work 100% from home (my corporate job) – I am not sure how this is a blessing; however, I am willing to trust the Universe that it is for my highest good;
- Finding a 10-cent coin – this is my ultimate sign from the Universe that absolutely everything in my life is in perfect Divine order;
- Coming home after teaching at the university to discover that my family is cooperating and making sure I do not distress myself unnecessarily.
Day 24, WEDNESDAY
SEPT. 13, 2023
- Spotting 11:11, 1:11, 111, etc. the entire day – a clear sign that everything is ok despite the recent news related to my corporate job;
- Having a quiet day at work (both my corporate and teaching jobs), after a rough start of the week;
- Enjoying a bowl of warm and delicious veggie soup for lunch.
Day 25, THURSDAY
SEPT. 14, 2023
- Having and wearing comfortable and warm clothes at work (so I don’t feel cold under the blasting AC);
- Enjoying a fresh, hot cup of coffee prepared by a robot;
- Stargazing at the clear night sky while hubby’s driving us back from work.
Day 26, FRIDAY
SEPT. 15, 2023
- Watching a short video by Sara Landon and the Council reminding me of a great prosperity affirmation (YouTube, Sara Landon and the Council – Abundance Now: Your New Relationship with Money);
- Having and being able to use the great technologies (i.e., my smartphone and the Internet) that allow me to keep in touch with my mom while she travels the long distance from Eastern Europe to Canada;
- Meeting and greeting my mom in person after 4 years of separation (due to the past travel restrictions).
Day 27, SATURDAY
SEPT. 16, 2023
- Having a great, recharging appointment with an amazing, talented, positive hairdresser who always makes me look beautiful and youthful;
- Visiting the farmers market and buying fresh, locally produced vegetables;
- Having a big and bright kitchen where my family gathers and laughs together.
Day 28, SUNDAY
SEPT. 17, 2023
- Spending the whole day outside making delicious pasta sauce and preserving it for the winter;
- Having a great garden with a large patio where I can relax, create or even cook;
- Having the support of my family in doing what I love such as making preserves.
Day 29, MONDAY
SEPT. 18, 2023
- Enjoying driving to and back from work while listening to interesting audiobooks;
- Having two jobs which means two steady sources of income;
- Sleeping in a large comfortable bed that allows my body to relax and rejuvenate.
Day 30, TUESDAY
SEPT. 19, 2023
- Purchasing tickets for the amazing National Ballet of Canada’s show The Nutcracker;
- After the recent news at work, I asked my guides for a sign that everything in my life was going well. Specifically, I asked for a white feather. While driving to the city, white feathers started flying against me. Tons of them! As it turned out, a truck before me was transporting white hens 😀 ;
- Having this blog where I can connect with others and share my inspirations, motivations, and dreams.
Multiply my blessings – a reflection of this journey
I started this journey with a lot of enthusiasm and readiness to count everything good that happens to me as a blessing. In the beginning, it was really easy to think and count the evidence of my good fortune. I believe everyone can do this when times are bright, funny and careless.
What happens, however, when a small stone appears on our clear path? Or an entire big rock that literary blocks our progress? Can we find the motivation to continue to count our blessings? When things are not rosy anymore, can we still find 3 things to consider blessings? Well… here is my experience.
Based on what I read in the book, I expected by the time I completed this 30-day challenge, my life to be way more joyful, way more abundant and prosperous. Somehow, I had the expectation that all my little problems would be resolved and I would live happily ever after.
Trouble in the air
As you can imagine, however, things did not happen this way. My working hours increased significantly. The corporation, where I work as an accountant, got sold out and the new owners started changing and shifting everything. Although I was allowed to work 100% of the time from home, now, I have to go work from the office 3 days a week. This means driving 300 km every day, working in a very cold environment (18C – 19C). Enduring the extremely noisy office where people are having their meetings from their desks (so you can imagine when 4 people have meetings at the same time). Not a pretty picture, and I am not sure how this is a blessing.
On top of this, my students started cheating, not cooperating in class, and giving trouble as much as possible. Rather than enjoying what I do, I started stressing out. I was getting more tired and tired by the minute.
At home, things took a turn for the worse as well. Instead of being supportive that I had the opportunity to spend some time with my mom, my family became jealous. Their attitude, sour faces and sharp tone made me feel guilty for wanting to be with my mom.
All this stress, of course, led to some health issues. I got severe lower back pain and moving around became difficult. This, however, did not stop my family from demanding from me and giving me their angry attitudes.
So, while I was counting my blessings, my life seemed to get worse…
The true blessing
Before you get discouraged and decide not to undertake this journey in fear that your life could become messier than it is, let me share my thoughts on the true blessing.
Yes, it is true that things got bad for me. There is no need to deny it. However, only when things get messy, we can clean up and reorganize them in a way that works best for us.
While my students were driving me mad, I took the time to reflect on the question of why this was happening to me. Since I was driving crazy hours every day, spending this time alone, I had the unique opportunity to think and reflect. As it turned out, being excited that my mom was coming, I did not commit fully to my teaching job. All I wanted was to deliver the dry material and leave fast. Well, try to cut corners and watch what happens 😉 What goes around, comes around.
My family’s negativity made me realize that I was putting their desires and demands first. They were more important than me. I was living their lives and accepting their dreams as my priority. Given that all three of them are adults, I now understand that it is time to look at my world, my dreams and my desires. It is time I stop living to serve them. A hard realization, perhaps even painful. But nevertheless, I was devoting my life to making sure they felt well by ignoring and even denying my right to happiness and freedom.
The right to choose to change
As for driving 3 days a week to work, I see this is the only (for now) opportunity to detach from my home, spend time alone with my thoughts (undisturbed) and figure out where I am and what I want.
The true blessing is that I came to the point where I could make the decision to change my life for the better. I do not know how; however, I am willing to learn to follow my guides. Although everything looks really messy, I realize that this is the only way I can grow. Unless I change, nothing around me can change.
And since I really wanted a better life, I had to change. And all that happened to me was to help me change. This is a true blessing.
Credit:
Grout, P., Thank & Grow Rich. Hay House Inc. 2016.
