Thankful Thursdays

A friend asked me recently if I ever feel pressure to keep up my weekly Thankful Thursdays posts. My answer to her was, yes, sometimes I do. Especially when I’m on on one of those “road less traveled” trips, and I’m scrambling for signal. That’s when I panic a little, since I don’t want to mess up my current streak of 695 consecutive Thankful Thursdays posts. But that’s the only time. Because, as I said to my friend, “There’s always something to be thankful for, isn’t there?” So, I don’t sweat it. I’ll always have material to post about. Even if it’s small.

Case in point: I came across the image below, and those words – “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? It is kind?” – really hit home for me. I thought, “wow, that’s a solid checkpoint for my mouth before it starts running off with no filter.”

That millisecond pause may sound simple, but it’s not. It’s not always easy to hold the tongue, especially when we’re upset or emotional. First instinct is often to just blurt things out. But I’ve learned that not everything that’s true needs to be said, and sometimes our words, even if they’re true, could be a little nicer.

That short moment of pause has become a game-changer for me. It’s not about being perfect or keeping everything in, but just being more aware of how my words might land. Words have so much power, and when I give myself that tiny moment to check in, I feel like I speak with more intention and less regret.

I’m super grateful for the tiny moments of pause before I speak. I know they’ve spared me more times than I can remember. But…it’s a work in progress for sure, trust me.

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.