In an effort to inject some positivity into my daily mindset and the online world I have created a Daily Gratitude Challenge and I am inviting everyone to participate. If you have missed my introductory post that explains the challenge and maps out the daily post schedule, visit here.

Day 26 of the Daily Gratitude Challenge is all about movies. Which movies have inspired you throughout your life?

Movies I Am Grateful For

I’m an enormous movie enthusiast – The Bloke and I watch multiple films every week – and I’ve been lucky to have seen some incredible performances in films that have made me laugh laugh out loud, sob uncontrollably and cheer for the hero. Here are some of the movies that I am grateful to have watched:

Forrest Gump. Beautifully done – the acting is superb, it’s a rollercoaster of emotions and leaves you both bawling and inspired that, no matter what happens, everything will turn out okay in the end. I can only watch it a few times a year as I find it so mentally exhausting, and I feel just as blown away as I did when I saw it for the first time at the cinema.

Shawshank Redemption. I didn’t see this at the cinema – the first time I watched it was on DVD years after its release, and each time I watched it I saw new things that I had missed before. The film is so clever on so many levels.

Beaches. I distinctly remember that this was the first film that made me cry, and I remember that I watched it for the first time on the small TV in my parents bedroom. After the film I decided to do the same letter writing that C.C and Whitney did, and I still have all of the letters that my oldest friend sent me when she went to university.

Rocky. I love a good underdog story, and I’m just as inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s personal story as I am by the protagonist – he wrote the initial script in 3 days with just $106 in the bank, no car and he had sold his dog to pay the bills (which he bought back and who starred in the film with him). It’s a wonderful film that leaves me cheering at the end regardless of how many times I watch it.

Before Sunrise. I remember watching it on TV at about 3.00am after I had got home from working in a nightclub, and was completely mesmerised by the characters and dialogue.

Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back. Would you believe that I didn’t watch any of the Star Wars films until I was 19, when I borrowed the VHS tapes from a friend at work. Honestly, the first time I watched the trilogy I didn’t understand both the plot and the hype, but over the years the original trilogy has become a regular watch, especially on weekends. I once read that there isn’t a single victory in Empire, and I think that this is its biggest appeal – we’re so invested in the characters that it sets up Return of the Jedi perfectly.

500 Days of Summer. This was so cleverly done – it is witty, fun and unusual in the way that it jumps back and forth so that the story isn’t told in the expected chronological order. It might not have the ending that I wanted the first time I watched it, but as I have re-watched it over the years I have been able to understand the meaning behind why it was done this way.

Wonder Woman. Powerful female lead, female director, lots of ass-kicking. Brilliant.

Disney’s Hercules. Unpopular opinion – this is my favourite Disney film. It makes me happy.

Additionally, while it isn’t an entire film,  would like to give a mention to the opening ten minutes of Pixar’s ‘Up.’ After watching that I made it through the rest of the film, managed to make it home from the cinema and then SOBBED for about 20 minutes in the bathroom, to the point where The Bloke was genuinely concerned. It is one of the most beautiful sequences I’ve ever seen. I’m even welling up just thinking about it.

What about you guys? What are your favourite films that you are grateful to have watched?

For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 1: It’s the Little Things task, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 2: It’s All About You task, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 3: Moments and Memories, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 4: The Greatest Advice I’ve Ever Received, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 5: Who Are You Most Grateful For, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 6: Challenges You Have Overcome, visit here.
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 7: Travel Experiences, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 8: Favourite Books, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 9: The Future, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 10: Traditions and Events, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 11: Here and Now, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 12: Greatest Gifts, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 13: Luxuries, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 14: Songs and Music, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 15: Work
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 16: Hobbies and Interests, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 17: What Makes You Smile, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 18: Food, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 19: Home Sweet Home, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 20: Risks, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 21: Affirmations, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 22: Lessons Learned, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 23: Feeling Safe, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 24: Acts of Kindness, visit here
For the Daily Gratitude Challenge Day 25: Showing Gratitude, visit here

Want to participate in the Daily Gratitude Challenge?

There are lots of ways in which you can participate in the Daily Gratitude Challenge:

• Write a blog post about the advice that you are most grateful for and share it in the comment section below.
• Share your posts in my daily link-ups on my Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #DailyGratitudeChallenge.
• Share your images for the topic of the day on Instagram, tag my Instagram account (@suzie81speaks) and use the hashtag #DailyGratitudeChallenge and I will share as many as I can on my Instagram stories.
• Join my Pinterest Group Board and share your Daily Gratitude posts.

Are we connected on social media?

Follow me on Twitter here.

Follow my Facebook page here.

Follow me on Instagram here.

Follow me on Pinterest here.