365 Days of Gratitude: switching gears

I know, I was having second thoughts, and then promptly stopped updating, ha! I decided that laying in bed at night, dawdling on my phone, trying to sound like a blog post until I either finished or fell asleep, was not a good use of my time. So I switched over to what I’m calling a “3 minute journal.” Right now I spend one minute writing down: 1) what I’m grateful for, 2) what to affirm, and 3) what to improve. The point of affirmation is to examine my intentions and reaffirm positive ones. I’ve been with this format for the last few days, and I think I’ll change the affirmation to something more goal/task oriented.

my setup for the past few days, you can see here that under things to improve I need to finish tasks that I start that day and not watch so much YouTube

While I value introspection regarding one’s own intentions, I think that I’ll benefit more from setting down a few things to tackle for the next day. I already journal by keeping a “have done” list daily. It’s something I’ve done for years. I find that it motivates me to get more things done so I can add them to my list of accomplished tasks. I prefer it to a “to do” list that can sometimes feel daunting and insurmountable and cause procrastination for me. That said, I suspect jotting down one or two things for the next day can help orient each day.

 

So that’s where I’m at, onward then!

365 Days of Gratitude: Day 12, having second thoughts.

One thing I struggle with writing here in general, but that has now been highlighted for me as I’m writing everyday, is staying in the tone of as if I’m speaking out loud. I don’t talk much, and it does not come naturally.

That discomfort creates a barrier to the exercise of finding some little thing to have gratitude for everyday. It makes it less likely I’ll succeed. A part of me thinks I have made a mistake in selecting a vehicle for the exercise. If the “out loud” part feels forced and inauthentic, then it’s the wrong fit for the objective? Wouldn’t ‘365 days of gratitude’ be better practiced in meditation or private journaling?

I don’t have an answer, but I don’t have to have one. Today my cat pooped in his carrier on the way home from New York. I spent the morning washing him and his carrier. But I’m grateful he has never done this before in his 14 1/2 years. It’s all about perspective!

And he bleps

365 Days of Gratitude: Day 11, NY state of mind.

We did get vegan dim sum today!Besides food, I’m also grateful for our pied-á-terre in the city. It’s so nice to have a little foothold of our own and be able to visit any time without dealing with hotel hassle.I also was expressing to the boy how people essentially go on vacation for a view. Whether you’re traveling to a metropolitan city or a nature reserve, people go to spend their time, for the scenery. Everytime we come back to our apartment in NY, and I wake up to our views, I can’t help but feel like I’m on vacation. I’m also cognizant of the fact that many people do travel from afar to walk these very streets and look out on the Hudson.

The water looks like a wet parking lot right now lol

We’re back to homebase first thing tomorrow morning, ready to hit the work week before it’s off to Anguilla!

365 Days of Gratitude: Day 9, the things you find.

You guys, today I’m grateful for friends and Mini and the little thoughtfulness that will remain with me forever. While I was in LA, my dear friend surprised me with a little paper. It was… (drum rolls please) the text of Mini’s speech from my wedding!

I won’t reveal the text within because I didn’t ask permission

I can’t believe my friend hung onto this. I shall treasure it forever.

And there’s more good and beautiful news! I have a rattlesnake plant (calathea) that had spent its first year with me, very, very grumpy.

This was actually the beginning of her recovery from very near death

But just look at her now!

I’m thankful for this gorgeous turn of events. Until tomorrow then, lovies.

365 Days of Gratitude: Day 8, at the last hour (of PST)

Edit: I fell off the wagon (asleep) on day 8, which is pretty embarrassing. In my defense since the boy is also sick I wasn’t going to clickity clack on my bright screen and compromise his rest (also I fell asleep before him, but anyway). My own cough woke me up and I tried valiantly to make the following, which I will finish now.

*

Here I am nearly missing (totally fudging) my deadline again, for shame.

Truthfully I wasn’t feeling particularly grateful. I’ve been sick for an entire week, and yesterday the boy succumbed to my ickies. Queue double the misery ’round here. But guess what, this is the time to go back to basics. Honestly I write this as I’m intermittently coughing so hard it makes me sneeze/dry-heave (? is this okay? are any doctors reading this lol), so it’s far from a pretty picture here. But the point of practicing gratitude everyday is that we don’t just feel grateful when we feel on top of the world. Feeling grateful on days like this takes away from the time I’d otherwise spend being down and stressed.

Plus, I’ve been having a grand old time watching ALL of the Gourmet Makes. I am damn grateful the brave and bright Clarie Saffitz have conquered so many fearsome culinary waters for us. She’s an honest to goodness hero.

 

Just gotta sit tight for the end of illness ahead. I’m undoubtedly on the mend, so why fret? And, only one week until Anguilla! I haven’t left the country in 18 years. This trip is so long overdue, excited is an understatement. What’s the use in looking back? I’m gonna be on my feet again! Onward!