Surprise

This morning, I am grateful for life's ability to surprise me. No matter how long it has been since I've fallen into a routine, there's always something that can stir it up and reinvigorate my approach to daily life. On one hand, habits and routines are good and even essential. By definition, however, I sort of go into autopilot and cease being fully cognizant of my surroundings and actions. Even tiny tweaks to these routines or simply my mentality towards them can change my outlook for the day. Or, as I originally started saying, life can just throw a few changes my way that lead to little awakenings.

So thank you, life, for these surprises you give us on a daily basis. Being more aware and open to them makes life more exciting and interesting.

Abundance

Today, I turn my mind to the overall abundance we have in this country. Regardless of what we want, we can get it almost immediately. Need some blank CDs? Go out to Best Buy. Need them cheaper? Try Goodwill. New clothes? Covered. New Car? Used Car? Craigslist. We can buy computers, organic produce, houses, books, electricity, clean drinking water, all the food we can eat, and infinitely more. All of these things are at our fingertips. We literally don't have to leave our house to get most of these things, thanks to internet shopping.

We are so unbelievably lucky. It blows my mind when I take the time to think about it. I've never had to read the same book hundreds of times just because I couldn't afford or didn't have access to a new one. I've never had to sit by candlelight because my area hasn't been developed enough to be equipped with electricity. I've never had to walk miles to a well in order to find water that was suitable for drinking, let alone doing the dishes, taking a shower, or taking advantage of indoor plumbing.

Sometimes I feel conflicted about this privilege I've accidentally stumbled into, especially when I picture families who, out of necessity, do have to go through the aforementioned efforts to acquire basic items and services that I don't think twice about. On the other hand, if we can have all of our basic needs—and then some—met here, then I believe everywhere else is capable of achieving the same thing. It will take effort; it will take planning; and it will take the conscious effort of all of us to even be aware of this abundance we live in and that not everyone is afforded this.

Thank you, abundance, for making our lives easier. Thank you for allowing me to turn my attention from basic survival to more complex and deep aspirations in life. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to enjoy all you have to offer responsibly. It's a historical accident that I was born an American and born into this society of plenty, but that doesn't mean I should be wasteful or lavish—quite the opposite. Everyday is a chance to practice mindfulness and to be grateful for every single thing in my life.

Wind

I am grateful for the wind. It's probably my favorite "element" (Captain Planet style) and it's really quite a beautiful thing. The sound it makes as it travels over the land, the trees as they sway to and fro, the feeling of it as it flows through my fingertips. I remember my friend and I as kids would climb trees on windy days and just stand on the branches as the whole thing moved back and forth. Feeling the wind against my hand as I drove was also a favorite past time. It makes hot days bearable.  It generates electricity. It fills sails. It allows plants to travel as their seeds are dispersed. And it makes me feel nice and cozy in my house as I hear it roaring outside.

It's pretty windy today and I like it. So thank you, wind. Stick around for a while.

Friends Moving In

This week, we have some friends moving in with us for a couple months. More specifically, they'll be parking their super sweet camper in our yard, which actually works out better for the both of us because we get to hang out as if they were actually in the house while maintaining more privacy. It will shake things up to have friends so close by (like living with roommates again) and I know we'll all make the best of it. I'm picturing bonfires, cookouts, jams (they're musicians, and actually played at our wedding), and other good stuff.

So thank goodness for this opportunity to spend some time with people we care about. I look forward to it.

Things to Do

I am grateful for things to do, like chores, work, and other assignments. Often, these obligations can feel like a weight on my shoulders that is preventing me from doing what I really want to. But how I do anything is how I do everything. So really, these obligations are opportunities for me to be the best I can be; to develop healthy and effective habits; to build a strong character and work ethic. These things I have to do have the power to shape who I am. This drastically changes how I think about doing the dishes. I'm not saying I won't feel the weight of these obligations, but maybe this mindset will help me get through them more positively, which may, in turn, produce a better result.

So thank you, things to do, for giving me the opportunity to prove myself every single day, even in the smallest of things.

New House

Not my new house, but I am grateful for the new house our friends are moving into. Yesterday, we helped them move a bunch of stuff over and it is a nice place: beautiful home, big enclosed backyard, and a nice, quiet neighborhood. It will be perfect for their little boy, who doesn't have much space to go wild where they are right now. Here, however, he'll be able to go crazy in the yard and bike up and down his street. Also, mom and dad can feel better that they're no longer living near a marsh and, thus, no longer near a bunch of dangerous snakes. So thank you, new house, for opening a new chapter for our good friends and providing them a wonderful environment to continue their lives.

And on another note, I just realized that this post (and a few previous ones) expresses gratitude on behalf of someone else. Although my posts tend to focus on aspects of my life in particular, I suddenly feel like I've discovered a new world of looking beyond my own and being able to feel genuine gratitude and joy in the lives of others. And my eyes open just a little wider.

A Little Bit of Free Time

Oh, am I grateful for just a little bit of free time. I can finally feel this translation project closing (all that's left is editing) and yesterday I had time to take apart a pallet and start working on a couple projects with the wood. To have time to do something other than wake up, translate, tutor, and sleep is a wonderful thing.

