OneWord365 Thankful. Have you heard of OneWord365? Summed up, it’s the act of choosing one word to represent your focus for the year ahead. 365 Days. One Word.
For 2018 we’re going to focus on the word “thankful”.
And to this end, I’ve been doing some research on books to read, poems and quotes, along with blog posts and everything else you can find online that’s connected to being thankful. OneWord365 Thankful. I began my focus on being thankful – or gratitude – a few months ago. Rob and I wrote about our discussions about thankfulness on the Lead Like Jesus blog in the post “Thankful or Grateful?“. In that post, we explored the two words: thankful vs grateful. Which would you use, and when?
OneWord365 Thankful – Quote by Wilferd Peterson
During my research today I came across a quote on thankfulness (or gratitude) by a fellow born in 1900, Wilferd Peterson. Here’s the quote:
“When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.”
Wilferd Peterson wrote 10 books that grew from many magazine articles. He credits his wife, Ruth, as being the inspiration for his work saying that while he “wrote about the art of living, she lived it“. He passed into eternity in 1995.
Sounds like a great couple, right? And then, as I was reading about his life, I realized he’s best known for his poem on marriage!
The Art of Marriage by Wilferd A. Peterson
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things…
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
The courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.
~ by Wilferd Peterson
Marriage and Thankfulness (or Gratitude)
Thankfulness (or Gratitude) will be an ongoing theme for 2018 here on EncourageYourSpouse.com – for many reasons, of which I’ll share a few in each post. But for now, just consider the one line in Wilfred’s poem on marriage:
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
Are words of appreciation and demonstrations of thoughtful gratitude part of your marriage?
For the 2018 OneWord365 Thankful, we will definitely explore those words of appreciation and how to demonstrate thoughtful gratitude in our marriage. And we will have some ideas to share, too!
PS- I’ve done the OneWord365 other years – take a look at the first year I wrote about it…
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