I am feeling very grateful today, so I thought I'd write down the 5 things I'm most thankful for today (not in general, just today).
1. I'm thankful that clinic ended early tonight.
2. I'm thankful that we'll soon have an online link to buy tickets to the charity event.
3. I'm thankful for Campbell's soup-on-the-go.
4. I'm thankful for cell phones.
5. I'm thankful that I am married to my best friend.
Ok, I have a 6th one:
6. I'm thankful for Christian Girl, who always makes me laugh, always acts with grace and always comes through in a pinch.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
A View of Life
I'm an optimist. Really. Optimists not only see the glass as half full, they see the optimist in everyone. Even the pessimists. That's where we optimists get into trouble -- the pessimists don't want to see that the glass is half full. They'd rather pour the contents over your head and walk away while you're dripping wet, staring at a now fully-empty glass. My blog today is for the pessimists out there:
Are things really so dire? Are the stakes really so high?
Are we so arrogant to think that we are above disappointment and failure and frustration?
Are we so misguided as to think that life is all sunshine and rainbows?
I grew up with more "no"s than "yes"s, with more disappointments than gifts, and with more struggle than easy roads. I subsequently chose a career where I would see death win, tragedy happen and people break down. However, what I have learned through all of this is that we (meaning humankind) DO persevere, we DO fight even when we're losing, and we DO occasionally come out victorious.
I've also learned that you sometimes have to redefine what "victory" means. Sometimes it means your cancer is cured. Sometimes it means you die with dignity. Sometimes it means you finally get that baby. Sometimes it means you grew closer to your dad as you watch your mother die.
Life, I feel, is all about perspective. And we can choose from what angle we want to view things. That starting point is our decision to make, and it will make all the difference in how we look back on where we've come.
Are things really so dire? Are the stakes really so high?
Are we so arrogant to think that we are above disappointment and failure and frustration?
Are we so misguided as to think that life is all sunshine and rainbows?
I grew up with more "no"s than "yes"s, with more disappointments than gifts, and with more struggle than easy roads. I subsequently chose a career where I would see death win, tragedy happen and people break down. However, what I have learned through all of this is that we (meaning humankind) DO persevere, we DO fight even when we're losing, and we DO occasionally come out victorious.
I've also learned that you sometimes have to redefine what "victory" means. Sometimes it means your cancer is cured. Sometimes it means you die with dignity. Sometimes it means you finally get that baby. Sometimes it means you grew closer to your dad as you watch your mother die.
Life, I feel, is all about perspective. And we can choose from what angle we want to view things. That starting point is our decision to make, and it will make all the difference in how we look back on where we've come.
Friday, January 2, 2009
A December to Remember
Well, I finished by "31 Friends in 31 Days" experiment. I successfully sent 31 emails to 31+ people throughout December to tell them what they mean to me.
I'll be honest -- I missed a day here and there, so some people got it the day after their assigned day...but they didn't need to know that I was slow on delivering. Besides that little hang up, it went smashingly well.
I learned a lot in this experiment.
1. We don't tell people we love them nearly enough. (I hope to do a better job of this in the future.)
2. People enjoy knowing that they mean something to you.
3. It doesn't take much time to tell people how wonderful they are.
4. When I really looked at my friends and what their best qualities are, I found a lot of similar through lines. Generosity. Loyalty. Sacrifice. It seems that I am drawn to people with these qualities...they certainly make for awesome friends.
So, don't be afraid to tell people what they've done for you, what they mean to you, etc. We shouldn't have to wait for some tragedy to tell people how amazing they are. I think it's awesome to think that perhaps my everyday actions can touch people in ways that mean something. So, when people do that for me, I am going to tell them.
Spread the Love.
I'll be honest -- I missed a day here and there, so some people got it the day after their assigned day...but they didn't need to know that I was slow on delivering. Besides that little hang up, it went smashingly well.
I learned a lot in this experiment.
1. We don't tell people we love them nearly enough. (I hope to do a better job of this in the future.)
2. People enjoy knowing that they mean something to you.
3. It doesn't take much time to tell people how wonderful they are.
4. When I really looked at my friends and what their best qualities are, I found a lot of similar through lines. Generosity. Loyalty. Sacrifice. It seems that I am drawn to people with these qualities...they certainly make for awesome friends.
So, don't be afraid to tell people what they've done for you, what they mean to you, etc. We shouldn't have to wait for some tragedy to tell people how amazing they are. I think it's awesome to think that perhaps my everyday actions can touch people in ways that mean something. So, when people do that for me, I am going to tell them.
Spread the Love.
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