Day 297 in Gratitude

I cannot believe it's been 5 months, 150 days since my last post. I made a commitment to myself to post 365 Days in Gratitude and so I am getting back on the Gratitude horse! I'm not going to try and recap where I've been spiritually, emotionally and physically - I'm just going to jump back in.

Today is a celebration of the birth of my baby 24 years ago - I celebrate you Paulie! Happy Birthday, I am so grateful to have you in my life!

I spent the weekend on a Spiritual Retreat in Wisconsin. It is absolutely beautiful up there, on a lake and surrounded with like-minded people. Walking in nature and being close to the water always makes me feel that all is right with the world. While walking by the lake I reminded myself that this is a form of meditation and I should honor myself for being present. And so, to begin, I am grateful that I gifted myself this weekend.

I am grateful to have surrounded myself with like-minded people. We lift each other up and support each other and so I am grateful to have spent three yummy days with friends old and new.

I am grateful that Rev MaryBeth reminded me how important it is to live in gratitude. And so, I am dedicating this Day 297 to Rev MaryBeth. Thank you, thank you for pointing me back to what inspires and nourishes me - gratitude!

What are you grateful for?

Day 147 in Gratitude - Welcome To The World!

I am so filled with love right now. Welcome to the world Jacob! My grandson graced us with his presence today at 3:27pm. 7lbs 6oz of God's perfection. He is the sweetest thing and I am so grateful to have him in my life. The proud parents Rick (my oldest son) and Becky are just beaming with pride and I'm very proud of both of them.

It's funny how your life can change in an instant. While driving to the hospital today, all I kept thinking was "this is the most perfect day!" The sun was shining, the traffic was light. But honestly, it could have been a blizzard - nothing mattered except for the birth of this beautiful miracle of a baby. It's all perspective. Life is meant for family. Thank you Jacob, thank you for being in all of our lives. Thank you for making us stop today and realize what is really important - love. You, Jacob Ryan, are now and always will be surrounded by family and friends who love you dearly.

What are you grateful for?

Day 131 in Gratitude

I started a new job on Monday and it's been wonderful. I used to work for this company about 4 years ago and for 8 years and now I'm back and in a new position. I received such a wonderfully warm welcome from everyone I knew before and from people I'm just meeting for the first time. The group of individuals I'm working with are all professional, knowledgeable and successful. We've been in meetings together all week and during 12 hour work days but collaborating with them is very energizing. Everyone has something to contribute and there is mutual respect in the room at all times. In this crazy roller coaster economy where jobs are still very hard to come by, I am so grateful to be working. Having the luxury of working with this group of individuals is like icing on the cake.

What are you grateful for?

Day 130 in Gratitude

This post is from Evie Burke, Certified Life Coach. "Find the joy in your life and work one insight at a time." To find out more about Evie and her work, go to  www.oneinsightcloser.com

When I sat down to write this post about my perspective on Gratitude, all the ideas that I had disappeared.  As I thought about what I was going to write I remembered something I read (or heard) last week.  It was a challenge to list 100 things your grateful for.  So, I decided to do it.

I expected to get to about 30 things and then be stuck.  Not that I don't have lots of things to be thankful for, I do, but I wasn't sure about my ability to think of them quickly in one sitting.  I surprised myself by having just over 50 items listed in one sitting.

I also noticed something after that sitting.  I was much calmer and focused then I was before I started.  Before I started I was thinking about the appointments I have today and all the things I want to get done.  My mind was darting around from one thing to the next without stopping at anything long enough to actually make progress.  After I listed out as many things I was grateful for as I could, I noticed that my mind had slowed down and I was actually concentrating on one thing.

Now, part of this is because I sat down and committed myself to one task and once I got into it my mind quieted.  But something about writing down things your grateful for automatically shifts your mood.  When you're focusing on the positive things that are in your life you can't help but feel a little happier.

Keeping a gratitude journal is proven to increase a person's satisfaction with life.  Why? Well, you're more likely to focus on the good things that happen to you or around you when you know you want to write something down in your gratitude journal at the end of the day.  And when you focus on the good things happening around you, you tend to be happier and more satisfied with your life.

