I am in the midst of a huge life transition. ... just moved from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and everything is new and shiny. I am going from a house with huge gardens that I lovingly grew over the last 7 years to a temporary apartment with stunning views of the rooftops in downtown. Many have amazing very unique rooftop gardens that most people don't even know of - from the street.

I am particularly grateful to see the chef across the street come up and harvest the herb garden several times each day—a big slice of joy in my all new world and a rooftop perspective I would not normally have.

“Reminder to check the “overlap”  of your comfort zone and remain grounded and grateful as it grows larger.”

— Chele McKee

This straightforward dose of wisdom seems even sweeter when you consider its location, prominently perched in the back of a pickup truck during a Sunday morning flea market.

Grateful for being open to see the message... however they show up.

I have been watching this tree grow up through the concrete sidewalk and the confines of this sign post for almost six years. It has been slow and steady growth, as you would expect given the conditions it has chosen. It is on the route to one of my favorite hikes, and I am grateful for the powerful reminder that anything is possible with trust and perseverance.

Chele Mckee grateful for it all at 47

Awww.... We are rolling into a fresh, shiny new year (1-1-11); even the numbers suggest a magical time to be alive! I am so grateful for the reminder that each day is a new beginning and so blessed for all the new like-minded souls that came into my life in Joshua Tree this weekend during a meditation retreat. I appreciate and welcome your participation in this creative collaboration inspired by gratitude! It is such a joy to really know that everything is possible!

by Stef Cheneby, grateful at 43

I look back at 43 years and I think, "Oh my god! I am so grateful to be where I am, and this is the result of all the experiences I have lived through.” The good ones and the bad ones. The pleasant ones and the painful ones. The laughter and the tears. The birth and the death. The joys and the fears.

I have finally manifested many experiences I thought would only be for others when I started believing in myself and realizing I could not change the present, but I could change my future.

I changed my mindset from what else could go wrong to what else could go perfectly.

I am grateful for all my friends, for they make every moment even more enjoyable.

I am grateful for those who tried to hurt me, for they succeeded in making me stronger and more powerful.

I am grateful for the latest discovery: I look in my backup hard drives for a beautiful photo of a butterfly I took years ago, and I discover the folder with all my photos is gone. 43 years of photos of me are gone. The folders for Mom, Dad, Rico, my daughter, Chloe, my dog, Braun, and many more are still there. So I decided to be grateful for what I have instead of whining about what I lost.

I decided to be grateful and see it as a gift from the Universe. I have nowhere to look back so I can only look forward.

Peter

What a wonderful opportunity for one to be able to express one's gratitude to the world and be inspired by others. I'm grateful for everything, as follows:

God

Every day is a gift. I'm grateful to God for my Life, as the Source, for Love, for the Spirit, for the miracle of Creation, the Gift of vision, and the Power for creativity. Thank you God for air to breathe, plants for food, and the beauty and resources of mother Earth-oceans, flowers, trees, and animal.

Humans

My Mother. I'm eternally grateful to my beloved mother for giving me birth, for loving me unconditionally when I couldn't love myself, for carrying me when I couldn't carry myself, and for carrying me when I couldn't carry myself. Mother, I miss you. I try to be strong; I try to hide the pain of your loss from the world, but I cry in secret. Mother, I cry for you everyday-everyday. Why did you leave us so soon? You died young, but you never die. Your spirit lives on forever. I carry you in my heart. I see your face everyday. Though invisible, I know you are with me always. You spirit guide me and I'm grateful. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for forgiving my errors-even before I ever asked. I love you, Dear Mother.

My Father. I'm grateful to my father for his love, discipline, protection, provisions, and for the gift of education. Dad, thank you for sending me to school. Thank you for paying the fees, for buying those books, uniforms, and shoes.

My Teachers-Thank you for teaching me how to read and write!

Friends and Kind Strangers

I'm grateful for the generosity of friends and kind strangers in America. I came to America with nothing. I knew nobody. But kind strangers carried me on their wings. They fed and housed me. I'm deeply grateful for their trust and hospitality which led to my success in this great country. Several dozens of children are getting help in my village because of them. If they hadn't helped me, I wouldn't have been able to reach out to my village. Thank you friends for the gift of your love-a gift that keeps giving!

Michelle McKee

I'm grateful for the gift and wisdom of Michelle McKee. Thank you for creating this avenue for me to share my gratitude with the world. May God give you more visions and prosper your work. Gratitude heals. This is an amazing initiative that can change the world. I'm honored to be a part of it.

Experiences

I'm grateful for disappointments, they lead to better things. When I was denied a visa for Britain, I got one for the U.S. When my used car was stolen, I bought a brand new one.

America

I'm grateful for the privilege of living in America. Thank you America for the freedom, resources, and opportunity to create and make a difference in the world. I love you, America!

Peter Opagrateful at 42

Alan Lemire Places like this take my breath away. The natural world when examined closely, is far superior to anything that man can design or manufacture. Some places like Yosemite, can be overrun with people. Others like the place in this image, are little known  and well protected. Regardless I am grateful for the opportunity to be stopped in my tracks by something magnificent.Grateful at 47

Chele MckeeBig gratitude was born at a new years meditation retreat,   I was invited to look back on the last year and become aware of all that was made available to me...to realize everything that I had begun the year with no idea or awareness of...so many amazing things happened that it surprised me I had not really thought about it that way before.It made me realize that the state of "counting your blessings /expressing gratitude" is a sweet place to live. This  is the reflection of what I am most grateful for ...as anticipated it was a  powerful experience to really get clear and express how fabulous my life is RIGHT NOW..... Proved once again to me that it's really not the big things...fat bank accounts, loads of stuff,  etc...its really about being who you are, having faith that the universe is unfolding as it should  and appreciating the sweet moments in our everyday lives... grateful at 46