Daily: Reflect on at least 5 things for which I'm grateful (Happiness Manifesto #2)

1. I’m grateful for berries and the yummy things I can bake with them
2. I’m grateful for the moon – partly hidden behind some clouds and framed by trees – looking good.
3. I’m glad that I’ve realized – if somewhat belatedly – that I’ve been avoidant – so quietly, that I didn’t detect it for a while. And I hope this means I will have the guts to try to face this with some courage.
4. I’m grateful for my cats’ insistence that a walk outside is best.
5. I’m grateful for clean sheets – I really like that feeling.
6. I am so grateful that I have one person that I can talk to about the one thing I have difficulty discussing.

1. Yay – my sister is taking in the same swim class as me! I’m glad.
2. Good lunch and post-lunch treats with good friends – I love them.
3. Trash talking – holy crow – it’s so much fun – I’m glad there are people willing to be silly and willing to play (it’s not just for children)
4. Baking frenzy – fun
5. That my to-do list is up-to-date for the next 2 weeks.

1. I am grateful for a really fun time yesterday. I don’t even care that my body is covered in mosquito bites. :)
2. I’m grateful that a pair of woodpeckers paraded about
3. I’m grateful that today’s a holiday and I was able to be at home alone the whole day – doing nothing that I should do and lots of things I wanted to do.
4. I’m grateful that my neighbours who are away felt comfortable emailing to ask if I could look after their pet because they’re taking an extra day. Yay community!
5. What else? Hmmm…. Oh, oh, oh – how could I forget?? I am immensely grateful that learning is possible (I keep doubting). I did something that normally would make me lose-sleep-anxious – but this time I slept and woke and did it with minimal stress. Attitude is everything. This makes me happy.
6. I am really glad that a few people made an effort to help me figure out how to get number 5 done. It didn’t even matter that none of their actual suggestions were any use – just that they bothered was cool. Thank you!

1. I am grateful for a friend – for being very supportive and non-judgemental – letting me be open and honest, so I can figure out where I need/want to go with my life.
2. I am grateful for comfy and stylin’ shoes.
3. I am grateful to be tackling this thing with courage – who knew I had some. ;P
4. I am grateful to be actively taking care of my needs and approaching life as though it’s worth it.
5. I am grateful for tenacity.
6. I am grateful for the rays of sun cutting through the clouds – to land on some faraway person (at least that’s what it’s doing in my mind).
7. I am grateful that my trojan horse is gone.

1. I am grateful to the person I was chatting with recently who said so casually (like he had no idea how meaningful it was to me)- why continue to forever feel guilty or upset about something I did, even if it was a really poor choice, when I can learn about who I want to be, never do it again and maybe make a better choice next time. It seems strange that I never really got that before – at least not in anything other than an intellectual (although also ‘this-doesn’t-apply-to-me’) way. I feel lighter knowing that this might be possible.

And now – on to the regular gratitudes:
2. I am grateful that someone bothered to try to make my day less frustrating (it was one of those days that happens once in a while where almost anything I worked on – didn’t work). It was nice – even if it was hard to accept help.
3. And that leads to number 3 – I would like to pat myself on the back for accepting help graciously – and not just graciously towards someone else – but inside me too.
4. I am grateful that the pelting rain didn’t destroy my delphiniums.
5. I am grateful for two kitties who are too hot to snuggle up, but can’t seem to stay too far away.

