Tag: gratitude

“the world doesn’t like hearing negative things”

My mystery guest says I should post a nice blog today because “the world doesn’t like hearing negative things.”

OK.

It’s November and my Facebook feed is filled with people doing the daily gratitude statuses. I usually don’t play along with that, because I try hard to be grateful on a daily basis, not just one time each year…but today, I will be grateful right here.

I am grateful for…

…these crazy pets. Even though they get fur on everything and wrestle non-stop and stomp on my face when I’m napping, they’re pretty awesome. There’s a lotta love.

…my kiddo. Teenage kiddo can sure push my buttons when she wants, but for the most part, she’s a good kid, a kind person, and I’m proud of who she’s growing up to be.

…my friends. You’re a tolerant bunch of mofos to deal with my introverted disappearing acts and still love me when I finally reappear.

…my family. Ya’ll know I’m a pain in the ass and still invite me to dinner anyway.

…my job. This is a tough one, because a lot of days I feel like I’m selling a piece of my soul, but I am grateful for work, insurance, paychecks and to work in the company of some really neat people.

…this mystery guest. I laugh a whole lot more than I’ve laughed in years in the company of this mystery guest. An abundance of hugs and laughing until my face hurts is such a good way to spend time.

…this blog, and my other blog, and places I’ve been published. Writing has kept me from going Hulk Smash on any number of citizens, and it’s been a place to both turn loose of the heaviest sadness and welcome in waves of love.

…for love. I don’t always mean “romance” when I say love; sometimes I just mean the love that surrounds us everyday if we’re looking for it. I am grateful for the unconditional love of friends, family, and fur friends, but also for the love that near-strangers are willing to give. I have a Facebook friend that I’ve never met in person, but she emailed me on Halloween morning to wish me a great day, knowing it’s my favorite day of the year…and that kind of sweetness and caring is the special stuff that can change the world, folks.

This has been an amazing week

So, I got published on PositivelyPositive.com, which is a great site. They publish some terrific authors and post consistently good content. It was a huge honor to see my post on their site.

What I didn’t expect was the response I received.  Sure, I hoped my friends, family and fellow bloggers would jump in with some “likes” on Facebook and maybe a comment on their site, but I didn’t expect strangers, lots and lots of strangers, to comment and message me.  Days after my original post, I am still getting comments, “likes,” shares, tweets from people all over the world.

Some people who are commenting have been without a home, and one man is without a home now.  Others have a different situation but have been afraid to ask for help.  Still others felt like they were blessed to realize they had something, even on their worst day, to share with another person…and some felt like they had nothing to give, nothing to offer.  I have tried to comment and respond to every post I’ve seen this week.

I feel the love, the spark, the resonance.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It was a hard post to write because it was a time in my life that was totally uncomfortable and largely unhappy about many things.  I had not yet gotten to the point where I realized I had control over my reactions, my feelings, and that I didn’t have to wallow in the hurts, so it’s a yucky time to visit, even in memory.

I have decided that bit by bit, it’s okay to tell these stories.  Telling my stories might help someone else.  There is a tremendous feeling of isolation when things are going terribly wrong in life, a feeling of failure and that no one else could possibly understand what you are going through…but the truth is, someone out there understands.  That someone who understands might not be in your inner circle, so it is okay to reach out and be honest about what’s going wrong…but I would also challenge you to remember what is going right.  If you are alive, that is at least one thing that is going right.

Thank you, friends both new and old, for allowing me to share my stories.

a little gratitude to adjust my attitude

today was one of those days at work where i could have thrown stacks of money in the air and someone still would’ve told me i was doing it wrong, someone else would’ve rolled their eyes because it wasn’t enough money and someone else would’ve been annoyed that i was throwing free money instead of free puppies (don’t throw puppies!). uggg. uggggggggg.

a little gratitude might be a good thing to get my head right…so here goes:

today i am grateful for playing pinball on real pinball machines instead of via an app.  i am grateful for larabars for tasting like something when this wellness challenge has me eating stuff that tastes like lichen. i am grateful that my googly-eyed dog tries to lick my wet feet when i step out of the shower because it’s hilarious and creepy all at once. i am grateful for motivational websites like positivelypositive that help feed my spirit with good mojo when i am running on empty.

better.  yes, feeling better.  gratitude fixes many ills.