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My 30 Days of Gratitude

I see tonight that 2 of my Florida sisters have started the challenge of posting things they are grateful for in their lives for 30 straight days. I thought I would join them!

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Day 1:

I am, and will be, forever grateful for the absolutely perfect man I am blessed to call my husband. He brought technicolor to a sepia world for me. He gives to me all that I need to be fully nourished in all ways, and is a daily reminder that the 42 years of waiting for him was worth every moment.

Day 2:

I am grateful for the kindness of strangers. EVERYone, whether friend, family or neighbor, started out as a stranger. Only through kindness can we cultivate the bonds that tie us all together through good times, and bad, and provide the emotional support we all need. Without kindness, everyone would remain strangers.

Day 3:

I am grateful for the compassion and tenderness having a pet elicits. My pets have been many, in many shape, size and temperament. But every one of them have found a way to bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. Animals are nature's way to let us know that we are never, truly, alone. And, whether or not we choose to accept or believe, there is always something willing to love us unconditionally.

Day 4:

I am grateful for my intuition. I struggle on the fence between left and right brain, and desperately play a tug of war with myself at times. When asked, "Science or Spirit? " I answer, "Yes." However, there are more times than not when I am forced, by my natural instinct, to stop what I am doing and allow my direction, decision, deduction, etc., be guided by an unseen and undefinable knowledge. In retrospect, this has always been the wisest of options.

Day 5:

I am grateful for the freedoms I take for granted every day. The freedom to not fear repercussions for being female in a man's world, the freedom to drive my car to work and earn a fair wage, the freedom to speak my mind, the freedom to explore my spirituality, the freedom to not fear exploitation or prejudice because of my heritage. The freedom to disagree peaceably and grow intellectually through friendly dialectic with those of opposing opinions. The freedom to be who I want to be.

Day 6:

I am grateful for my family. My family is diverse and spread all across the country, and Mom and Dad have been gone for 34 and 23 years, respectively. Miles and time are irrelevant within the family framework; proximity is determined by the support and reinforcement which is immediate and felt subjectively. We carry our family in our hearts at all times, so they are never far away.

Day 7:

Football. Yep, you read that right, I am grateful for football. Football enables my husband and I to plan and prepare for our annual fantasy draft, during which we both curse at each other (in jest of course), then congratulate each other when it is done, say "Good luck this season," all the while secretly wishing for a victorious outcome on our head-to-head matchups. Football allows us to plot, scheme and try to outsmart the other each Sunday morning in bed, watching the pre-game shows while making last minutes changes to our fantasy lineups. One of us ALWAYS benches the wrong guy; every week it seems. Football also provides me with the excuse, after a hectic Monday at work, to don the PJs a bit early and watch the game from bed with the laptop while watching the last of the weeks fantasy scores accumulate. THIS week, I happen to have won my 7th game in a row, giving me sole possession of first place in our league. So, I guess I can say I am grateful, too, for bragging rights!

Day 8:

I am grateful for laughter. Although I have never been one to laugh easily, I truly appreciate the release of internal goodness that is spread throughout one's soul when a "good old guffaw" is had. My gratitude today is accompanied by the personal challenge to find more ways to make laughter easier, and to find and generate more laughter, more often.
Day 9:

I am, and will forever be, grateful for music. It has, quite literally, saved my life on more than one occassion. Music is the one true medium in which there is no language barrier. No emotional barrier. No prejudice. No amnesia. THAT song, you know which one(s) I mean, will ALWAYS take you back to that where, that when, that who. Music provides listeners a voyeuristic glimpse into the soul of the writer and shares without pause, the message for it to be imprinted on the heart of the listener. There is always a parallel to be found for someone in any song, a particular resonance that makes a small part of the piece THEIRS to possess as long as needed. For me, music is a passion that will never fail to make me laugh, cry, reminisce, hope.

Day 10:

I am extremely grateful for the travel I have been able to partake in so far. I was blessed to be born with a heart and mind intrigued by wanderlust and placed comfortably into the soul of a nomad. There is nothing even close to the experience of stepping in the footprints of your ancestors, walking thorugh a battlefield where centuries ago your existence could so easily have been amputated by the slaughter of a grandparent. Walking through a busy market place and getting absorbed into the sights, smells, sounds and - sometimes - very strange local mores, customs, food and decor. Trying a taste of the local fare has always been a requisite for my stay in any new country, and boy am I thankful. I guess it is safe to say I am grateful for hard cider as a result! Oh, of course, there is ALWAYS a castle to find and explore!


Day 11:

Today I am grateful for sacrifice. Everyone , at least once, faces a crossroads and must decide which direction to travel. Sometimes the right choice is NOT the easy choice. These are the moments that chisel the quality of the person. Facing a difficult decision and choosing for the greater good is always, in some small way, a sacrifice to some. Understanding this and breaching these crossroads define our strengths, our weaknesses, our humilty and our pride; and sculpt the memory of the person who will be remembered after we are long gone. Today, Veteran's Day, I especially am grateful to those who have sacrificed all to keep our shores fortified, our homes secure and our citizens safe.


