Day 35 in Gratitude

As Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree waiting for enlightenment, two musicians were arguing about the sound they were trying to get from their stringed instrument and distracted him. He was weak and tired from not eating or taking care of his body, but he wanted to see what was causing the commotion, and so he dragged himself closer to hear them. One musician would tighten the strings, and the other would cry, "Not too tight because you will break the string." The other would counter by saying, "Not too loose because the string will only buzz and rattle - in the middle is just right." The master heard the wisdom contained in their argument and declared, "That's it! That's the key...perfect balance!" Not too tight yet not too loose, not too high yet not too low. The middle path is the way!

For the past 11 days I have worked without a day off. Today, I could have gone into work, exhausted and unproductive, but I could have gone in nonetheless. I chose to stay home and rest providing myself a well deserved respite. Too much work leaves me lifeless and too much rest leaves me unmotivated. I chose to strive for perfect balance! I am thankful for taking today to rest and recharge.

Over the past few months I have been trying to develop the capacity to observe rather than analyze. This includes observing people rather than analyzing, observing situations rather than analyzing, and observing conversation rather than analyzing. This is not an easy task (and many times requires me to bite my tongue) but one that I believe will only help me grow mentally and spiritually. I am a work in progress but for that alone, I am grateful.

My husband and I have great conversation. Today was no exception. We're both dreamers by nature and sometimes can come up with the most outrageously decadent dreams! I love that about our relationship and I am grateful to have him as a partner.

What are you grateful for?