Why I'm Sending 100 Sincere Thanks Into the World

By
Happy Labor Day to my readers in the United States, and to all who labor to earn a living or to make life better for someone else!  I have certainly benefitted from the labors of many others during the course of my life.


Inspired by the book Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey by A. J. Jacobs,* which goes into fascinating detail about the many people who have a role in making his morning coffee possible, I decided to write a post thanking a minimum of 100 people who have helped me, and continue to help me, as a minimalist, writer, and blogger.  Some of this help is or has been direct; some is tangential, but still essential.


* As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission at no extra charge to you if you purchase through my links.


Once I started the list, I realized that there are more contributors than I originally thought.  Of course, many teachers have helped me, but so has Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and an Italian man named Pierluigi Zappacosta (see below).


writing and coffee - photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash



The far-reaching benefits of gratitude


Gratitude is not the default behavior of most humans.  We're hardwired to look for threats and troubles (it's a survival mechanism).  That's probably why it's so life-changing to practice it.


Creating a habit of thankfulness changes your entire outlook, forcing you to become aware of the many benefits in your life.  Once you start looking for them, you begin to see more and more blessings you hadn't noticed before.  It's a complete reorientation of your mindset, and as those new neural pathways develop and deepen, you will experience great joy and peace as you see and appreciate so much that you used to overlook.


I encourage you to undertake a gratitude journey of your own.  It's wonderful to see the diversity and extent of those whose labors have had a positive impact on your life.  It may also make you wonder about your own impact in the world.  Some people, like my husband, who recently retired from a 42-year teaching career, have a large and valuable influence.  Perhaps yours is greater or smaller, but I guarantee you it exists.  Who knows what ripples proceed from even the smallest of good works?







A hundred (or more) thanks


My list begins with two women who probably passed away years ago, and who might be surprised how well I remember them.


1-2.  Those who taught me to read and write, including my 1st grade teachers Miss Cottle and Mrs. Harriet Zosel, who developed the color-coded phonics system used in my school.  (I don't know if it worked well for every child, but it did for me.)


3-6.  Those who taught me to love words and stories, including my 4th grade teacher Mr. Barry who read aloud to us every day, and my 5th grade teacher Miss Diane Gomes who encouraged me to write more creative tales.  My mother was my earliest model of correct grammar and a large vocabulary, and my father (for whom English was a second language) good-humoredly allowed me to "correct" his grammar and pronunciation before I even started school.  He was also a master of the pun.


7-14.  The authors of my favorite childhood books, all of which I read many times, including:

15-22.  Those who taught me the craft of writing, including Mrs. Thompson, Tim May, Brian Jukes, Alvin Tresselt, Fiona Ferris, and Kelly Holmes.  I've also been instructed and inspired by Stephen King's On Writing and Dani Shapiro's Still Writing.


23-27.  The people who manufactured my laptop, including those who work at Hewlett Packard (founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard), Advanced Micro Devices (founded by Jeremiah Sanders III), and the Microsoft Corporation (founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen).


28-33.  Those who make my laptop usable, including the Swiss company Logitech, which provides wireless connection (founded by Daniel Borel, Pierluigi Zappacosta, and Giacomo Marini), the company in China which manufactured the battery, and PG&E, which provides electricity (founded by John Martin and Eugene de Sabla Jr.).


34-39.  Those who enable me to go online, including AT&T, which provides my internet service (founded by the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell), Google (founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin), and Malwarebytes (founded by Marcin Kleczynski and Bruce Harrison), which provides internet security.  Thanks also to Sir Tim Berners-Lee who invented the World Wide Web and then gave his idea freely, with no patent and no royalties due, so it could become available to everyone. 


40-42.  Those who maintain my blog and help me get it to you, including Google Blogger and Mailchimp (founded by Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius).


