Habitual Gratitude

Today I am grateful for rest and running attire that keeps me warm in the cold weather. Just a minute. That is all it takes to pause and be grateful. Just a minute is all it takes to go through the 5 fingers on one hand and say 5 things I am grateful for today. Just a minute is all it takes to jot down a couple things I am grateful for in my gratitude journal. If I take another minute, I can remember prayers for others. Just a minute is all it takes to stop and listen to the silence when I need to take a break from the constant noise and chatter my thinking can create. Just a minute is all it takes to tell someone thank you. Just a minute is all it takes to consider the gift today is, to consider the opportunities that await.

Today I am grateful for laughter and for good food prepared and provided by others. I am also grateful for my commute to and from work, the variety of work-related skills I get to use, my MacBook Air laptop, and for this moment. These four things make up a less random 4 x 4 for my post today. After yesterday's 3 x 3, I intentionally noted these four and why I am grateful for each of them. A good exercise in active gratitude practice. 1. My commute to and from work     a. alone time for this introvert     b. the silence I begin each commute with (for about 10 minutes)     c. listening to good music as loud as I want     d. catching some of the daily news headlines 2. The variety of work skills I get to employ     a. no two days are the same at work and that means flexibility     b. listening to others as a skill and as a privilege     c. being able to draw on many years of experience     d. a se...

Today I am grateful for coffee, sweat, and our dog Oliver. Three things to be grateful for and three reasons why for each. 1. Coffee      a. the aroma as I open the can      b. the first sip of the new day      c. enjoying a cup with my husband Darcy over dinner last night 2. Exercise-induced sweat     a. the endorphins that come with it     b. the gratitude it brings for my physical capabilities     c. the satisfaction of effort and work for my health 3. Our dog Oliver     a. the way he stretches before we go for a walk     b. the way he looks into our eyes with his     c. our quiet morning time together Three things yield 9 more reasons to be grateful. Gratitude multiplied. That sounds like a good plan for today. Find reasons to be grateful and multiply them by sharing.

Today I am grateful for my job and the variety of people I get to connect with there. I am also grateful for my favorite running pants and their comfort. This quote from my gratitude journal yesterday seemed a very fitting way to wrap up my look at a few things I take for granted: "It is vital that people 'count their blessings' to appreciate what they possess without having to  undergo its actual loss." (Abraham Maslow) Sadly, too often it takes losing something to appreciate its value. We get caught up in life and the day to day busy times. Next thing you know, weeks have gone by and we have been going through the motions of living, but not really living. If one is not present and mindful in this moment, in this hour, can we truly consider that living? Regular gratitude practice allows the vital counting of blessings. The counting of blessings brings presence and mindfulness. Presence and mindfulness helps me live life fully and embrace the joy currently off...

Today I am grateful for this blog to give focus to my gratitude practice. I am also grateful for physical and emotional sobriety. Physical sobriety is something I tend to take for granted. I haven't had a drink of alcohol in over 25 years. Hangovers and blackouts are distant memories. Cotton mouth and headaches too. Emotional sobriety is a different story for me. I don't take it as much for granted because it is where my daily recovery work focuses. My disease flares up in the mental and emotional realms these days, not so much the physical. That doesn't mean I never have physical cravings for alcohol. I do. Not often. But this weekend one hit me. Some of my family members are social drinkers. I was around alcohol. One relative was talking about his home brew, another about an upcoming "brew tour." Others were sampling some of the "fall flavors" of beer. A craving hit and I had that moment of "it would sure be nice to have a drink and join in....

Today I am grateful for safe travels over the weekend and time with family. I am grateful for my five working senses, all of which I appreciated over the weekend. I love fall and I love to get back to our family farm this time of the year. The sights, sounds, and smells of fall included seeing the harvested fields and those still waiting their turn as well as the different views afforded us now that trees are bare. Smelling the fresh air, the corn in the grain bin, the feed for the sheep and cattle. Hearing the still-standing corn stalks rustling, tractors revving, and the grain dryer running. Hearing the evening quiet. I took advantage of the time to walk and run around our farm and a neighboring pond, enjoying some of that time with family members and some by myself. I love the feeling of stepping out of a warm and full house into the night air to cool off and take in the stars and moon. And then being able to step back in and enjoy the family time. Feeling the hugs given and rec...

Today I am grateful for my sister Danita on her birthday today. I am also grateful for my arms and legs. My arms and legs, all four of my limbs, are in good working order. They are another gift I tend to take for granted on most days. When I pause to think about how much I use them, however, I really become mindful of how important they are. From the moment I get myself out of bed in the morning, to the moment I get myself back into bed that night, they are being utilized. A recent quote in my gratitude journal was this Irish proverb: "Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet."  Amen to that. I think of those who have lost limbs or were born without them. I think about tragic accidents, war wounds, life-changing injuries. And I wrap my arms around myself in thanksgiving. I walk forward into the day with a fuller realization of what it simply means to walk forward. I have never lost a limb, but I have had body parts removed. I had bilateral ma...