Day 12:

Education. I am very grateful for the education I've been blessed to attain. There is no way to know, when attending the very first class, the degree of challenge, anxiety, fear, growth, maturity, accomplishment and pride that awaits you at the completion of the journey. Not all classwork leads to a diploma, and some education never ends. But the real learning comes, not from the textbooks and tests, but from the personal enrichment and lessons learned along the way.


Day 13:

I am grateful for my home. I have lived in many different houses, varying from spartan to lavish. I've learned that having it filled with all the "stuff" you can ask for, does not make the house your home. A home is a house that is infused with an element of trust, comfort, security, personality and expression. At the end of a long journey, or even a long day at work, a house is the place you go to spend the night, a home is the place you WANT to go to spend as much time as you like.


Day 14:

Meditation. I am grateful for the ability to meditate and the earthly connection it gives me while simultaneously lifting my spirit. It is a difficult sensation to explain to someone who has never experienced a good meditation, but believe me, it is well worth trying at least once! Admittedly, I've neglected myself in regard to setting aside time to meditate, always procrastinating it and promising myself to get to it on the weekend. If you are too busy to meditate, then you NEED to do it. This day of gratitude will pull double duty as my affirmation to get back into a routine of relaxing, meditating and going to my safe and happy place. It is a rejeuvenation that is much needed. It is good for the soul.



Day 15:

I am grateful for my health. One of the things that is probably taken for granted more than anything else, is good health. All of the other things listed in this note so far would be difficult at best, if not impossible, without a healthy heart, mind, spirit and body. Taking the time to recognize and reinforce it, will benefit you greatly in the long run.

Day 16:

I am grateful for the Internet. The technological advancements made in the past 20 years far surpass anything one could have once imagined. The Internet has made the world a small place, and the diversity of things that it facilitates boggles the mind. I was able to complete my Masters degree online. I have reconnected with friends who I had lost contact with for 10-20 years. I am able to know the news, virtually as it happens, usually with photos to go along with the story. So far, there has not been a song from my chldhood that I've not been able to find on YouTube. This is a topic I could rant on about endlessly, but I don't think I stand alone in this gratitude. When was the last time you went to a restaurant that you had not already seen and perused the menu for online? :)



Day 17:

I am grateful for my level of empathy. This one is definitely a double-edged sword. By accepting the fact that one is more empathic that what seems to be the norm, there must, too, be an acceptance of the responsibility that accompanies this gift. Yes, I consider it a gift. There have been times, especially in my law enforcement career, that I would have rather been able to "switch it off" but, more often than not, I find that when I really open up, there is much happiness to be found. One of the best and worst things about emotion is its level of contagion. Learning to deflect the bad, divert the sad and redistribute the happy has been my goal in this regard.


Day 18:

I am very grateful for stories. Not just a good read, although I AM a sucker for a good book. I am always partway through some book or another. But stories are found in so many places. Of course in books, but also in music. A good songwriter can take you on a journey in three and a half to four minutes. Listen to Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" if you doubt this. OK, so sometimes the song is a bit longer than four minutes. :) Stories are also found on peoples faces. Have you ever gone to a public shopping area and just watched the people walking by to try and determine their story? There can be found stories in evidence, as any fan of CSI can attest. A good story takes us away from our reality, for a small glimpse of what things look like through the eyes of another.






Day 19:

I am grateful for trees. Everyone is drawn to some part of nature, the ocean, mountains, desert, etc. Me? Any place that has a tree in it makes me happy. It is rather odd that I lived in SW Florida for over 2 decades, then relocated to the desert of Las Vegas. Not too many trees in either place. However, that makes vacations and trips to tree-filled places all that more special. For me, the tree is the perfect symbol of symmetry, strength and balance between above and below. The roots that anchor is firmly in the ground are attached to the limbs that reach to the sky and are flexible in the wind. Strength and flexibility; works for me! :)




Day 20:

Today I am grateful for rainbows. A rainbow is so much more than a mythical GPS pinpoint of a pot of riches. The beauty of a rainbow is an indication that the storm is over, the clouds are moving elsewhere and the sun is once again returning. I choose to keep my focus on the outcome when circumstances are less than ideal. No matter how difficult or severe the storm may be, I do my best to remind myself that there is a break in the darkness pending and a splash of beauty waiting just ahead.