43.  Those who maintain my business domain and email, so I can communicate with you and my business associates, including Squarespace (founded by Anthony Casalena).


reading (with coffee, under a tree) - photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash



44-48.  Those who stock, sell, and publish my books, including Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing (both founded by Jeff Bezos), Adobe Acrobat (founded by John Warnock and Charles Geschke), and various small-business printers who do precise, beautiful work as Amazon contractors in Monee IL, Columbia SC, and other places in the U.S. and around the world.


49-56.  Those who store all pertinent financial information and make sure that the money I earn makes it into my checking account, including Amazon Associates, Buy Me a Coffee (founded by brothers Jijo and Joseph Sunny), PayPal (founded by Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, and Luke Nosek), Stripe (founded by brothers Patrick and John Collison), and my local credit union, Schools First (founded by a group of 126 school employees during the Great Depression).


57+.  The readers who buy my books.  I don't know who you are, but you are my favorites.


58+.  The readers who make Amazon purchases through my links.  You'll notice I have no ads on this site, and part of the reason I'm able to avoid that is because of the support I receive from so many readers.  I hope the items you purchase meet your needs, and I thank you for the commissions you help me earn.


59-70+.  The readers who directly support me via Buy Me a Coffee, including:

  • Carrie B.
  • Kathy G.
  • Moira P.
  • Heather K.
  • Leigh H.
  • Natalie S.
  • Tracy W.
  • Jan H.
  • Denise B.
  • Patricia
  • Judith
  • Melanie

... and so many others (these are some of the most recent).  I apologize if I haven't listed your name, but there are a lot of you, and some are anonymous.  Please know that I am grateful for each and every one!


71-75.  The readers who email me regularly with comments, compliments, and questions, including:

  • Anne D.
  • Charissa O.
  • Lorri B.
  • Kimberly M.
  • Natine A-S.

I appreciate and enjoy hearing from all of you!


76-87.  The writers and bloggers who regularly inspire or have inspired me toward a simpler, intentional life, including:

  • Joshua Becker, founder of becomingminimalist.com
  • Courtney Carver, founder of bemorewithless.com
  • Leo Babauta, founder of zenhabits.net
  • Jennifer Burger, founder of simplyfiercely.com
  • Kathie Lapcevic, founder of homespunseasonalliving.com
  • Carol Craig, founder of carolcraig.com
  • James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
  • Adm. William McRaven, author of Make Your Bed
  • Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
  • Elaine St. James, author of Simplify Your Life
  • Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, authors of Your Money or Your Life

88-91.  The editors who give me the most exposure, including Kim Becker at nosidebar.com and Rivka Hellendall and Amanda Connelly at thesimplifydaily.com.  I'd also like to thank Miss Minimalist herself, Francine Jay, who first published a post by me.


92.  My dad, who often kidded that he would be happy "living in a cave" with his wife and children.  What he meant by his little joke was that he didn't need many possessions to be happy, but he needed us.  My mom was a bit of an accumulator (she had two aunts who were honest-to-goodness hoarders), so her tendencies undoubtedly influenced me too.  In the long run, it was Dad's philosophy that spoke most deeply to me.


93-94.  The writers and researchers who contribute to our understanding of the importance of gratitude, including Dr. Robert Emmons of UC Davis (considered the world's leading scientific expert on the subject) and many others.  I've also never forgotten the lesson about giving thanks for the "fleas" in my life from a long-ago reading of Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place.


95-99+.  The musicians whose music most often accompanies my writing efforts, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Ludwig van Beethoven, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ludovico Einaudi, and many others.


