Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day 13: Practice

1. I am grateful I was able to convince myself to complete this practice tonight, despite wanting to fall into bed.

2. I am grateful our roommate's dinner party spontaneously disbanded shortly after 11:00 pm.

3. I am grateful for the perfect bites of food I had tonight: grilled salmon with chard, butternut squash and rice with burre blanc; lemon tart with cherry compote and basil.

4. I am grateful to be on track to finish my marketing homework on time.

5. I am grateful that Krys' flights were smooth, and that she will celebrate her birthday surrounded by family.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Day 12: Reminder

1. I am grateful to have seen the movie I AM this evening.

2. I am grateful for the reminder that small choices can effect change in the world, and for the idea that nothing in nature takes more than it needs.

3. I am grateful to have a stranger recognize that I have a glow about me, especially on a day where I am struggling to see it myself.

4. I am grateful for a chance to offer a glass of water to people who needed it, and to have a nice conversation with them.

5. I am grateful for the quiet in my house tonight.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Day 11: Link after link

1. I am grateful that I finished my marketing project on time today.

2. I am grateful that I had leftovers to eat for lunch.

3. I am grateful for the incredibly long shower I took this afternoon.

4. I am grateful for the time to follow the rabbit hole that is the internet (especially Twitter!). I learn fascinating things by following link after link after link.

5. I am grateful that I have only one more Finance class left this semester.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Day 10: (mostly)

1. I am grateful for this for gorgeous video, and for Chookooloonks for posting it.

2. I am grateful that I (mostly) followed the finance review this morning.

3. I am grateful that the heat in our house is still on during this last burst of cold weather.

4. I am grateful for the fantastic lunch I made this afternoon: homemade huevos rancheros with Anna's homemade salsa, sauteed kale with onions and brown butter turnips. :)

5. I am grateful for the opportunity to remain involved with the SHRM Student Chapter Board next semester.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Day 9: Respect

1. I am grateful to be part of a few teams whose members value and respect my opinions.

2. I am grateful to have an upcoming job interview!

3. I am grateful for the fresh vegetables I picked up from LPO today.

4. I am grateful to have made a (small) dent in my marketing homework today.

5. I am grateful for the chance to go to bed early tonight.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Day 8: Luxury

1. I am grateful to have caught the error in our Finance project calculations fairly easily.

2. I am grateful for the luxury of time, and the way it is allowing me to listen to what my body needs.

3. I am grateful for spontaneous dinner invitations (especially when the food is wonderful and the hostess is flexible enough to let me help).

4. I am grateful that my aunt Di's surgery went smoothly, and that her eyesight will be better soon.

5. I am grateful for the sweet photo of my niece sent to my cell phone today-- it made my day brighter!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Day 7: Renewal

This has been a lovely Easter. I am beginning to appreciate the concepts of resurrection and spiritual reawakening as they may apply to my life. I am also appreciating the tremendous support system built into my life in Albuquerque. I miss my family deeply, but am incredibly thankful for my friends and those who care for me here.

1. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this morningms sunrise service with such incredible women.

2. I am grateful for the chance to spend some easy, stress-free time with my extended family today.

3. I am grateful for the moment of pure joy in singing with the contemporary service this afternoon.

4. I am grateful for the subtle reminder (provided by Twitter) that I enjoy sitting meditation, and might consider trying it again.

5. I am grateful for the love and passion my sister Krys pours into her art. I feel blessed to know people who are incredibly talented.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Day 6: Coziness

1. I am grateful that our finance project is finished-- with a whole 4 days to spare!

2. I am grateful that I didn't feel sad or overwhelmed at all today.

3. I am grateful that my Grandmother sweetly sent me the details for dinner tomorrow.

4. I am grateful for good hair days, vain though that may be.

5. I am grateful for the coziness of my bed.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Day 5: Checking In

1. I am grateful for the singing birds outside my window this morning, and the cheerful way they woke me today.

2. I am grateful that my sister is coming to church on Sunday, and hope that she will particularly resonate with our service.

3. I am grateful for chamomile tea, sipped from a huge mug in the company of good friends.

4. I am grateful for my mom's text this morning, just checking in.

5. I am grateful to have discovered that Blogger lets me post from my phone, so I can write this from the comfort of my bed.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Day 4: Wholly normal

1. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear Rev. Peter Morales speak this evening.

2. I am grateful for a stark reminder that I cannot imagine what life is like for people who struggle every day to make their families' lives better, all without the documents and papers to support their right to be in this country.

3. I am grateful to have gotten my paper done this evening, with sufficient time to shower, eat and beat the deadline by an hour.

4. I am grateful for the sound of the water in the fountain in our back yard.

5. I am grateful for my mom-- she has been walking me through some things and making me feel wholly normal, although I imagine some parts of what I am going through might be uncomfortable for her.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Day 3: Courage

1. I am grateful for the support and courage to move forward in a direction that is both hopeful and a little scary.

2. I am grateful for the smell of freshly laundered clothes.

3. I am grateful to know my brother and Dad are developing a closer relationship.

4. I am grateful to live in a place where spring actually feels like spring.

5. I am grateful for the ability of music to speak directly to my core, and to cut through all the extraneous noise.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Day 2: Practice

I went to a luncheon today that was all about the stress-reducing power of mindfulness meditation. The statistics quoted were saddening: most people have 65,000 -- 70,000 thoughts every day. Of those, 90% are the same thoughts we had yesterday. Also of those, 95% do absolutely no good for anybody. :/ On the other hand, most people spend 19 minutes and 20 seconds daily fully present in their lives. The rest of the time is spent thinking about the experiences of our lives.

This gratitude practice is another thought, I suppose-- it is consciously taking time to think back on the past of my day. But I choose these thoughts over mindless wandering, and therefore I find it a beneficial practice.

1) I am grateful for my friend Cyanne, who sent me a thoughtful Yogi Tea gift this morning! It made my day.

2) I am grateful that the HRMA Board included me in their volunteer thank-you at today's meeting.

3) I am grateful for the moment of reassurance wherein an Anderson person reminded me that our relationship is outside of the general nonsense of others.

4) I am grateful for incredible people like Vanessa, who reach out with support to help me through this time.

5) I am grateful for awesome vegan mochi from Trader Joe's. Mango = happiness!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Day 1: Inspired

I appreciate that inspiration comes from so many lovely people and places in this life. Tiny Buddha is one of my go-to sites for uplifting and contagious thoughts; please take a moment and look at her site. Recently, I was blessed by this guest post: How to Start a Gratitude Practice to Change Your Life.

I'm going through a hard time right now. Nothing has *happened* per say, but I think I could benefit from this type of gratitude practice and focus on thankfulness. And so, here I am. I welcome your thoughts and comments-- maybe you'll share some of your gratitude with me, too?

1. I am grateful for the beautiful spring weather today-- it is breezy and warm, and the shining sun is fabulous.

2. I am grateful for an opportunity to *not* drive my car for a full 36 hours. Today I caught a ride to school with my roommate and walked home. I don't need to leave my house until mid-morning tomorrow.

3. I am grateful for red curry with tofu and extra zucchini, over brown rice.

4. I am grateful for incredible co-workers who are continually reaching out to make sure I have what I need.

5. I am grateful for the strength of my body-- it has carried me so far, and is growing stronger every day.