I had no idea this was coming when I wrote my blog post on gratitude at midnight.

From Heritage Action for America:

This morning, House leaders announced they would pass a continuing resolution that funds the government but defunds Obamacare this week.

In many ways, today’s announcement represents “a victory…for the GOP’s conservative wing and its tea-party allies.”  (Wall Street Journal)  However, it also represents a victory for the tens of thousands of workers who have seen their hours cut thanks to Obamacare and to the patients searching for new doctors.

It is also a reaffirmation that Americans outside of Washington can have an impact on the legislative process. According to National Review’s Robert Costa, Heritage Action’s nine-city defund Obamacare tour “drew huge crowds and inspired backers across the country to ask their representatives about where they stood.  ‘A lot of members were put in a corner,’ says a House Republican insider.  ‘They were caught by surprise.’”

I want to claim credit, of course. I really do. Not for advocacy or fighting hard. Most people in this fight work a lot harder than I do. For instance, Ben Evans of Heritage Action was actually on that defund Obamacare tour.

I want to claim credit for saying “thank you” for small wins. I want to think that my little appreciation to Ann Wagner for signing the Graves Bill made a difference.

And it did make a difference. Not to House leadership, but to me. My life became a little better because I recognized a small win and focused less on the big loss I expected.

I don’t always follow my own advice. For weeks I’ll religiously write down three things that I’m grateful for every day. Then I stop.

I have no idea why I stop, but I know what happens when I do: the little wins stop, too.

So, please, take a moment to use the tweet button or the facebook button or the linkedin button on this post to thank the House Republican leadership for deciding to fight with us. Thank @HeritageActMo, too. Do it for yourself because expressing gratitude will make you happier and improve your relationships. Even your relationship with Congress.