Here we are, finishing the second week of the
challenge. Only one left? Wow! I will say it is easier to consolidate
what I wrote/did into incremental entries rather than trying to write a
full thing every day. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Day
10: Pick one of your five senses to focus on each day. Take note of how
many gifts come to you via that single part of entry. Write about this
experience.
So I did this for a couple days, focusing on my sight, hearing, and sense of smell. And it was wonderful.
The first day was focused on hearing and I
adored paying closer attention to the sound of Corey’s voice, and Owen’s
coos and laughs. I listened to the rain, and to the birds that come to
our porch through my bribes of birdseed. The sound of the wind in the
trees outside relaxed me and gave me an appreciation for summer I
haven’t felt since I was a kid.
The second day I focused on my sight –
feeling especially thankful for how much I still love and appreciate
being able to see Corey physically in front of me every day, as compared
to the many years of long distance and missing his physical presence in
my life. I took a walk and looked at gorgeous flowers and plants
blooming all over the place in the neighborhoods near our house, and
watched Owen as he intently looked around learning constantly about new
things that will one day become normal and virtually unnoticed. I
watched him look back at me, recognize me and smile his cute new-toothy
smile. I looked at my books and the book I’m currently reading,
obscenely grateful for my ability to experience one of the greatest
loves of my life – literature – and being able to enjoy their company,
and the sense of home they give me.
The last day, I was paying attention to my
sense of smell and took note of the great smells of what I was cooking
(particularly a BBQ Chicken & Provolone Grilled Cheese I invented).
The smell of Corey’s cologne that I have always loved – remembering that
when we were apart I grew emotionally attached to the smell as it would
be embedded in my clothes when I would come home from visiting him, and
it would make me feel as though he weren’t so far away. The smell of
Owen’s newly washed hair – to quote Gilmore Girls, “She was the most
beautiful pink all over. She even smelled pink. That sounds weird. I
can't describe it - that little, pink, baby smell. The first time her
eyes focused on me and her little fingers reached out... I was someone
new. She had me.” – That’s exactly what goes through my head whenever I
look at him, smell his hair or skin, or hear him make some adorably cute
new sound.
Day
11: Try to see the world through the eyes of a child. Think about the
things you take for granted on a daily basis, and then express gratitude
for everything down to the basic necessities that sustain your current
life.
Rather than write a long thing here, I
wrote a list of the things that I appreciate & particularly loved as
a kid – and how amazing they still are – even though they somehow get
taken for granted as we get older.
Magic markers, Freshly cut grass, Swimming
pools, Stickers, Watercolors & Finger paints, Apples, Cheese, Soft
Blankets, Bubbles, Strawberries, Oranges, Cool Whip, Cinnamon Sugar on
Toast, Waffles with Syrup, Flowers, Birds, Rain, Thunder, Dandelion
puffs, Butterflies, Chipmunks
That’s my list. Consider each one, and you’ll remember how amazing they were to you as a kid.
Day
12: Today, make the effort to live life with a positive outlook.
Restrain from criticizing the people around you. Dare to see the glass
half full. Listen more than you speak. Give freely of yourself. Practice
kindness at every opportunity.
The hard part of this one was seeing the
glass half full and to restrain from criticizing – which I altered to
include sarcastic remarks, my weakness & default in communication. I
have been doing better though and decided to keep making this effort
every day through the rest of the challenge (and beyond?). I do notice
though that so far in the challenge I really have been feeling more
generally happy and appreciative of my life and circumstances. It’s a
great change that’s happening.
Day
13: Pick three friends or family members you see regularly. View their
actions and gestures through a positive lens, assuming their goodness
and witnessing their best intentions.
Since the only people I see are Corey and
Owen, I mended this to include friends and family I talk to regularly.
Which I chose to be my friend Shaina, my sister Brittany, and my sister
Kristi (who the day before this, on day 12, gave birth to the most
beautiful baby girl named Bridget Marie). I was confused by this post,
since I feel like I always do this with them but none the less I made a
point to do it, and I feel like my positive attitude towards them was
reflected in our conversation and just made the whole experience more
positive – though with Kristi, that could easily be credited to that
gorgeous new wee babe. : )
Day
14: It’s been two weeks since you started The Gratitude Challenge.
Write about how The Challenge has changed your perspective thus far.
I kind of talked about this in the day 12
entry, but I’ll write a bit more about it today. Since starting this
challenge two weeks ago, my perspective regarding my unemployment
situation and how my life is going has completely changed. I have gone
from frustration and fear to be completely excited and working on trying
to find new opportunities and new paths for myself. It has led to some
new projects and possibly new life avenues, though that is for another
day when things have progressed a bit more. I have realized how what I
had always thought was the basic plan for my life (and really, what we
all grow up with) is not necessarily how my life is going to go – or
should go. This openness in my life is an opportunity, and I plan to
take full advantage of it. I’m getting the chance to invent an entirely
new existence for myself, which I feel like few people do – or they just
don’t have the courage to take part in it.
