Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

1. The heat that’s warming our home on this cold morning in Houston.
2. The fact that I get to wake up and do work that I love.
3. That our refrigerator is filled with food prepared healthily by My Fit Foods. Pop in the microwave, and I’m eating.
4. That I’ve dropped 13 pounds in three weeks.
5. That I get to see my kiddos this afternoon.

1. The sound of the dryer fluffing the clothes in the morning.
2. The ability to learn by reading a great book.
3. The freedom to wake up each morning and do the work I love.
4. How great is the Internet, this always on connection to other people and places? I’m so thankful for this great tool.
5. Quiet, early mornings with just me and my thoughts.

1. The taste of coffee first thing in the morning.
2. The sun sending shadows across my office space.
3. Soreness that comes from a tough workout.
4. My new iMac computer. The huge screen makes doing my job so much easier.
5. My wife. She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever known and everyday with her is a gift.

1. An honest, open and loving conversation with my brilliant wife.

2. A great evening with the kids, playing ball and imagining all sorts of great creatures.

3. The beautiful view of the full moon over downtown Houston.

4. A giant salad for dinner, complete with avocado, bright red peppers, tomatoes, black beans and salsa. Amazingly filling.

5. Hearing my wife laugh at her favorite joke. I absolutely love her laugh, the way it fills our home with joy.

1. A fun grocery shopping excursion with my beautiful wife.
2. A quiet evening at home flipping the channels between the NBA playoffs and the Houston Astros.
3. New pair of running shoes.
4. The wisdom of a great book.
5. A fresh salad.

1. Watching my wife sleep. She’s so incredibly precious to me and to see her in such a peaceful, restful state – after working so hard all week – is such a blessing.

2. Playing Army men with my son and spending time with my young daughter as she pretended I was her T-ball coach.

3. Friday mornings. I’ve always loved Fridays. Hence, the name. LOL

4. Completing one big project for our business with the completion of another one just around the corner. Hooray for us.

5. The smell of a freshly printed magazine. I’m a recovering journalist and just can’t the ink out of my veins. I love everything that’s printed. I even sniff the junk stuff that comes in the mail. Yes, I’m strange.

1. A lazy Sunday morning with my Rebecca, coffee, good books and the Internet. What a way to start a week!

2. Spending time with my sister and her husband last evening at their home, playing games, drinking wine and eating pizza.

3. The fog drifting through the trees at 7 a.m. as the sun and blue sky look for an opening to announce their arrival.

4. Kind words from a client on a big project.

5. The magical natural world that continues to excite and amaze me just as it did when I was a child. Rebecca found a garden snake in our backyard yesterday and kept it from our cats before releasing it in a safe place later. Despite their reputation for striking fear in many, snakes are incredibly complex creatures that are so much fun to watch. I’m so thankful that we had a chance to spend time with the little guy. She named him Snowball.

1. Rebecca. My constant companion through life who has opened my eyes to more beauty, love and hope than anyone I’ve ever met. She’s simply the light of my life and I’m more grateful for her everyday.

2. Puffy, pink clouds made so by a brilliantly setting sun.

3. The realization that there are unbelievably valuable lessons to learn even when life has thrown you some curves. It’s seeing the value in the tough times that’s most important.

4. Bongo, my big, orange fluffy cat.

5. The surprising and wonderful candor of a child. I’ve never met anyone more forthright than my three-year-old daughter. No sugar-coating for her.

1. An honest conversation with my loving wife.

2. Contrails streaming through a clear blue sky.

3. Finding $5 in my pants pocket.

4. An afternoon of playing baseball with my 6-year-old son and riding on an imaginary school bus with my 3-year-old daughter.

5. Blooming azaleas.

1. The sight of my lovely wife sleeping in our bed as the morning sun filters through our bedroom windows.

2. Catching up with an old college friend.

3. Clear, blue skies that look even more crisp as winter fades into spring.

4. The inviting look of a wave face as it peels down a cobblestone point. The feeling of flow, of being in tune with nature at a most basic level, is such an incredible rush. An open wave is full of possibilities.

5. My two amazing children are healthy and vibrant.