Week #26 - Make a Gratitude List!

[Cheryl]

Dear Friends,

This week share your gratitude list with us. Then, tell us how you'll
contribute to the abundance of others!

Thanks!
Cheryl

[rosebud2004]

--This community board
--The people I've met through this board
--My on-line makeover group
--My Mom
--My roommate
--Having a roof over my head
--My nephew and brand new niece
--The leadership skills I've developed over the past year
--My friends
--Getting to know myself over the last year
--Remembering what's important to me
--My determination
--I realized that even though I occassionaly do some not-so-bright things, I like me.
--My sister, Renate
--The power of positive thinking
--The fog (it's been extremely hot in the San Francisco Bay Area. The fog was a welcomed relief

And much more...

Tam

[azteacher]

Don't forget to read the gratitude thread started on the Virtual Life Makeover board, too. A double dose to help everyone remember that life is full of many wonderful things!

[shise]

My List of 20 things...
the things I'm grateful for are:
1. The freedoms I take for granted - to look, be, speak, act as I feel/wish
2. Solvency!! although my bills sometimes seem overwhelming, I
can pay them, I have never really lost anything of true value due to an inability to pay (just a little 'tarnished' credit, now & again =] )
3. My home!! I have a lovely house, charming & unique, simple
& sturdy.
4. My sweet animals, who love me, look up to me, are always
glad to see me.
5. My 'niche' in life - I have found 'my' spot, after years of
drifting, of vague unease, of a sense of 'not quite right' - I
am a teacher, something I now know I was born to be.
6. My students - who challenge me, exasperate me, ask me
questions, push me to my limits, look at me with critical eyes,
& with love. Their talent, their promise blows me away!!
7. The chance to travel - see #1 & 2 above =] - I adore new
experiences, cultures, history, ideas... I've been so blessed
to have the chance to experience so many of them!
8. My son - willful, brilliant, sensitive, prickly....
idealistic, critical, talented... always loving. He has made my life
complete, helped me fulfill my *other* natural destiny (teacher
& mother)
9. My creativity - I am so lucky to have that 'unusual eye -
I( can see things differently. this has made all the difference
in my life.
10. My intelligence - god bless my parents for giving me such
fortunate genes! it has enriched my life immeasureably.
11. Access to many cultural events - museums, concerts, plays.
12. Good friends: we are all so busy, we speak &/or see each
other far too rarely; but when we do, I am reminded how
valuable they are to me.
13. My health is good - mostly! =] But even with the problems
that I do have, I am so lucky that they are relatively minor,
that something positive can be done about them, & in general,
they don't keep me from doing what I love & value
14. A lively curiosity - I love learning new things. This has
made my life so much richer, so much more interesting.
15. The conveniences that have given me so much leisure time to
pursue interests - all those labor-saving devices that we tend
to take for granted, have created space in our lives.
16. My photographs, my journals, my collected mementoes that
are a visible record of my personal history, a life richly lived.
17. Well, goodness, I guess I'd have to say technology!
Similar to, but different from the labor-saving devices... my
computer, cameras, printer, television, vcr & dvd ... all of
these open up worlds of possibilities for me.
18. Safety. We were all so shocked & horrified by the events
of 9/11, but in reality, our response was in direct proportion
to how blessed we have/had been all these years. So many
people/countries have lived with turmoil, immediate danger &
disaster for years. We have been protected from these events
for so long.
19. Mobility - goes along with freedom, saftey, health,
labor-saving devies... all these come together to give me the
ability to go almost anywhere I want to, at almost any time I choose.
20. Goals. Reaching for new accomplishments, knowledge, skills
and experiences have brought to the enviable point I'm at in my
life today.

[sistersue57]

I am grateful for my life.

[TamiS]

I'm grateful for:
-my daughters
-friends: Chuck, Earlene, Joyce, Jane, Betty Jo
-my hot tub
-my grandmother
-my camera
-the opportunity to travel with work
-my car
-my little house
-my yard
-a scenic place to walk near my home
-a nice office
-a computer at work
-time alone
-ability to sing
-ability to play guitar
-a job
-refinancing my mortgage
-challenges
-my need to journal
-my pets

[peanut's momma]

What I am grateful for? Hmmm...let me think.

