For the past few days, I have been reading a book called War Brides (by Helen Bryan). It's the story of five very different young women who are thrown together in a small village in England during World War II. It's quite a moving story, not only because it tells the tale of unlikely friends banding together and supporting one another, but also it offers a view into what people endured, especially in England and Europe, during such a horrific time in our world's history.
Reading about the hardships and grief that the WWII generation lived through, I decided that during this presidential election I would refrain from my usual behavior -- i.e., complaining about, and being completely annoyed by, all the political rhetoric -- especially on Facebook. If you followed my blog during the last election, you know how I feel about that! Instead, I'm trying very hard to practice the gratitude attitude. Rather than be consumed by the finger wagging and political spin swirling on both sides of the aisle, I'm choosing to be grateful that I am a citizen of a country where we, the people, have the power to choose our leadership. I'm grateful that whichever political party's candidate is elected, he will be held accountable to and by his country's citizens. Also, despite my dislike of using Facebook as one's own personal political soap box, I am grateful that we are free to express our opinions without the threat of prison or worse. Most of all, I am deeply grateful to all the people from generations past who sacrificed and persevered to defy all odds and squash one of the greatest evils of all time. If it weren't for them, we might be living in a very different world today.
xoxo,
K
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Gratitude Attitude
I have a lot in my life for which I am - and should be - grateful. I've been given so many blessings, but I have to admit, I am not very good at taking a moment each day to acknowledge my gratitude. Now, I'm not saying that my heart doesn't swell with thanks when I look at my healthy, well-balanced children, or that I don't thank my lucky stars that I have a nice roof over my head, but I do tend to sprinkle my days with a bit of negativity. My way of thinking about something can, at times, be pretty skewed to see only what annoys me or frustrates me or scares me, not what is wonderful about my time here on this earth.
This morning I attended a cycling class at my gym. I haven't been to a cycling class in almost a year. Now that I'm in between jobs for a few weeks, I'm trying to get back into shape. I love cycling classes. They're challenging but empowering, and it doesn't hurt that the instructor played Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" this morning. (Yes, I'm a Gaga fan - my husband and sons just roll their eyes and shake their heads.) Halfway through the class, I was completely winded and dripping with sweat. My legs burned on the climbs, and I won't even talk about sitting on that bike seat without padded shorts! But despite all of this, it suddenly hit me as I pedaled away: I was so grateful to be there! I was grateful to have the time to focus on my health and fitness again. I was grateful to my legs for their growing strength and ability - especially when there are many people in this world who can't even use their legs. I was grateful to my body for hanging in there despite my neglect over the past year and despite my *ahem* advancing age.
That moment got me thinking about gratitude and how I need to practice it more often. I've tried to keep a gratitude journal in the past, but I tend to always let it fall by the wayside. So, as a little experiment, I'm going to do a gratitude series on this blog. Even if I only post one sentence, it's better than nothing. I want to regularly express gratitude for all the wonderful things in this life, and what better place to do it than on a blog!
It's time to stop looking at the glass half empty and to start giving thanks and focus to the positive.
Today, instead of focusing on the fifteen pounds I'd like to lose, I choose to focus on how grateful I am for my body's abilities - and for its kick ass performance in cycling class today!
More gratitude to come... In the mean time, share your own Gratitude Attitude by leaving a comment below.
xoxo,
This morning I attended a cycling class at my gym. I haven't been to a cycling class in almost a year. Now that I'm in between jobs for a few weeks, I'm trying to get back into shape. I love cycling classes. They're challenging but empowering, and it doesn't hurt that the instructor played Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" this morning. (Yes, I'm a Gaga fan - my husband and sons just roll their eyes and shake their heads.) Halfway through the class, I was completely winded and dripping with sweat. My legs burned on the climbs, and I won't even talk about sitting on that bike seat without padded shorts! But despite all of this, it suddenly hit me as I pedaled away: I was so grateful to be there! I was grateful to have the time to focus on my health and fitness again. I was grateful to my legs for their growing strength and ability - especially when there are many people in this world who can't even use their legs. I was grateful to my body for hanging in there despite my neglect over the past year and despite my *ahem* advancing age.
That moment got me thinking about gratitude and how I need to practice it more often. I've tried to keep a gratitude journal in the past, but I tend to always let it fall by the wayside. So, as a little experiment, I'm going to do a gratitude series on this blog. Even if I only post one sentence, it's better than nothing. I want to regularly express gratitude for all the wonderful things in this life, and what better place to do it than on a blog!
It's time to stop looking at the glass half empty and to start giving thanks and focus to the positive.
Today, instead of focusing on the fifteen pounds I'd like to lose, I choose to focus on how grateful I am for my body's abilities - and for its kick ass performance in cycling class today!
More gratitude to come... In the mean time, share your own Gratitude Attitude by leaving a comment below.
xoxo,
K
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