#7
The number seven is a popular number. Besides being worn by many great athletes like Elway, there are many positive associations with the number. I may be one of few but I actually consider the “7 Year Itch” theory a positive thing. Seven Layer Dip is also positive. And who doesn’t like belting out Take Me Out the Ball Game during the 7th Inning Stretch?
Per Google - regarding the topic of the number seven it says, “It has had significance in almost every major religion.
In the Old Testament the world was created in six days and God rested on the seventh, creating the basis of the seven-day-week we use to this day. In the New Testament the number seven symbolizes the unity of the four corners of the Earth with the Holy Trinity”
Psychology today also comments on the religious meaning by saying, “Completeness and perfection can only be achieved by the number seven” (both physical as well as spiritual). A large part of its significance comes from its direct connection to the genesis of all things by God. Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism all place significance on the number 7.”
Britannica really goes into depth in their summary about the number seven. Also naming the sum of spiritual (3) and material (4). But it adds information about the #7 being lucky, there are 7 days a week, in China some believe there are 7 stages of a female’s life, there are 7 candles on a menorah, there are 7 recognized planets, and there are 7 distinct musical notes in the musical scale.
On March 3, 2022, my blog turns seven years old and in my seven years of writing about thoughtfulness, I have “grown up” more than I imagined. Although, I am over 50 years old so growing up may be a total coincidence. But I like to think that my blog started off as one thing and has transformed into another. I started writing the blog to give examples for others to follow my ideas regarding small gifts to show thoughtfulness. What I have learned in my years of writing about thoughtfulness is that occasions to be thoughtful are abundant. I really like to emphasize how many different ways we can show our thoughtfulness.
I am proud that by 3/3/23, I will have written a minimum of 365 posts - one for every day of the year. Here are summaries of what I have learned and collected along the way of seven years:
I love sharing new gift ideas - especially if the cost is minimal. We don’t have to spend a lot of money to let someone know we are thinking of them. Tiny gestures can reap huge benefits. As I receive thoughtful pinches or give them out, I like to post them on social media. My hope is that by posting them, it will inspire others to see how much joy I experience in both receiving and giving. Sometimes a post could be enough to influence others to be thoughtful.
One of my favorite websites is NationalDayCalendar.com because the information on the site helps me to discover so many occasions in which we can show our thoughtfulness. Connection happens when we find a national day that others can relate to and thoughtfulness happens when a national day gives us a reason to reach out to someone. In my book, national days are win-wins! I am honored to be an ambassador for Nationdaycalendar.com and I hope that I can soon get back to posting more about the many cool, fun and relatable national days.
Thank you cards. Well, I didn’t plan to talk so much about gratitude, but it does go hand in hand with thoughtfulness. I don’t think I really knew that before writing the blog. The further I dove into gratitude, the more I realized that thoughtfulness and gratitude are so intertwined. When we show gratitude, we are showing thoughtfulness whether we mean to or not.
“Mind Shift Monday.” I am not sure what year of Thoughtful Pinch it was but I started sharing posts on social media about my mind shifts. The reason I decided to post these thoughts was to see if anyone else connected. I have loved hearing from those who let me know that they relate to these posts. My experiment with sharing this vulnerable side and private thoughts have proven that the more open I am to different perspectives, the more I grow. I feel like I am more adaptable and receptive to change ever since I started my version of Mind Shift Mondays.
“Say It Again Saturday “ was a social media segment that I created because during Covid I started to notice that many of the items I used or that were around our house were pinches from people I care about. Since I had already written thank you cards for my gifts, it may seem redundant to say thank you again. However, I have found that if I am using the gift that someone gave me, it’s nice to let them know that I’m thinking of them at that moment. Sure, I could easily text the person who gave the gift and tell them again that I am grateful for them and the gift. That is an appropriate gesture. But imagine that person discovering along with everyone else that a gift they gave us years ago is still a part of our lives. Think of the impact we could make if we shared their gift on social media while saying thank you again.
I have discovered that whenever I share my introspection or my feelings about my personal situations, others have reached out to share that they felt a connection. Friends and family tell me that they relate to the topic or the feelings I shared. This always makes me feel seen and heard and that validation has kept me going for these seven years. Not to mention it makes me feel better for staying up til the early morning hours to write the post.
It has been my experience that the more I acknowledge blessings and silver linings, the stronger my religious faith becomes. In large part, my faith grows stronger because more blessings and silver linings have come my way. I feel there is a direct correlation between the two. Whether we believe in God, Jesus or a higher power, the thought that someone is on our side and wants us to be the best version of ourselves is comforting. Pointing out these thoughtful pinches from above may sound hokey or very religious but skipping them would be missing a part of thoughtfulness that some need or want to hear.
Because of Thoughtful Pinch’s growth, three major accomplishments were born. For one, I have an app that when it first launched 2.5 years ago, was downloaded by at least 200+ users. Sure it’s been on hold for a couple of years but then again, what hasn’t been on hold for a couple of years? (Thanks Covid). Hang tight, the Thoughtful Pinch app will soon roll out again - new and improved. The second accomplishment is the Thoughtful Pinch Alexa Skill. It’s pretty cool to ask Alexa what the pinch of the day is. Having this skill makes me feel like a rock star. And last but not least, a prize possession that will hopefully never go away is Thoughtful Pinch’s own national day - National Thoughtful Day on August 28th every year. You’ve heard it here first - be ready because this year we are going to have a great celebration for National Thoughtful Day.
I think I read somewhere that Phil Jackson, who has won the most NBA championships as a player and coach combined with 13 championships, does not mind going thru a life change every 7 years. Like I said above, I don’t think that is a bad idea at all. In fact, I think it’s good for one’s soul. So as I enter my 7th year of writing about thoughtfulness in my blog, I hope that along with inspiring, provoking, supporting, questioning, demonstrating, sharing, and connecting, that the blog will keep evolving and maybe transform again into something new.
Pinches,
Barb
