Tag Archives: grateful

The 59ers

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On September 28 I begin the 59th year of my life. My fifties have been grand, and I have so much to be thankful for. In no particular order, following is a list of 59 things that I am tremendously grateful for:

  1. Breathing—the ability to breathe with ease
  2. My senses: taste, touch, vision, hearing, smell, equilibrium, intuition, and my sense of humor
  3. Health — body, mind, and spirit
  4. Connection with divinity, family, friends, and companion animals
  5. A world of ethnic cuisine to enjoy (especially Asian)
  6. Trees
  7. Travel
  8. Books and libraries
  9. Photography
  10. Farmers—”no farms, no food”
  11. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
  12. Gentle dog groomers who work with animals without scaring them
  13. Blue skies
  14. Thunderstorms
  15. Mountains, log cabins
  16. Oceans, lakes, rivers, streams
  17. Creativity
  18. Music and singing (I’m a rock star in the car!)
  19. Exercise: yoga, bicycle riding, swimming, hiking
  20. First responders: Red Cross, firefighters, police, paramedics
  21. Teachers who make positive, life-long impressions on their students
  22. Healing: traditional, complementary, integrative, and alternative
  23. Color (especially green)
  24. Laughter, smiling
  25. Personal safety
  26. Treats: peppermint ice cream, red licorice, BBQ chips
  27. Peace
  28. Intentional kindness
  29. Manners
  30. Backgammon
  31. Spontaneity
  32. Flying with a safety conscious pilot (Len) who keeps the ease of his passengers — seasoned or otherwise — in mind
  33. Imagination
  34. Mental acuity: focus, memory, concentration, and understanding
  35. Sensitivity
  36. Comfort with being alone (enjoy my own company), personal getaways
  37. Sunrises and sunsets
  38. Flowers, color
  39. Drinkable water that flows from a tap
  40. A roof over our heads
  41. Geothermal heat
  42. Proximity: we can walk or ride our bicycles to everything we need
  43. Dreaming
  44. Indoor plumbing, electricity
  45. Volunteers and humanitarians such as hospice, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, Conservation Society, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and Conservation International
  46. Curiosity, observation
  47. Color blindness — nonjudgment based on skin color
  48. Philanthropy
  49. People who leave places better than when they found them
  50. Ergonomic desk chairs
  51. Scented soy candles
  52. Glasses that help me to see clearly
  53. Physicians, surgeons, dentists, optometrists, medical technicians (etc) with well-developed bedside manners
  54. Flying kites
  55. Appliances: refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, coffeemaker, etc…
  56. Enjoyment of learning something new
  57. Entertainment: screen, stage, and sidewalk (i.e., buskers)
  58. Uncluttered space—inside and out
  59. My lifelong partner, Len

Big, little, tangible, or intangible, name three things you’re grateful for.

Note: we are currently traveling. I won’t be able to respond to comment until Wednesday.

G is for Gratitude

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Gratitude

Gratitude

The words “gratitude” and “grace” share a common origin: the Latin word gratus, meaning “pleasing” or “thankful.”

In the monthly copy of the AHP newsletter (Association for Humanistic Psychology) that I receive, a recent article defined gratitude as “orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world.”

I won’t argue with that, but I’d like to add a qualifier. I believe that definition describes passive gratitude. If, however, that spark ignites a fire that inspires personal change, that passivity transforms into active gratitude.

It is my perspective that gratitude in action—as a regular practice—has a wide brushstroke of positive effects:

Inward—through appreciation we find contentment.

Outward—it inspires generosity—be it our time, skills, or money—and gifts us with opportunities to serve.

Environmentally—it’s a catalyst for healing our planet through the respect of nature.

For thousands of years gratitude has crossed religious and cultural boundaries not only as a social virtue, but as a theological virtue, but it’s a relatively new subject in the field of scientific research.

The University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons’ research indicates that “Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, (and) regular physical examinations.” His research also revealed that grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that literally boosts the immune system—a clear physical benefit.

Dr. Alex Wood, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick says, “…gratitude is an integral part of well-being;”—a distinct benefit to our mental and emotional faculties.

Gratitude helps to open the heart, the seat of compassion. It helps us to see the good in our experience, regardless. It enhances trust and helps us to forgive—an unarguable benefit to our spiritual aspect.

Better than a multi-vitamin, gratitude is plain good for us!

How do you weave gratitude into your life tapestry?

© TuesdaysWithLaurie.com

America the Beautiful

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Recently I said to Kathy over on Lake Superior Spirit, “Isn’t it grand to be grateful, to be appreciative of the things we sometimes take for granted? Just the other day on a bike ride I was thinking about the many freedoms I enjoy and I started singing out loud.”

In thinking about my comment—and also being grateful for the 1,100 photographs that were retrieved after my hard drive died—I thought I’d pull some of the photographs to support the song I was singing:

Oh beautiful for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain

America, America

Grace has been shed on thee

Crown thy good with peoplehood

From sea to shining sea

In order of the lyrics, the locations where the photos were taken are listed as follows:

Spacious skies – Mackinack Island, Michigan
Amber waves of grain – Owasso, Oklahoma
Purple mountain magesties – Mount St. Helens, Oregon
Above the fruited plains – Capron, Illinois
America, America – Belgium, Wisconsin
Grace has been shed on thee – Poplar Grove, Illinois
Crown thy good with peoplehood – Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)
From sea to shining sea – Cardiff by the sea, California

What was the last song you sang out loud out of sheer joy or gratitude?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
               – Laurie Buchanan

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