1. Sometimes I think nature sets itself up perfectly for a viewing – that happened this morning – it was beautiful and made me smile.
2. I am grateful for the ability to learn. I can do the front crawl now – badly, yes – but no sputtering or flailing and I can do a whole length without stopping. And it was all so simple – no one had ever explained that rotating the body (not just the head) means you get air.
3. I am grateful now and in advance that I have a goal to deal with the thing I have to do that makes me anxious. It’s good – it makes me feel like I have some control.
4. I am quite pleased that the cat threw up on a piece of plastic rather than the hardwood. Go cat!
5. Spiderwort – I really like the morning-only flowering plants – they have a special feel to them – like they’ve decided to grace our presence – but only until the sun hits them. It’s a morning treat.
6. I’m grateful that I can now do military push-ups – and not just one or two. I like feeling strongish.
7. I am grateful that as I bike to work, I get to watch the cows and see the calves growing as the season progresses.
8. I am grateful that some people – strangers – make eye contact and say good morning as they pass (only the non-creepy ones though).
9. I am grateful that my friend is in town and we can play!!!
10. I am grateful for the possiblity that I might get to spend time with someone I care about.

1. I am grateful for lunch with a buddy.
2. I am grateful that someone I had hoped would succeed, did.
3. For the immediate and unexpected enhusiasm of my oldster kitty when we happened upon a bunny on our evening stroll. Normally the old fella looks with disinterest upon the world – he’s seen it all, done it all and just wants a patch of sun to lie in, the scent of the outdoors in his nose, maybe a little kibble. But this – this was NEW!!! He was straining against the harness, almost shoving the youngster kitty out of his way.
4. I am grateful that I am trying to be (and maybe being a little) trusting of my ability to deal with getting close to others. I seem to have a tendency not to be comfortable getting close to others – it has to happen so slowly, I don’t even notice (‘hey what was that – did something just happen?!’ says the brain). I let someone help me today.
5. Soon the gratitudes will contain nothing about poppies…but until then – there are FOUR (that’s 4!) giant red poppy blooms in my garden! And I am grateful for their beauty – their lovely crinkly petals, their saturated colour, the contrast of the black/blue stamen and pollen – and the serene, but expansive happiness I feel when I look at or touch them.

1. I’m grateful that the dog I met today was just as happy to jump on me as I was to be jumped on – yay dog hugs!
2. For being excited to practise front crawl (did I really just say that?)
3. For my soft warm bed that I will very shortly drop into.
4. Chocolate!!!!!!!!!
5. That the bugs this morning were the swarmy, but non-bitey kind.
6. That today was free of any mandatory seminars.
7. For being able to reach inside and yank some gratitudes out – sometimes it’s like that – no less useful though.

1. I am grateful for those people who are willing or able to take the risk and look at another person and see who they really are – see the real meaning in words and actions – who see the person hiding inside – and reach out.
2. One red poppy blooming – I think it might be my favorite day every spring.
3. For learning something fun about soemthing I really like. Cool!
4. That my breast stroke was faster than everyone else`s front crawl at swim class today (Woohoo – I`m a speedster!).
5. The funny looks of disgust I got from my cats this morning when I opened the door and they realized that it was pouring.
6. New recipe – tastes yummy with or without cream
7. Feeling inspired to create -thanks to the creators around me.
8. I am grateful for the library – I think it`s only a slight exaggeration to say that I could live in one. :)
9. For fun plans with friends and for the friends that I have.
10. For everything – I`m just glad.

1. Coffee breaks with coffee break friends
2. Driving – I know it’s environmentally unfriendly – but I love roadtrips – watching the scenery, seeing the world and the multitude of lives being lived.
3. Really good food.
4. The endless happiness of my cat when I take him for a walk – nothing is more satisfying to him than a good exploration of the world.
5. Neighbours who say hello – I like them.
6. I’m really happy that I can make progress in taking better, consistent care of my body – it’s far too easy for me to fall into the trap of helplessness – so I’m glad I’ve been successful in staying away from that mindset.
7. My garden is growing – spending time out there – looking, weeding, planning, digging, even just thinking about it – is so soothing. And at the same time it’s fun seeing or even anticipating the next bloom.
8. For the capacity of music to bring me back to myself.
9. That I feel I have a working plan to achieve my goals at work.
10. Though it does pain me, I am grateful that I have discovered that I can see my mistakes/failures and accept them (sometimes with quite a bit of prodding) and see it all as part of the process that will enable me to begin changing.