Sketch study for Weekend at the Pond, by Eiko Wright
I meant to post this on Friday. But one thing led to another and then the weekend just flew by. And while I could have easily blown off doing my weekly expressions of gratitude, I have to say, I’d miss it.
Since I started practicing this ritual of sitting down every week to remember what I’m thankful for, I’ve been thinking more positively, feeling more upbeat, and am able to do a better job of resisting the knee-jerk reaction I sometimes have when around the un-positive. It’s quickly becoming my de facto mindset. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Of course, I still have my moments. I just seem to have less of them.
So these are some of the things I’m grateful for this past week.
• Another fabulous typography salon at the TDC, this time featuring Pum Lefebure of Design Army.
• Winning a copy of Letterhead & Logo Design 11 during the TDC raffle drawing. Am I a lucky girl or what?
• The spring tease we had on Thursday and Friday.
• Hudson Pilates and especially Annette who always manages to fix my sometimes cranky body parts.
• Manny at Devonshire Optical who repaired my broken glasses frames. So nice.
• My windows not blowing in from the crazy powerful winds on Saturday.
• Skype! So I can chat with Kathleen in Hong Kong for free.
• The fun of travel planning.
• Veniero’s pastry.
• The discount at Utrecht for continuing ed students like me.
• Spur of the moment get togethers with Joan.
• The surprise package that came in the mail from my brilliant and beautiful niece Elise.
• Being surrounded by artwork created by my mother.
• Valery Gergiev conducting the London Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall to perform an all Mahler program later this month. Can’t wait for the 2/27 performance!
• Starting the day with a 30 minute power cycle.
• Ripe mangoes.
• Freshly fallen snow.
Weekend at the Pond, oil painting by Eiko Wright
Mary Maru
LOL about the “un-positive.” I love the juxtaposition of ripe mangos with freshly fallen snow. I also loved our taste of spring and am so glad I have memories of Florida to keep me warm on days like today.
Have you considered writing a brief gratitude list every day? I often jot a few things down when I’m on the train or waiting in line.
Trains and subway platforms are a couple of my favorite places for jotting down my grateful thoughts. I also like to add to my list just before going to bed. Waiting in line is email time for me. 🙂
Hey! You just reminded me of a very important and effective part of the Transitions program I participated in last summer (which enabled me to lose all that weight). Right about when the going started to get tough, we were assigned a daily “Gratitude Exercise,” and had to list three things we were grateful for each day. At first, I felt like I was digging around in the bottom of a deep, dark bag, trying to find crumbs … after awhile, it got easier and easier. And you know … I think it would be a good idea for me to resume that exercise now!
Great idea, Jane, to resume your daily gratitude exercise. I think you and Alice are on the same wavelength with this. If you read her comment below, she suggests making this a daily practice. Check out her blog, The Rabbit Hole Report, sometime. I think you’ll love it!
And I love your mom’s paintings, by the way … I used to wander around the apartment admiring all of them when I was cat-sitting for T & D!