I’m sitting in front of my computer trying to figure out what I should start working on next, as I have lots of pots on the stove so to speak (is that even a saying?). I don’t feel like doing anything right now except for baking cookies, listening to my Pandora station of Michael Bublé and Frank Sinatra (don’t ask me why but I’ve been obsessed lately) and reveling in how incredible life is. It may be that Thanksgiving is around the corner and because I have few days off as well, but gratitude is all around me. I hesitated to write this post because I imagine everyone is writing about ‘the attitude of gratitude’ right now. Then I thought, this is my blog, so I’m going to write about what I want. So, yes…I find the ‘attitude of gratitude’ cheesy but hey, it rhymes and its stuck in my head.

Today in a support group I help co-facilitate, we talked about the large extent to which people are programmed to see mostly the negatives and setbacks in life, instead of the aspects of life for which they are grateful. You could say that this type of person’s life story (their narrative) is filled with complaints, regrets, and blame versus the positives and awesomeness in life. There is research out there on this topic (I’m too lazy to find citations right now) but I would think its because many people live most of their day on automatic pilot. Our brains get wired and those synapses get firing the same way over and over again, until we lose site that we’re holding a consistent perspective on our past, present, and future, without even being aware of it. As they say – neurons that fire together, wire together.

I think this is why keeping a gratitude journal or simply sharing with people what you’re grateful for is so powerful. It helps us to pause, consider, and notice the beauty in life. It helps us remember that there is actually quite a bit that we forget to acknowledge. By sharing, we become present to it and it also reminds people that they can do the same. Little by little, we get to change the patterns of thought.

So, I’m sharing now. To all of the people in my life who I get the incredible honor of spending time with, THANK YOU. Thank you for loving and supporting me, laughing with me and helping me remember to be nice to myself. I give thanks to my body for allowing me to run marathons and run up big-ass hills. I am grateful for my mind and my ability to think and to study. I am thankful for my freedom, self expression, compassion, and that I get to choose how my life goes.

I’m going to get back to my Pandora listening. Thank you to all of you who read this little blog of mine. Go revel and be in awe of the lives we get to lead. Its not always rainbows and unicorns but there is so much beauty and goodness in this crazy world of ours. Breath it in. Soak it up. Let it fill your souls. Give it to others.