In Touch With My Soul #GratitudeCircle

“If there are no downs, how will you appreciate the ups?”

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve said this to my son over the years, and a couple of weeks back, when we were walking on our terrace and discussing something, he asked me this question. Life lesson right back at me, I thought.

As usual, I’ve had a mixed month of joys and could-be-betters, and I am focusing on the joys. The month brought some semi-sadness, too, with my neighbors moving—and even though it is across the road, it isn’t the same as walking eight steps and knocking on each other’s doors, and treating each other’s houses as extensions of our own home. Sigh. I am grateful though, that they’re just across the road. Sob! Change is a you-know-what!

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I spent a lot of time cooking and watching movies with my son, thanks to an iffy internet connection.  Nothing like getting out of the house and leaving these trivial problems behind. I did less work this month compared to the last few, and I still don’t have my computer up! You know how some things just take their time, and we let them? I am doing that now, with two very good reasons. The first is my son’s presence at home. I am grateful he’s doing his summer project here. The second is a stressed shoulder joint, and sometimes the pain is excruciating. So it is probably a good thing that I don’t spend as much time at my laptop. Grateful that I can afford to do that.

All that matters now is to spend time with loved ones, enjoying every moment we have, because who knows what changes tomorrow might bring.

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Yesterday we went to the zoo and had a terrific time. Of course, I had a crappy moment when I pulled out my digital camera and saw the message, “memory card error”. After freaking out for a few minutes, I decided to format the card and that solved the problem, until the battery decided to die on me. Errgh! Thankful we had our phone cameras.

I always feel grateful for how my problems diminish when I step out and spend time in nature, going with the flow at an easy pace. When I look up and see the trees overhead, it puts things in perspective and takes me to a better place. I am grateful for that wisdom.

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It has been fun to walk in the evenings, spinning stories with the kids and enjoying some gorgeous sunsets and of course, taking photos—yay! again for phone cameras.

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I am thrilled that The Diabetes Council reached out to me to collaborate on a post that involved answering a few questions in relation to blogging about diabetes, along with 34 bloggers. Here is the post.

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Issues with my neighbors upstairs continue—with seepage from above increasing the damage to our own house, and I can only pray for respite soon. Nothing is moving right now. But I am grateful for the roof over our head and our comfortable home.

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On a lighter note, our feathered friends, the pigeons have found a way to sneak into our balcony through the net. Ha, to that. Worst part is, letting them out again because they panic like crazy, flapping around the place, and pooping away like there’s no tomorrow.  Who knew it is so hard to steer a pigeon out? I am grateful for the days when they just sit and stare at me from outside the net, most days.

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We experienced more thunderstorms last week, creating havoc. These days the moment I see signs of lightning, I am quick to turn off my laptop and wind up for the day. One of these thunderstorms felled a lot of trees and we also saw the end of thousands of birds as a result. So heart-breaking. A tree smashed our friend’s car, and we’re grateful no one was hurt.

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During the past two weeks, we’ve also been making the rounds with the dentist for each one of us. While we’re far from done, I am grateful we have a good doctor—and are able bear the pain, of the cost and the treatment.

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So much to be grateful for on a daily basis; while each day brings its share of crazy, life is definitely better when we focus on the good stuff.  Thanks to my present internet situation, it almost feels like there’s a conspiracy to keep me offline, and I am grateful for it, as it means more time spent laughing, lazing, and hanging out with the people I love.

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Today, I want to share this gratitude meditation I’ve been practicing like an anthem, because making gratitude a habit helps to replace frustration with peace and positivity. The meditation is basically appreciating everything you have in your life, right now.  And it makes a positive start to your day.

1. Sit comfortably.
2. Take deep breaths to relax and calm yourself.
3. Think of three things you are grateful for. Can be that the warmth of that delicious cup of coffee you are about to sip, your child’s hug, a good night’s sleep, water to drink when you are thirsty, a brand new day ahead of you and the possibilities.
4. Become aware of your environment through your sense of smell, taste, see, touch, hearing. Feel grateful for the home, the world, the community you live in.
5. Next, think of the ones you love: your partner, your family, your friends, your colleagues at work and feel grateful.
6. Now, it is time to look at you. You are unique, blessed, talented. Go on, give yourself a hug, and tell yourself you’re grateful for you and your abilities.
7. Reflect on this: life is a gift to be cherished. Feel gratitude.

An easier version of this is simply maintaining a gratitude journal, and listing five things that you are grateful for.

How has the month of May been for you?

Do join me in May’s Gratitude Circle blog hop.

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(Grateful to Shutterstock for brightening my posts)