A Grateful Stance or The Seven Wonders

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful. ~ Buddha

I’ve posted this quote on The Veganasana facebook page before, and it’s one of my favorites (admittedly, I have many favorites).  I love this reminder of all that we have in this life.  Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of whining and complaining around me.  Now, don’t get me wrong, everyone needs to have a little whine now and then.  It’s good for clearing out that emotional stuff and it’s nice exercise for the vocal chords.  Plus, it is true that we all have our troubles, our sorrows, and our pain.  But, the flipside of that coin is that we also all have something(s) for which to be grateful.  I’ve been working on cultivating my gratitude for a good while, not always as successfully as I would like – I can sometimes be uber-whiny.  So, I am going to take a moment here to put out there seven the wonders of my life (there are more, but I’m going to cram as much as I can into seven).

~ I woke up this morning.  See what I did there?  That’s a biggie.  I woke up.  I opened my eyes and took another breath and I got to spend another day with my friends and my family and my coworkers enjoying this beautiful world.  Nice.

~ When I woke up, I was in my body, with all of it’s pretty cool parts.  Yep, I have RA – and it’s flaring a little right now.  Uh huh, got that lymphodema in the right leg, reflux in the gut, and a kickin set of allergies.  BUT, I’ve got eyes and they see such beauty.  I’ve got limbs and they allow me to move and do things and wear nice pants : )   I have muscles and joints that allow me to participate in the practice of yoga, which I adore.  I’ve got a digestive system that does frankly fascinating things (everybody poops – I don’t know if you knew that, but I read it in a book once – true story and very cool).  I’ve got a heart that keeps beating, all the time, and I’m not even doing it.  I’ve got a mind that allows me to think about stuff and ponder it and write blogs about it and study and understand it.   I could go on, but seriously, isn’t the body nifty?

~ I’ve got people I love.  I have a spouse who makes me giggle so hard that I snort and keeps me intellectually challenged.  I’ve got kids who love me and annoy me and amuse me all at the same time.  I’ve got siblings and parents who bring me much joy and give me a sense of place.  I’ve got in-laws who have added a wonderful whole additional set of family cultures to my life.  I’ve got friends who keep my head above water, listen to me when I’m not feeling grateful, and make me laugh until my stomach hurts.  Nice.

~ I have a job.  Rockin.  And, you know, it’s a pretty cool job.  I get to contribute to the life of the mind of a whole bunch of people day in and day out.  And I get to work in a nice climate controlled building with bathrooms and running water and pictures on the wall and computers and a little mini fridge in my office and a teapot.  That’s pretty sweet.  I’m freakin’ lucky, huh?  Sure, every day and every moment isn’t a delight.  It doesn’t always go the way I want it to or the way I think it should, but still.  When I think about all the jobs I could be doing and that would be way less enjoyable for me and when I think about what having this job allows me to do for myself and my family… well…

~ I’ve got hobbies that I enjoy.  I get to blog.  I get to read. I get to tweet. I get to do yoga (did I mention that I love yoga?).  I get to read about and cook vegan and vegetarian food.  I get to listen to music and watch TV.  I have time to do these things.  I have the ability to do these things. I have the financial wherewithal to do these things.  I’m in a pretty swell place.

~ I’ve got people I don’t love.  Yep, them too.  There are people in my life who I don’t feel super warm and cuddly about.  They aggravate me (sometimes intentionally).  They dislike me.  They make things harder.  Maybe they say things that are painful.  But, they help me grow.  They help me to work on my sense of humor, my equanimity, my gratitude.  They help me to see the areas I need improvement in.   So, I’m grateful for them as well.

~ I’ve got pets and other animals around me.  Animals rock.  There is something about having a dog or a cat, or even a lizard looking at you with eyes that say, “I trust you with my life and my wellbeing” or “I’m SO AMAZINGLY HAPPY you came home!”  They really do bring something special to my life and I’m so glad that I get to have that experience.

So, there you go – the seven wonders of my life (and yes, I do know that I crammed about 27 things into each one).  Sorry about the gooey-ness  and positivity of the post. If that stuff annoys you, see me later and I’m sure I’ll find something to complain about.

All in all, I’m one lucky and grateful person.  Are you?

Namaste,

L