Not just for November, but every month, every day, we should live with gratitude.

In my self-proclaimed journey to use the platform of social media to discover and post a daily Happy Day Moment, I have learned this:

Don’t wait until you’re bowled over by a happy BIG day moment, decide to find the happy SMALL moments in every day. The wonder of the small, happy day moments.

Sometimes what may be most loved are the small moments … those tucked inside the big days.

Sometimes the happy day moment is hidden in the ordinary, in plain sight because we’re so distracted by stuff, pressing concerns. We’re distracted by ourselves….we’re busy trying to make our own lives easier, better and happier and securing our own prosperity, comfort and safety.

So, don’t loathe the familiar, the routine, the normal, the daily common, the ordinary.

Start to see the good, the happy, even in the small.  Actively search for those moments, develop a posture of looking for and of finding happy. Cultivate this vision: seeing those moments, and being grateful for the happy day moments.

Write them down. So you won’t forget.

A drink of cold water. The smell of coffee. The sliver of light under the doorway. The touch on the arm. The sparrow on the branch. The melody on the radio. A Hershey’s kiss. The voice of that one you love.

Let a happy day moment rise to the top.

Don’t overlook the little things, the small moments. Relish their charms. Their magic.

I tucked these thoughts on my Happy Day Moment Facebook Page, the Echoes of November 2014:

• Today is a good day to express your love to the ones you love.
• Don’t let past rejections dictate your next move. Find the grace to go forward.
• Choose to love, even when you’re not loved by others, because God is utterly and forever committed to loving you.
• Concentrate on what’s right with the story of you, not on what’s wrong.
• We all have the power, the gift, to change someone’s life with small gestures: a smile, a hello, a thank you.

• Everyone has ups and downs but a key to a happier life is to always try to move forward.
• The mercy we show to each other comes from the mercy God shows to us.
• Not one thing is too big for God. Not one thing is too hard, too much for Him.
• Expressing thanksgiving helps us trust God when we don’t understand the why of our lives.
• God promises to remain present in our pain, even when things may seem out of control.

• Today, be the reason someone feels abundantly loved and dearly needed.
• Speak more of your blessings than you speak of your problems.
• Pour out gratitude and kindness and showcase the love and grace of God.
• Be Love that unfolds kindness when you’re fearful. Be Love that responds with gentleness when you’re frayed.
• Understand that life can often be difficult and learn to flow through hard times with an attitude of curiosity and not victimhood.

• Choose your words with care. Temper them with love and grace.
• Stop focusing on the things you want but remember the blessings you have.
• God measures our progress. He knows what we can handle.
• Don’t deny your mistakes. Learn from them.
• Don’t be a victim of yesterday’s failures. Today is a new day for success and adventure.

• The end of a matter is better than its beginning.
• A compassionate answer can calm a storm.
• We can do more together than alone.
• The way we live is inevitably a reflection of the way we think. Think great thoughts!
• Let the sheer gratuity of grace sweep away the debris of your cynicism and doubt.
• God is for you when the road turns unexpectedly and He’s ahead of you when you’re not sure how you’re going to get through.

• Fully be awake to the blessings and beauty in your life.
• There is no argument against being kind.
• Instead of concentrating on the ways a situation is hard or wrong or bad, work to acknowledge the positive aspects of that hard place.
• Kindness and bravery exist. And they are stronger than hatred.