I'm Surprised

It seems that almost every January I contrive some way to to 'work on' myself, but my half-hearted or unsustainable efforts usually fail within a week. But I am proud to say that today marks the completion of the third week of the gratitude practice I am developing for 2018. 

Honestly, I did not expect it to go so well. I thought that I would make up excuses and find some way to put it off, or that I wouldn't be able to break through the negative, critical thoughts that often filled my mind to write about something I was grateful for. 

Well, I have never been so happy to be wrong! First of all, I have written more posts in this month than I did for two separate years, which is a great thing for someone like me who loves to write, but "never has the time". But that is just the tip of the iceberg. I really do feel completely different, much less negative and more like the person I'm 'supposed to' be, if that makes any sense.

Thinking about it, there are a number of possible reasons why working to be more grateful has been less difficult than I first thought:

• There is so much to be grateful for, therefore no shortage of things to write about and share. 
• Practicing gratefulness has put me in a better, more positive frame of mind, which has strengthened my motivation and resolve to keep going. 
• Though they are strong and difficult to be rid of completely, perhaps the negative thought patterns of my past are more fragile than I thought. 
• The simple rules I set for myself, especially about being flexible, are very open, so, no pressure or stress. 
• I look forward to the happiness that accompanying my posts with more direct actions of gratitude will (hopefully) bring.  
• Expressing gratitude is a good and healthy way to spend my time, and may even benefit others in the process. 
• It is fun to think and write about the little things I am grateful for!

I am sure there are (and will be) many more reasons, but to these are some good ones to start. I am fully aware that there may be some unexpected obstacles to the practice during the course of this year, but for now I am very content with how it is going, and look forward to continuing.

What are you grateful for today? Would you care to join me on my gratitude journey?
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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at my blog, ByChanceBuddhism!
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May all beings be happy!

"Sleeping In"

Today was kind of a ho-hum day, mostly because I was feeling a little under the weather since last night. Later in the day, my daughter came down with a fever, probably due to the MMR vaccine she had about a week ago. We will keep an watchful eye- hopefully nothing else develops beyond that. 

I did not do much today, but this morning I decided to go back to bed after my daughter woke up at her usual 6-6:30, and slept until 8:30! I know, I know, not really 'sleeping in' but, hey, I'll take it, especially on a weekday!

I also got a surprise phone call from my mom- always nice to hear a familiar voice amidst the din of songs from children's toys 😊

I am grateful for getting a little more sleep than usual, and for being able to talk to my mom!

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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at ByChanceBuddhism!

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May all beings be happy! 

Dinner's ready!

. . . a day in advance! Last night my husband and I cooked together while the little one took her early evening nap. I made pasta with cream sauce and he prepared a yummy 'tortilla casserole'. We garnished it with avocado and some Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.

I am grateful that tonight's dinner was already made - it allowed me time to put together this post and work on some others as well! Thanks again to my sweet husband! 😍

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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at ByChanceBuddhism!

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May all beings be happy!

How writing about gratitude is different

Tomorrow it will be three weeks since beginning my gratitude journey, and I must say I am surprised. Pretty wimpy, I know, but all my efforts to develop a gratitude practice in the past have failed, and now I know why. It is not because I was actually ungrateful, but because I was just making a mental note of what I was thankful for. I wasn't truly expressing gratitude, but merely conceptualizing it.

By writing these posts I am taking action, and in a way that I stay accountable to the practice. I don't know what obstacles may stand in my way during this year, but my greatest hope is that I don't stop, and that the thoughts I communicate here at BCB turn into solid acts of gratitude.

I have the stack of thank you cards, so why don't I send them? They don't do any good sitting in my stationary box! 

 
What are you grateful for today?
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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at ByChanceBuddhism.  
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May all beings be happy!

January thaw

Today the temperature actually hit the 60 degree mark, so I picked my husband up early from work to go for a walk with our daughter in the stroller. It felt so good to be moving in the outdoors again (and not be freezing!). We saw a cute squirrel up in a tree, fully occupied with some tasty morsel. Little one was tired, but still enjoyed looking at the animals and birds we saw along the way. 

Thankful for this 'January thaw' and for being able to take a walk outside with my family! 😊 

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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at my blog, BCB.  
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May all beings be happy!

Freshly baked bread

A few weeks before Christmas, my husband said he had a surprise for me, but he didn't know if I would like it. Slightly ominous, but oddly exciting. It turned out to be . . . a breadmaker! 

I must admit, I was skeptical. Though I do make a good sweet bread, I was always intimidated by baking yeast breads, convinced that I would screw it up. Plus all that rising, punching, and kneading, I am far too lazy and impatient for that. 😏 

Today I finally had the chance to try it out, and I am so glad I did! As you can see the resulting bread was very tasty looking, and the flavor lived up to its appearance. 

I am grateful that I can now make delicious bread at home, and that I had the opportunity to try it out today. I am also glad it came out well!

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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at my blog, BCB.  

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May all beings be happy!

A family outing

Today we took advantage of a warm(er) winter day for a family outing. We did a (minor) Target run, had lunch at the mall food court, and stopped by JoAnn Fabrics for some small Valentines and springtime decorations (time to put the Christmas stuff away!).

One of my purchases was a small heart-shaped wreath with faux lavender flowers, which caught my eye the moment I saw it. 

Though it might not seem like much, I came home feeling very satisfied. I realized it had been a long time since we had gone out as a family and I had felt at ease. Really, our daughter is (knock on wood) very good in restaurants and stores, but going out with her in tow has often been stressful for me, spurred mostly by motherly worries of a sudden, mysterious infant meltdown. But today was different, and I was much more relaxed, even back to my wisecracking self (much to my husband's surprise). Could it be the gratitude talking? 😉  

I am grateful for such a nice family outing, and for starting to feel 'like myself' again.
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This is an entry for the Gratitude practice I am working towards during 2018. Please feel free to read all about it here.
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May all beings be happy!