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Day 169- Multiplicity

2/27/2017

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Good Morning!
It's Sunday, and I am eternally grateful for my cozy, Hygge, toasty, hot-melted-butter-between-pancakes feel of my warmed up mattress pad! I am staying in bed to drink chai, read, study, and play online!
I am grateful my rebounding health as I felt I was coming down with the Austin Plague that's been circling me like buzzards waiting for carrion, for a month. Fever, malaise, and congestion has minimized to a bit of runny nose and infrequent cough! This means wellness remains and I will not get the full-on Austin Avian-like Flu that seemingly EVERYONE around me has suffered! Yay!
I'm grateful for fun times with work peeps, who are awesome and authentic and amazing. Sometimes I just listen in wonder when one of my co-mentors speak, while thinking to myself: "Wow, ____ is such an incredible human and I want to know him/her better! I am so lucky to have _____ in my life!" I am really, really 정말로 gratefule to work with these amazing, talented, kind, brilliant, creative, dedicated peeps! LOVE!
I'm grateful that I'm determined (finally) to take my last damn state certification test next week, despite the fear that I'll fail and the feeling of not being ready due to my diligent, rebellious, and successful avoidance of studying for it! Aargh! I'm going to take it and take the consequences and try to feel confident. In other words, fake it! I just want it over with! The good side, is that I can retake any portion I do not pass. I passed the first two, my friends remind me, so I should pass this as well! We will see!
I'm also grateful for my confidence and self-possession. To be honest, my body has gotten fat and slothful and I don't feel attractive as a result, but I'm out there, "dating" again, despite what would normally hold me back.
I'm grateful that I am also determined to get my running and workouts back on track. Consistency, dedication, and sankalpa (will power and determination) to get up early and work out will get my daily habits back into my healthy, active lifestyle!
Overall, my multiples of gratitudes are to my essence: I'm grateful for who I am and the life I have built. I see people around me with abundant wealth who are unhappy. I see people around me with health challenges that have changed their life. I feel lucky, blessed, and grateful to have a healthy body, work I love that provides for my needs, and a great life.
I enjoy multiplicities of abundancies in frequencies! Ha! Plus, I make up these great new words and use ellipses too often... because I like them!

P.S. I almost forgot! I bought a pair of "new" light-blocking curtains at the local resale shop and I LOVE them; they block out light in the AM, and they are also this lovely flaming hibiscus color that complements and contrasts with the blues and greys in my room. The color aligns with the feng shui directions of red/pinks/yellows in which I have my room organized, as well! Whee!
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Cute little boy that joined in our fun on 북푸로 (Bukpuro Mountain) in 통영시, 2014.
He followed me back down the mountain, holding tightly to my hand and chittering, despite 할아버지 (Grandpa's) admonitions that he was bothering us...which he was not! He laughed and played with Lara's bubbles, delighted in sharing his transformer toy with me, and all the while we listened to Grandpa's Korean music on his portable radio!
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Day 168 - Accepting Reality

2/23/2017

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At Barton Creek Spillway; fishing with the kiddos and enjoying nature!
If I can learn to love the weather, I can manage anything in life. Is this the big secret of managing my mind and thoughts; of remaining positive? Is such a simple thought process, so influential? Is such a small conscious decision of will, so powerful?

YES!

The weather this season drives me nuts, and that is the equivalent of saying it controls my life and changes my mood. I have no control over the weather though do I. I recently read the saying, "What is the weather today? I love it." This implied that whatever the weather may be, that person had decided to accept it. In other words, why fight reality? My metaphors for reality are traffic and weather. I can't control them, so why dislike or struggle against them. This is an easy concept for some, but not for me apparently! My mind wants control. It craves labels. My Self wants balance and equanimity and peace, whatever the weather.

In conclusion, if I can overcome my resistance to the weather and traffic that occurs --no matter what my thoughts and feelings are about them--I can accept other aspects of life without struggling and fighting. If I can wonder what the weather will be for the day, and follow it up with the exclamation, "...and I love it!", I can find peace in other areas of life. If I can sit in peace while in traffic, I can abide almost anything.

I don't want to commiserate with people around the negative water cooler in life: politics this, weather that, traffic such-and-such. I want to feel nothing about those topics because that means I am in a state of balance where I accept reality, I love reality, and the end result of this acceptance is that my mind doesn't grip me, I live in peace and balance. I want to love reality, because that's all there ever is.
So, it's February. It's summer. It doesn't feel right at all. What's the weather today? Near 90, and I love it!
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Gratitude for Gratitude - a Bonus for Today!

2/22/2017

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It's days like these that I can feel a dramatic shift in my sense of connection and joy! I am grateful. simple awareness and recognition of gratitude turns my whole view around. If I awaken feeling tired or sullen; a step back to look at my life, a few moments spent in searching for reasons to feel grateful and - BAM! I feel it. I am it. I am filled to the brim with love for all and so much appreciation. This is exactly why I started this year-long exercise in daily gratitude, so that I could remember--every day, that I have at least one reason to feel good about life and to be grateful and happy!

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Day 167 - Connection

2/22/2017

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It's Wednesday morning and I'm grateful I slept long hours and did not wake up too early! I'm grateful for awareness of aspects I can change and aspects that I must accept. I'm grateful for reminders: reminders that we are all connected and that connecting energy links me to not only my Highest Self, but all to all other life. I'm grateful to for teachers who remind me that there is purpose in darkness and that darkness makes the light so much brighter; that when I become impatient, I should remember those connections and realize that those people are part of me, a reflection of me, and my own personal teachers.
As usual, I'm grateful my life; where it was and where it is. I am grateful for family and friends, the school family of which I am part, transportation, a healthy body, financial security, prosperity in all areas, love, hygge, passé temps, creative outlets, connection to others, and this delicious cup of spicy chai steaming in a cup!
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At The Pearl, the former Pearl Brewing Company in San Antonio, 2017.
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Day 166 - The Whole requires both parts; all parts!