If you're going through a difficult time or just aren't as happy as you'd like to be then start keeping a gratitude journal.  If there's one part of your life that you're particularly unhappy with, try writing at least one thing about it each day that you're grateful for.  For example, when I was really unhappy at my old job I started doing this and found that there were a number of things I was grateful for.  Things like a kind word, the suggestion to get out of the office for lunch, or a conversation with a friend. 

Have you ever heard the phrase "Energy flows where attention goes?"  This is another reason that gratitude is so powerful.  When we focus our attention on what we're thankful for, we're flowing our positive energy toward it and will attract more of whatever it is we're thankful for.

I'm going to go and think of some more things and people I'm thankful for.  My goal is to have 100 before I go to bed tonight.

So, what's at the top of your 100 things your grateful for? 

Day 126 in Gratitude

Wow, it's been 5 days since my last post. I honestly didn't think that many days had passed.

Today I received a call from my youngest son proclaiming he had officially graduated from college! He insisted that he didn't want to walk across the stage so I have to be understanding of that decision. Of course, as a Mom, I would love to sit in the audience and beam with pride as I watch my son strut across the stage wearing that huge grin that lights up a room. The bottom line is - he graduated. Paulie is one of those young men that, when his mind is made up, is focused and determined and won't quit until he is successful. Paulie, you have proven, once again, that when you put your mind to something, there's nothing you can't achieve and I am so proud and thankful to have you in my life. Congratulations!

Today was the last day of work at a company I had been with for 6 months. I enjoyed my time there and wish them all the very best. Working with a group like that makes you appreciate being associated with them. They are a very diverse group of individuals and work very effectively together. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and work with each and every one of them.

What are you grateful for?

Day 121 in Gratitude - Things to Celebrate

I am so excited! There are three things to celebrate today (well, actually I could think of many but):

1. This post marks the 1st of May - April Showers have brought May Flowers. Everywhere we walk in the neighborhood we see tulips, jonquil and salvia. Walking the dog this morning there were many people out mowing their lawns. The smell of fresh cut grass is one of my favorite smells. Like walking into your Grandmother's house smelling fresh baked apple pie, grass makes me feel the same way. I just love May and what's not to love, sunshine, flowers popping up everywhere helping us forget the 24 inches of snow just a few short months ago and warmer weather! Thank you!

2. 17 days away from my new grandbaby's upcoming birth. Yes, my son's first child is due to grace us with his presence on May 18 and I can't wait. Listening to my son talk about the upcoming birth of his first baby makes me grin from ear to ear. My son has grown into a wonderful young man, responsible, loving and kind. I am so proud of you Rick, you're going to make such a wonderful Daddy.

3. The fact that I've been blogging my gratitude for one third of the year! As I've mentioned before, I've kept a gratitude journal by my bed for years but I was never very committed in writing on a daily basis. Holding gratitude in my heart is changing the way I see things on a daily basis and I'm thrilled to be keeping diligence on this blog.

What are you grateful for?

Day 119 in Gratitude

From time to time I'm going to ask friends to write an article on gratitude or a post on their daily gratitude - below is a post from my friend Evie.

My sister moved from the suburbs into Chicago recently and I was there to help her out and keep her company.  I'm very grateful for the wonderful movers that did all the heavy lifting.  They made the hard work of moving look quick and easy.

One thing that I noticed was head mover's wonderful ability to set expectations.  When he came across something that was very worn or broken he would make sure that my sister knew about it prior to it being packed.  I realized that sometimes we forget, or overlook, the shape things are in when in familiar settings, but in a new setting the worn or broken things might stand out.  When everything was packed he again set expectations.  He made sure he had my sister's cell phone number and that she had his so they could communicate if anything came up.  He also made sure he had directions, and estimated how long unpacking would take.

I'm grateful that the movers my sister hired were professional, set expectations and also kept the atmosphere light.  It made the sometimes stressful process of moving go much easier.

What are you grateful for today?

Evie Burke is a life coach who specializes in working with people who get a knot in their stomach when they think about going to work each day.  They’re ready for the knot to go away, but don’t want to leave their job.  She has a special place in her heart for these people, being one of them herself a couple times in her life.  To find out more about Evie visit: http://OneInsightCloser.com/about-me