01. My grandmother who raised me from the age of 6 to 17. She passed away January of 2002.

02. My dear son who will be one year old on July 24th. I was told as a teen I would never birth a child of my own.

03. Going to Border's bookstore today and finding Cheryl's book, Stand Up For Your Life.

04. My loving fiance. Who is helping me find my self esteem.

05. My compassion.

06. I am grateful I lived through a life of abuse in all forms.

07. The roof over my head. Although it is with my future MIL.

08. Public Assistance. Without it we would not have food in our mouths or medical coverage for me and my son.

09. I am grateful I found the strength to get help.

10. My fiance's days off, which we spend together as a family.

11. Knowing how to swim. I love the water!

12. Being able to be a stay at home mom for my son.

Giving back? I just gave 16 cans of Similac formula and 4 boxes of Gerber cereal to my neighbor for her daughter's baby. My son will be starting on milk in a couple weeks. I am saving my son's outgrown clothing and toys for my fiance's sister who is expecting in early December.

[tamakay]

At this moment I am grateful for...

My parents for many reaslons. One being that they babysit my kids so that I can have a life outside of my children.

My body and health. It moves in all the ways I need it too and responds to self care.

The internet.

My husband's plane arriving shortly.

My wonderful home.

My beautiful, funny and mischievious children.

A good relationship with my son's father, no court battles, no backstabbing, etc.

Music.

Flowers.

Wind and wind chimes.

The library.

My courage to try new things.

[funny_bunny]

my family and friends...close, distant, and those who have passed.

teachers...I feel I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude.

countless nurses & doctors who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me and my family through the years.

writers, artists, and film-makers who help me see the world through new eyes.

having been able to tell my Grandmother how much I loved her & how much she meant to me before she died.

giving up television over six years ago.

getting up the courage to ask for help when I need it.

turning my mistakes into learning experiences and getting on with it...

politics & everyone's right to agree to disagree.

our National Parks, forests, parks & wildlife.

California & Californians. There's no place on earth like it. The people are great!

this forum.

Giving Back: I volunteer for 2 non-profits. I also care deeply about what goes on in my community, particularly issues relating to health and safety. I will continue to participate in government/community participatory meetings. Being a very shy person, it takes a lot of energy and moxie for me to get the courage stand up and be heard in front of 500 people. But you know what? I have found that doing my homework, speaking with conviction, and a lot of eye-contact really does work. You can be heard!

[Irinja]

First of all I´m so grateful that I get more and more to feel grateful about. Here´s my list (or some of it).

I´m grateful for:

1. My loving boyfriend.

2. That summer is here. (Regardless of what kind of wheather).

3. The money I have.

4. The people around me, that I love.

5. My "flowermedicin" that helps me grow.

6. The new habits I´m creating concerning keeping our home tidy.

7. Every week-end.

8. Every day off.

9. Having begun to play the piano.

10. Art and history - something new I´ve added to my life.

11. My books.

12. Our new grand piano.

13. My courage to tell my mother how badly she hurts me sometimes. (And to do it in a loving way too).

14. My romantic dinners with my boyfriend.

15. All the new things I learn.

16. The music I´ve already made.

17. My growing ability to know what is valuable to me.

18. The sleep I get.

19. Our home - I love to be in it.

20. Living in the city.

21. Rock´N´Roll - it keeps me sane.

22. My spiritual journey - It helps me so much.

23. All the music that brings so many beautiful things into my life.

24. Our new racing-track - so much fun - such a joy to have the money to buy it.
25. Our vacations.

26. My decision to create a retreat with my boyfriend.

Oh... and so much more!!!!

Last but not least - I´m grateful to be able to send at least some money every month to an organization which helps the victims in Iraq and other places in the world less fortunate than the place I live in.

I´ve just started and I pratice my trust. Trust that off cource I can afford that!!! I hope it contributes in some way at least.

I also do what I can to support anyone who´s trying to do some good in their lives. Showing that I believe in them and what they are trying to do.

[dilyku]

I would like to thank God for letting me live longer to laugh, love, cry, sing, write, play, share, breathe, garden, see, taste, smell, hear, feel, give, hope, dream, think, believe, and to love somemore and to start all over again tomorrow. I will have to think a little more about how to give back even though I know I can not out do the big guy. I want to make a big difference.

Diana