Habitual Gratitude

It's all about rising above and about love. Rising above who we are to become more of who we are. I wrote these words in yesterday's post. It was one of those times as a writer where my own words surprise me. They just show up and leave me thinking "where did they come from?" On this last day of 2021, many may be reflecting on the past year and resolving to transform themselves in the next. Reflecting and resolving are good practices, when followed with action, persistence, and faith. I tire of "new year, new you" rhetoric though, and the reality is that most people's resolutions fall by the wayside in the first weeks of the new year.  It's not a new me that is needed. It's maybe one new (or returning) habit that helps me feel a little better in some area of my life. I can build from there. That's where the words above came from. No need to seek a new me. I am right here, right now, perfectly present and perfectly me. I love who I am and I lo...

Living gratefully today, I appreciate that I was taught to read at a young age, and that I can enjoy movies in the comfort of my home thanks to streaming services like Netflix. Last night we watched a movie that others had recommended. This morning I finished a book, also recommended by others. Both were worthy of my time. They weren't light fare in terms of struggle and emotional range, but those are the kinds of movies and books I like. It's all about rising above and about love. Rising above who we are to become more of who we are. Love wins.  The book came recommended to me by two students at my school, and a colleague had a copy I borrowed. The book is: It was a quick read, and also quick to touch my heart in many ways. Set in WWII, it is about a sister and brother finding the true meaning of home. And it is about so much more.  The movie is: (imdb.com) It was an emotionally-heavy movie, with a strong performance from Sandra Bullock and a good supporting cast. The plotlin...

Today I am grateful for the moon and stars in the morning sky, bringing me both a sense of awe and a reminder of humility. I also appreciate my sense of touch on this cold morning. Feeling the below-zero temperatures on the small area of my face that was uncovered, but also noticing the reliable warmth of my decades-old parka. I am also grateful for a visit with my friend Betsy. Good to see you!  Consider today's "Word for the Day" from A Network for Grateful Living :   I am thankful for my struggle because without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon my strength. (Alexandra Elle) Most of us probably ponder this and call to mind some of our own struggles and what each has taught us. As adults, we have the perspective and experience that shows us we can get through many difficulties. In retrospect, such times and challenges are seen as transformative and transcendent.  Some of my challenges include active alcoholism in my teens and early twenties, cancer and surgeries in...

Today I am grateful for safe travels, nice walks, fun games, good food, the joy of little children, shared coffee and conversation, and many more gifts that came my way as we spent time with family over the last few days.  My husband Darcy and I treated ourselves to a stay in a newer hotel in the area. I treated myself to the workout room for two mornings. I have been running regularly outdoors, so this presented an opportunity for worry-free terrain and also an opportunity to push my pace. Though a little hard to read, the words on one wall in the workout room read: "Don't wish for it. Work for it."  I ran a varied pace, got my heart rate going and sweat flowing. I listened to music one morning, having forgotten how motivational that can be, though I still prefer to run device-free a vast majority of the time. Running form is also easier to see and feel with mirrors nearby and a controlled environment.  I appreciated my improved form, the fruits of the labor of a few phy...

"This holiday season consider making your (true) presence a present to as many  people as you can. Less wrapped. More rapt."  Lisa Valentine  Quoting myself today. Not something I usually do, but this one fits nicely here. It is from my first-ever paid and published piece. It ran in the Minneapolis Star Tribune in the Opinion Exchange section on December 5, 2010 with the title of "Slow down; you move too fast."  I was thrilled then, and honored now. Reading it again, the message within is just as timely as it was 11 years ago.  I am not one to get too crazy at the holidays. I typically enjoy them and the time off from school. But I am one to just get too busy with life on a regular basis.  Taking my own words to heart, I captured some rapt moments in the last day. I also captured a couple of pictures. This first one is a Trader Joe's bag. We shopped there over a week ago and I put the the bag downstairs for a few days because it had holiday baking supplies...

Take your seat at the table of healing and transformation. Dr. Larry Ward Everyone has a place at this table. Not everyone takes their seat. It can be unappetizing work at times, but nothing nourishes the human spirit as well.  Yesterday was the winter solstice. The darkest day in the  Northern Hemisphere. Darkness is already giving way to more light. Do I feel this in my own life? Where there is darkness, am I shining the light of forgiveness?  The darkness I face isn't nearly as far-reaching as it used to be. There has already been so much healing and transformation over the course of my 56 years of living.   If we are honest though, we each have work to do at this table. Does the holiday season present you with opportunities and time to give to some of this work?  Maybe there is a person you resent, a circumstance that seems unforgiving. Is it weighing you down? Darkening the horizon of this new day?  Consider what you can do.  Most often it is...

I wrote this as I considered my ongoing recovery from alcoholism. The times I have struggled the most in recovery have been brought on by complacency. Recovery is work, but it is also freedom and joy. As in anything, we will hit plateaus and uninspired times. The important thing is to recognize it for what it is and step up or change our routine and practices. I was considering this all as I took an early morning walk the other day, thinking about the lives lost to alcoholism and addiction every day. In my own recovery community, I had just heard of a couple of people who had recently died, directly or indirectly caused by their addictions. Lives of diminished joy and much suffering. Lives cut short.  Complacency doesn't take our lives quickly. It tends to do it subtly and slowly. Addiction is wily that way.  I don't want to die, and I don't want to live half-heartedly. Complacency has had me really stuck and in significant pain in various times throughout my recovery. I di...