Do you need a soul reboot? Do you feel stuck in a rut most days? Do you dread getting out of bed? Have you fallen into a habit of complaining? In Every Day is a Gift, Bridget shares her own journey in overcoming these same obstacles by finding a more grateful attitude.
Need a hand with getting your life on track? Want to explore the possibility of practising gratitude? Get some more gifts in your life, while Bridget A. Thomas, author of ‘Every Day is a Gift’ chat about life, improvement and of course writing. Bridget, I’m eager to get straight to business, so let’s start which what lead you to write this book. Can you share the path to ‘Every Day is a Gift’ with myself and the readers?
On one particular day, I was having a bad morning. Nothing major. Just a lot of little things that went wrong. By the end of the day, I was ready to go home and forget all about the multitude of mishaps. But I felt like God was asking me an important question: “Will you give thanks during the rough times?” I knew I had definitely not given thanks that morning. And I wanted to have a better attitude in both the good times and the bad. So I started a gratitude challenge of sorts. I walked through this on my own at first. Then I ventured out and shared it on social media. And the response was so great that I turned it into this book.
*Laughs* You really made a book from your responses on social media?
Yes! The book is packed with stories from my own journey in finding gratitude.
That’s awesome! And they say nothing productive comes out of social media! Between your journey of gratitude and your interactions with others on social media, I’m sure you had so many things that you learned. Reflecting on it now, what do you feel was the most important thing that you learnt from the time during your work on the book?
There were many days when it felt like I went one step forward and one step back. In all honesty, it was frustrating at times. But in the end, I would do it all over again. I learned so much about myself and my walk with God. I learned to trust God and His timing. And I learned to rely on Him more, instead of trying to do everything in my own strength.
Was this trust in God and focus on your own strength the key ideas that you wanted readers to take from reading ‘Every Day is a Gift’? If not, what can you tell us about the stronger key point?
Daily life can be trying. We go through many ups and downs, every single day. But one important thing that I want everyone to remember, including myself, is that Every Day is a Gift. Even when we have bad days, there were still a ton of things in our day that went right.
Daily life can be trying. So, I’m curious to find out what you like to keep in mind when you’re stuck and the day just seems to be full of downs with few ups in sight?
First and foremost, I write for Jesus. Second, I write for all the people out there, who are just like me. So many of us struggle with day-to-day life. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Life can and should be enjoyed. And so when I write, I try to illustrate ways in which we can break free from our ruts, and start living our lives.
When you’re at your computer writing away and have Jesus and your readers in your mind, do you ever feel overwhelmed by the challenge of producing work that will help and meet your Christian responsibilities? Or does the challenge excite and energise you?
Energize! I love it when a great story or point comes to mind. And it makes me want to keep writing.
I love writers that want to keep writing! Do you feel that you’ve seen an improvement in your own work, in particular, your author voice, as you’ve kept writing?
My voice has gotten stronger as I have continued to write. And this was due to the fact that I gained confidence. And I gained confidence by persevering. So this is something that I want other people to see as well. If you have a dream, don’t give up. Keep pushing forward. The more you work at it, the more confidence you will gain, and the stronger you will become.
And with just the way you’re talking about that confidence and preserving spirit under your belt, I’m sure you’re pushing forward with at least one new writing project. What can you share with us about it?
I am working on another book called The Redeemed Way. In this book, I will explore the grace that Jesus has given to us.
Without reading your new book, it’s hard to be 100% certain, but it does seem like these two books tie together nicely. Have you already considered how you might tie them together through branding yourself as an author, or the concepts themselves?
Prior to publishing the book, I have been active on social media as The Redeemed Way. On these accounts, I like to encourage others to press forward and follow their dreams. This has attracted many people who are seeking to find a little bit of soul nourishment in their daily life.
I love that idea, it’s such a great way to kick off a following! Bridget, it’s been wonderful chatting with you about your book today, and I hope that we’re enticed a new or two to join your tribe today!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘Every Day is a Gift ( ASIN: B07BJCGPF9 )‘.
Want to find out more about Bridget A. Thomas? Connect here!