2/21/2017

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I am grateful today to be reminded to accept and work with the whole self, rather than rejecting one aspect as good or bad--which is what is normally taught. I am tired. I can fight that the whole day with caffeine intake, or I can just accept it and work around it. I sat here for an hour this morning trying to figure out why the hell I'm so tired after going to bed early and sleeping through the night (although I did awaken much before my 530am alarm). It frustrates me to feel tired when I want to get up exercise and write or read, but I need to sleep another 30-60 minutes so I can function adequately.
My morning reading was on balance and working the right hand with the left, the bad with the good, etc. So I am grateful to read this so I can work on accepting the parts I've always rejected; whether that is something physical, emotional, behavioral, or circumstantial.
I'm grateful to have time in the morning to pursue my studies, sit and enjoy a delicious cup of hot chai tea, and bring my awareness to a centering spot so that I can begin my day feeling grateful and positive!
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Day 165 - Challenges To Feeling Grateful

2/15/2017

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What to do when sick or injured or moody?

How does one maintain a daily practice of gratitude when not feeling happy, satisfied, or balanced, but rather, ill, grumpy, or in pain?

Gratitude certainly doesn't come easy on days when I have the "blahs". Pulling a muscle almost immediately upon return from vaca, to go from daily running to flat on my back and missing work. Being surrounded by people at work and home who have been suffering for weeks from the flu, having fought it off for this long--and now I wake up with a sore throat.

...These are days that I do not feel especially grateful, and yet, I can still find many aspects of life and myself for which I can be thankful. It definitely takes extra effort, and I've obviously missed several days, but here goes. The thing is, these are the days when I need it most! I'm naturally grateful when I wake up happy and content; life is going well and everything is easy. Then it's easy to yawn, stretch, and as I smile inside and out, think: What a great day! But what about days when I long to keep my eyes closed and shut out the world for lack of sleep, worrisome thoughts, or an ill body? How do I push beyond and find my will to remain grateful--to remember to stay grateful? I just do it! Like now!

So here I am, grateful for remembering that I need to find gratitude when I feel the exact opposite desire; grateful for a good place to live with roof over my head, affordable rent, and Hygge; grateful to have the gift of work I love, where I work with people I love; grateful for financial prosperity that allows me freedom; grateful for a healthy body that functions pretty darn well most of the time; grateful for friends that remind me to visualize what I hope for instead of being disappointed I don't have it; grateful for new friends who remind me to stay the course and old friends who comfort me when I can't; grateful for the sense of security and groundedness that has returned to my life; grateful for family that loves me despite my quirks and temperament (yeah, that's you Dad); grateful for my effusive creativity that I get to express in my work; grateful for supportive co-workers and loving school families; grateful for ability to run again because my knee is healing; grateful to have renewed my yoga sadhana at Satchidananda Ashram; grateful that I am able to visit the ashram; grateful for the passé temps I enjoy; and finally, grateful for feeling good and having survived the darkness.

Now, that's exactly what I needed! Now I can "rise and shine" to exclaim: "Life is great, what a great day"!
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Day 154 - Gratitude for Self-care

2/12/2017

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I am grateful for two aspects of this topic: that I have the freedom to take care of myself when I'm not 100% and that I do it! Back pain over the weekend, so I cleared my schedule to lie on my heating pad-- all day Saturday and Sunday!
It also gave me the opportunity to watch a bunch of great 한국 영화...

공유 오빠 💕✌️💕
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Day 163 Gratitude "My life is perfect!"

2/10/2017

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Today I am grateful that the muscle I pulled in my back on Monday is already healing - quickly! No pain this morning!
I am also grateful for the amazing adults and children with whom I "work". I love--finally, finally, finally, finally, ad infinitum--that I love what I do so much that I find it amusing to call it "work". I call it JOY!
Lying in bed last night, recalling Sw. H's comments about "my perfect life", thought: well it is, except for location. I want to shift my attitude about ATX and look for aspects of this place that I enjoy, instead of repeatedly banging the drum of "I don't like ATX". I will look for what I do like about it, so that I can fully enjoy my time here. After all, I have wonderful friends here, I love my "work", and I've got possibly the most affordable housing in ATX! I'll try I'll try Ill try!
I am grateful for where I live, my perfect life, and my school!

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The skies beyond my window were blurred hues of purple, pink, and blue.
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Day 162 - Gratitude for health

2/8/2017

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Ice crystals on a quartz I found in Virginia.
I am grateful for my healthy body! While I have a few injuries, suffer from flu now and again...overall I am very healthy, have a strong body, and have a durable immune system. Although I'm currently in pain from a strained quadratus lumborum (low back muscle), I know it will heal quickly; I'll be back to running ASAP. The fact is: I CAN run, which makes me lucky and blessed! I've had some health struggles and injury challenges the past two years, but I'm still healthy and full of energy and for that I am very, very, very grateful! I can hike, run, do yoga, eat healthy... and for the most part, I do!
​ I'm also grateful that I have the knowledge and (most of the time) discipline to take care of my body! I am so grateful for my health today!
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Day 162- Renewal

2/6/2017

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I am so, so, so very grateful for my renewed practice; what a change of BEing regular practice brings me! And I look forward to my morning and evening times, however early or late!
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    iGallivant...

    ...is practicing gratitude every day for 365 days.  Began on April 22, 2016, let's see how life changes over the course of this next year!

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