Often, anticipation of significant life events, major milestones
and accompanying celebrations get in the way of seeing the little gifts that
come our way. Several years ago I studied
“gratitude and contentment” in depth and my eyes were opened! It’s easy to become lackadaisical with time. Better
outlooks and healthy routines have a way of subtly disappearing if not for
intention and accountability. (Which is why the gym crowds from January are mostly gone now!)
Having kept a number of “gratitude journals” over recent years, I've known the personal benefit firsthand. A handful of friends also caught on and implemented this same practice. Ironically, here
I sit, on the first of February 2016 – out of practice.
“February” is derived from the Latin “Februarius”- which was
a festival for Roman citizens. It was essentially a month of ritualistic
purification baths. (I had no idea until today, but find this an interesting
piece of trivia!) In a sense, I'm going to celebrate "Februarius" - choosing to once again take a whole month to focus on life’s simple pleasures,
the little gifts that abound daily – the silver linings often overlooked in the pursuit
of something grander. As with the Roman festival for which this month is named, I'll view this as a mental/attitude preparation for the coming months. Having gone through many changes last year, and while “wondering
rather than worrying”… I’ve neglected at times to live in the moment.
From past “gratitude-centric” seasons, I know that overall –
life felt better in spite of challenges. My outlook seemed more positive and there was an increased
awareness of the hidden blessings in the sometimes mundane. This month my objective will be capturing one
small, non-grandiose cause for thanks per day.
(No matter what is going on in your own life, there are momentary gifts…I
encourage my friends to do the same. In
fact, the more challenging your season of life, the more beneficial this exercise will be.)
So… the next 27 days may only have a black & white photo
and a caption – but I’ll have at a minimum, captured something that makes me smile. It may be foolish to some - but significant in my mind.
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You gotta love Georgia weather. On Christmas night, I was wearing shorts and
a tank top. Last week we had snow on the
ground (briefly.) Friends and family across the country get a kick out of
Atlanta’s Snow days – but for this Georgia girl, snow days are a novelty! The days of powdery white accumulation are few and far
between. Who wouldn’t mind being snowed in a few days
next week! It's fabulous - especially, if you've got the right people around you! (Although, I've yet to determine what my GA counterparts do with all the bread and milk ... bigger priorities should be wine and cheese - it's Biblical. Jesus's first miracle on Earth was turning water in to wine, not milking a cow.)
I enjoy those rare snow days... however this week we have temperatures in the high 60s. So, back to the here and now...
For today, February 1st, my favorite simple
pleasure was walking out of my house in my years-long favorite, comfy outfit: shorts, a sweatshirt and flip flops.
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| It felt great to run errands in my khaki shorts, Harvard sweatshirt and flip flops! To me, this wardrobe combination has always implied "simple, comfortable, care-free and low maintenance!(I took the low maintenance thing to new levels with no make-up and a wet head...a hint of summer!) |
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