100.  My husband Jon, who makes everything possible.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

52 Minimalist Hobbies to Benefit and Enrich Your Life

By
Image
Everyone benefits from a hobby or two.  Hobbies reduce stress by letting you spend time on something you enjoy provide scope for creativity and imagination make you more knowledgeable and interesting help you develop patience and skills improve your sense of accomplishment and self-esteem promote mindfulness and concentration can create a social life and let you bond with others who share your interests can allow you to stay active and physically healthy I've known people with entire rooms dedicated to their hobby – studios for painting and pottery, sewing rooms, woodworking sheds, and basements filled with wine-making apparatus or a model train setup. But even if you live in a small space, like my husband and I do, or you want to pursue hobbies that require less equipment and expense, you're in luck.  Many hobbies take a lot of space and tools, but many do not, and you can probably find one of those that you'll enjoy. There are some tricks to making a hobby work in a small...
Read more

21 Minimalist Hobbies to Try That Don't Require a Lot of Supplies

By
Image
Trying a new hobby is a great idea, but if you're the type who usually goes all in, that can get complicated and expensive very quickly.  You could buy a guitar and sign up for lessons, only to let it sit and collect dust after watching one YouTube tutorial.  You could purchase a tennis racket and a cute court-approved outfit, but discover that you don't have the speed or hand-eye coordination to play the game. If you want an activity that doesn't require an investment in a lot of expensive new supplies, minimalist hobbies are the answer.  They're low-budget, easy to abandon if they're not the right fit, and don't require lots of shopping to get started. Whether you're looking for a new way to be creative, a way to get some exercise, or a way to get mindful and calm, these minimal-gear hobbies let you start right away without the pressure of a big commitment. * This blog is reader-supported, with NO ADS.  If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small ...
Read more

21 Essentials Every Minimalist Should Keep (even when decluttering)

By
Image
When we adopt a minimalist mindset and lifestyle, we gain more peace and security for ourselves and more to share with others.  Minimalism is good for us, for others, and for the planet too! But streamlining what we own doesn't mean we should let go of essentials.  What are those essentials?  Your answers may vary (my essentials include books, my laptop and phone, a kitchen table with padded chairs, some family photos, and a comfortable bed), but there are some possessions we all need. Emergency essentials I'm not a prepper (not even close), but I know that storms, power outages, illnesses, and breakdowns are not only possible, but likely at some point.  It's helpful to keep some emergency supplies in your home and vehicle.  Don't declutter these items. 1.  First aid kit Create your own or buy one online .*  Keep it stocked, and replace what you use. 2.  Emergency car kit This should contain basic tools, including a jack, lug wrench, and spare tir...
Read more

40 Simple Decisions to Make Daily Life a Breeze

By
Image
We make thousands of decisions every day.  Should I wear this or that, or this other thing... or should I buy something new?  Should I eat this or that?  Should I answer my phone or let it go to voice mail?  Should I do this task first, or that one?  Should I take the short cut or the scenic route?  Should I cook or go out, or order in, or just eat a bowl of Cheerios?  Should I read this book, or check social media, or go to bed early? On and on it goes, day after day.  Decision fatigue is a real thing. Someone has done the math.  A study conducted by Barclays Plan & Invest in the UK found that we spend about 2.5 hours every day making these small but necessary decisions.  This huge effort steals time and attention we could be spending on more important things, like relationships, big projects, and long-term plans.  That's why the simplest decisions can make so much difference to your happiness. What do I mean by simple decisio...
Read more

The Essential Decluttering Decision: Keep or Toss?

By
Image
Sometimes it's hard to discard things – even long after they've served their purpose. I gave away a box of books this week.  They were all books I've read and enjoyed, so it was a little hard to let them go, even though I doubt I'll read them again.  The very fact that I bought them and gained some benefit from them made them hard to donate.  Yet I wanted room on my bookshelf for something new. Feelings that make us hesitant to declutter We might list several reasons to keep things we own: We spent good money on them. They were gifts, and we feel guilty about getting rid of them. When we dig them out of storage, they remind us of happy times or people we loved. They're still usable, and we might want or need them someday. These feelings are pretty common among people who start to declutter, making the process harder and more frustrating.  Unless we can approach the task with some practical strategies and a no-nonsense attitude, we may not be successful. So if you...
Read more