Gratitude

Today, I am grateful for:

(1) Leading a good discussion at work today. Brought everyone on the same page.
(2) Having good, stimulating conversations.
(3) Making progress on painting the master bedroom. It feels good to have a project. Also, sleeping on the mattress in the living room is like having an extended sleepover party.

Gratitude Journal

I am trying to write everyday what I am grateful for. Today, I am grateful for:

(1) Today, I had a challenge that will test my wisdom and self-awareness. I am grateful to catch early on some negative seeds being planted regarding my attitude at my new work place. I will not let these negative seeds take root.
(2) The delicious homemade tangerine, blueberry and pomegranate smoothie that I made this evening. Pure antioxidants at work. I think I am going to make a healthy smoothie once or twice a week after we work out.
(3) Learnings I gained at work today that I was excited about.
(4) Moments of stillness that I had while jogging. I could smell jasmine in the air.
(5) Meaningful conversations I had with coworkers.
(6) The fact that I love my work, which is essentially designing.
(7) A kind of a humorous moment. I had a huge blueberry stain on my face from the smoothie I was drinking, and my husband didn't notice because he was too busy watching TV. Someday, I am going to where ketchup on my nose to see if he notices.

Gratitude Journal

Today, I am grateful:

(1) That we are doing such a good job saving money on food. We are cooking up a storm and eating up the leftovers. Today's leftovers: Greek Orzo salad, and homemade red Thai curry (not necessarily together).
(2) For learning a good lesson yesterday. I learned that I can be very harsh towards people who I assume are not curious about the world. I have already been trying not to be judgemental towards ignorant, or stupid people. But I should try to be open-minded on a whole different scale than I have previously; I should be patient and compassionate for sheltered, blindered people who don't want to perceive the view outside their own windows!
(3) For getting kudos for an engineering project of my own volition. In order to portray that an alternative was possible, I thought it best to show people a prototype. So, I spent the morning in the machine shop, snipping, drilling and gluing and came up with a prototype that surprised people with its simplicity and directness. Although the solution that I came up with doesn't work, I hope that it inspires other creative ideas.

Gratitude Journal

I read somewhere that gratitude is the antidote for the complaining mind. And my mind certainly complains. So here are some things I am grateful for:

(1) I am grateful for the wonderful weather. As of this very moment, I am writing outside on my patio, in shorts and a tank top. A glass of dry Reisling is at my side.
(2) I still feel joy when I see my husband's face after only a couple of hours of separation.
(3) I am glad that my body is healthy and strong. There are other women who do not have the time to exercise frequently as I do. I indulged today and spent 2 hours at the gym with an additional 45 minutes of stretching and cooldown.
(4) Did I mention I love the wonderful weather?
(5) I am thankful and grateful at being employed so quickly after being laid off.
(6) I am also grateful that I love the job, although I have only been there one month.

A Big Life

What does a big life entail? I am making a list of 100 things in hopes that they magically happen!

(1) Projects to be passionate about.
(2) To feel empowered and not be reined in creatively (at home and at work).
(3) To live bravely. (Think of the Gryffindors from the Harry Potter series.)
(4) To travel to places I have never been.
(5) To see things from a broad and worldly perspective.
(6) To be able to appreciate a broad range of oeuvres: music, painting, even math (yes math can be appreciated as an oeuvre)
(7) To always maintain my childish joy in life.
(8) To live without worrying about what other people think
(9) Do something that makes you feel a little bit of fear on a daily basis.
(10) To gracefully bear with the pain that life sometimes has to offer. To not live in the shadows due to fear of life's pain.
(11) To live, questioning convention.
(12) To be rebellious.
(13) To separate oneself from the rat race of acquiring more and more materials.
(14) To separate oneself from the "Keeping up with the Joneses" competition.
(15) To see with my own eyes Big Nature: Grand Canyon, Everest, underwater
(16) To not have a "small town" attitude.
(17) To continue to feel great love.
(18) To continue to feel with exuberance.
(19) To be exuberantly generous.
(20) Try interesting food.
(21) Having interesting and fascinating friends and aquaintances.
(22) To live big, but with wisdom and grace.
(23) Having interesting ideas and discussions.
(24) To have high standards for quality.
(25) To live life with a tolerant attitude.

It's funny, but these are things that not all people wish for. A lot of people strive for wealth. Some people (like my husband) strives for a feeling of inner peace. There are yet others who strive for social status. Kind of funny in a way... To be continued...