Day 21:

I am grateful for nice people. I don't mean friends who are pleasant or smiling, I mean people who are truly good souls that often act selflessly and tend to exude the feeling of "goodness." I was in line at the store tonight and the elderly gentlesman behind me put his groceries in the belt. 2 bags of Hershey's Kisses and 2 bag of Hershey's Miniatures. I turned and told him that was my kind of dinner. We started talking and he told me that he and his wife were making chocolate molded turkeys (using molds his wife bought out of a magazine) to give to all the Taco Bell employees. They both make treats for the employees every holiday. THAT kind of nice people are what I am grateful for.

Day 22:

Milton Berle said, "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." I am grateful for the opportunities that are available to every one of us in this country. The opportunity to work, the opportunity to love who we wish, the opportunity to create the future we desire and manifest our passions. There are no chains but those self-created anchors weighing any of us down. We choose. Period. We choose everything. Every reaction, every response, every mood, every emotion. Everyday offers new opportunities to impart happiness, improve an attitude and plan for tomorrow.




Day 23:

I am grateful for surprises. Getting accustomed to habitual routines certainly has a place, but having things "stirred up" unexpectedly every now and then makes for opportunities to let go of the familiar and embrace the adventure. For my last birthday, my husband took me to Nashville, Tennessee and bestowed upon me a day FULL of surprises. I had to let go (those who know me know this is not an easy task) and go with the flow. Being a control freak, surprises are a way to keep me reminded of how good it feels to just have fun in an unstructured moment!


Day 24:

I am grateful for the holiday season. Although each and every day is sacred, it is too easy to get caught up in the hustle of life and forget - or take for granted - the people and luxuries that make our days so easy. The holidays require us to take the time out of our hectic schedules and pay homage to those who deserve our thanks for everything they do for us throughout the year.


Day 25:

I am grateful for the ability to pursue my hobbies. I have always been a Jack of all trades and master of none, so my hobbies over the years have varied greatly. I currently love to pass time dabbling in photography - capturing images as well as the post production, homeopathic cures and essential oils. It is a wonderful way to expand myself and - I trust - establish a residual income when I am able to retire!


Day 26:

I am grateful for romance. When I was a teenaged girl I fell victim - as did millions of other girls - to the Harlequin Romance novels. I just knew that the right man would truly embody the romantic prince, the knight in shining armor arriving just in time to save the damsel in distress. I dreamed of the day my romance would begin. I had no idea it would take over 42 years for him to arrive, but when he did I knew it immediately. Ever since I have been blessed to be showered daily with adulation, kindness, affection and a romance so powerful that no novel could have ever prepared me adequately. It was worth the wait.


 Day 27:

I am grateful for happiness. I believe that happiness is a choice. Arguably, some days it is more difficult to find the silver lining, but there is ALWAYS an upside. Choosing to be miserable or not is nothing more than a personal preference. If you CHOOSE to be unhappy, you will be. Each day I make the conscious effort to pause between any cause and the effect I take from it. That pause allows me to do more than react to the stimulus, it allows me to respond in the manner of my choosing. I choose to be positive. I choose to be happy.


Day 28:

I am grateful for confidence. Admittedly, this is not my long suit, however I have witnessed the power that is harnessed by the ability to believe in oneself. Each and every time one can exhibit sincere self confidence, manifesting desires is made child's play. Nothing but soul erosion can result from serious self deprecation. Kicking yourself in the backside after making a dumb move is acceptable, but then get over it and move forward. Develop amnesia. Remember and believe: I got this!


Day 29:

I am grateful for my ability to manifest. It is anyone's personal power to create their own destiny, shape their future and secure their happiness. The life and circumstances you have today are the result of the energy you sent out into the Universe over prior yesterdays. It is easy to be negative, cynical, pessimistic, even. It is even harder to change your perceptual patterns. But once you do, the embrace of the grace and well being you are rewarded with is worth every effort and more. Eyeore still makes me smile, but Tigger makes me happy!


Day 30:

Today is the last day of my 30 days of gratitude challenge. Looking back at the past 29 gratitudes, it is obvious what the final day of thanks should honor. It is the glue that holds everything together, the power that binds all things and makes everything herein possible. Today I am grateful for magick. A famous man once defined magick as, "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity of the Will." Believing this, one can manifest anything, lay all obstacles to waste and empower all that is desired to be. Some confuse magick with miracles. It is my belief that miracles are random acts of purity that contain magical elements, but happen at the whim of fate. Magick is controlled and at our fingertips. Any place, any how, any when. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Namaste.

Composed November 1-30, 2011.

My Digital Vision Board

I've been reading the book titled "The Passion Test" (by Janet Bray Attwood & Chris Attwood) and it has inspired me to revisit the idea of having a vision board. Since I do not subscribe to any magazines, and did not feel it would be right to borrow some from the library and shred half the pages therein, I decided to make a digital vision board.

So I went surfing via Google Images for photos or prints that captured my vision board topics. I saved them all into one folder on my computer the used a photo program to compile all of them into a collage and then add a frame for aesthetic purposes.

I am considering adding text to the images to give it a bit more personalization and "pop."