What's Working

March 1st marked three years of this daily gratitude experiment.  Does the gratitude come easily with all that practice?  Sometimes.  Many days, like today, I have to remind myself, "Think small.  Think small."

#1 - My sister-in-law pointed out to me how beautiful an individual snowflake was on her sleeve.

#2 - Michelle Obama said kids need 60 minutes of exercise each day.  I remember when I was working in an elementary school and a highly skilled kindergarten teacher took away recess from her kids as a consequence for their behavior.  She asked me about it afterwards, I guess she doubted the decision herself.  I didn't have any advice for her, she was clearly much better/more experienced at classroom management than I was.  However, I did say and think, that what those kids most needed was recess.  Michelle also mentioned a school that did exercises led by their gym teacher next to their chairs during the lunch hour and that besides being active they had a namaste moment.  I have not heard the phrase "namaste moment," but she meant a still/quest moment.  I like it.  It's so nice to have a woman like her in the White House.

#3 - I pretended to be asleep, my niece hesitantly crept up behind me and tapped me.  I grabbed her and she screamed and laughed.  We did this well over 20 times, 30 times...and I was able to remain enthusiastic and engaged in the activity.

#4 - As I was making some sort of judgment about my life today, I heard another voice in the back of my mind - It sounded like -

 "In the end only these things matter:  
How well did you love? 
 How fully did you live? 
 How deeply did you learn to let go?" 

The Buddha (maybe)

#5 - I did not have a 5th gratitude. While I was writing this a friend called, who does not read this, but knows I write gratitudes, to ask about this practice because he wants to pay more attention to what is working in his life than what isn't.