Thank you, oh, so much, free time. You allow me to explore areas outside of my professional life; interests and hobbies that are just as important for a meaningful existence. As long as I take care to avoid squandering you and just sitting on my butt, you are invigorating and make me feel even more productive.

Stove

Today, I am grateful for one of our most-used kitchen appliances (or appliances in general), the stove. I would say 99% of the meals we eat involve heating something up either on or in the stove. My morning ritual involves heating up water on one of the electric eyes to make tea (and later in the day—coffee). We scramble eggs, fry up potatoes, make stir-fry, cook pizza, whip up pancakes, and any other number of delicious meals we create to sustain us.

(photo as it appears on http://www.savonappliance.com/images/featured/white-stove_570.jpg)

It can be challenging for me to force an excitement about something so mundane and so seamlessly integrated into my life, so one mental exercise I try is imagining what life would be without it. So let's picture life without a stove. It basically leaves me with two options (three, if we get creative): cook over an open fire or eat everything raw. Now, don't get me wrong, I love cooking over a camp fire on the weekend or roasting marshmallows, but cooking every single meal like that would be exhausting. At the very least, I would be out there three times a day fastidiously arranging the firewood, tediously trying to get the stuff to stay lit, and only then actually cooking the food. And what happens if it's raining outside (as tends to happen quite often in Florida)? Or what if I get a late-night hankering for a cup of tea? Life suddenly revolves around preparing food.

Sure, I would survive with the open flame or raw food diet, but, man, it would make things more difficult. Instead, I just shuffle my way to the kitchen, turn a knob with my eyes still half-shut, and—boom—I have water heating up on an extremely-focused heat source. Or—boom—I have a perfectly cooked fried egg with a side of home fries. And all of this without leaving the comfort of my own home; without having to battle the rain, sun, cold, mosquitoes, or humidity every time I want something warm. So thank you, stove, for making my life so much easier. Thank you for providing me with hot food and beverages with so little effort from me. You easily accommodate my diet of cooked food and help make my meals delicious (Thai curry?). And you allow me to spend more time focusing on more important things, like getting this translation done. Keep it up.

The Sun

This morning, I am grateful for the sun. Specifically, the morning sun. Even though I may be tired some mornings, standing outside as the early sun filters through the trees is really quite beautiful and, ever so slightly, invigorating. Our bodies wake up in the presence of sunlight and I can instantly feel my mood change.

So thank you, sun, for helping me wake up and reminding me that today is a new day to be filled with accomplishments, however small. Shine on.

iPod

Today, I am grateful for my trusty iPod. It's been with me since I picked it up from the local Lotte Mart in Gunsan, South Korea about four years ago.

(photo as it appears on http://aplan-group.com/portfolio_page/lotte-mart-gunsan-branch/)

Sure, its iOS may be outdated and I may not be able to download the latest apps, but I can listen to music to my heart's content (which I'm doing now), get updates on the news, check and write email, study my handy vocab flashcards, explore the universe, solve puzzles, practice diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias, and much, much more. This thing is amazing. And it fits right in my pocket.

It has been through a lot with me. It got me across the ocean a couple times, helping me muffle out the roar of the plane engines for hours on end. It helped me own GRE vocab and nail the test. Its collection of music has kept me motivated through countless hours of studying, homework, and writing in grad school. It has kept my energy up on the treadmill and at my desk while I translate.

Yep, this little device is a lifesaver. Though its age is starting to become apparent, I know we have a few more years together. (And seriously, four years is far too few to be nearing obsolescence. Come on, computer world.) Anyways, thank you, iPod, for rocking with me as long as you have. May I continue to learn from you and take advantage of all you have to offer.

Stability

I am grateful for the overall stability of life. Sure, there are ups and downs, abundant times and lean, but life's overall trajectory is a smooth curve. It reminds me of Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park", where one of the characters talks about fractal geometry. One type of image generated by fractal geometry that you may have seen is one where you can zoom in (or out) infinitely while the overall image remains the same. As Malcolm (the character) explains, the smallest pieces resemble the largest pieces.


(photo as it appears on http://laiyla.org/images/easyblog_images/78/fractal2.jpg)

Here is an example of fractal geometry. At first, it may appear chaotic, but upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that there is an infinitely repeating pattern. So, too, I see with life. Circumstances may change—I may move, change jobs, struggle with time or money—but all the same, I persist. Overall, my life is stable.

So thank you, stability, for giving me the courage to face those difficult times, knowing that I'll make it through. Thank you, Michael Crichton, for writing "Jurassic Park", which both turned into an amazing movie and introduced me to some fascinating ideas like fractal geometry. And thank you, fractal geometry, for being weird and beautiful. Maybe someday I'll understand the mathematics that lie behind you.

Beautiful Weather

I am so grateful for this beautiful weather we've had these past couple days. It's been a little cool, but the sunshine and blue skies have been revitalizing. It was the perfect motivation to get up and get outside, go for a walk or a drive. My wife and I had a couple lovely nights out and afternoons spent reading on the porch. Ah, the simple things.

Today is supposed to be stormy, but that's OK because my solar cells have been recharged. We're all, ultimately, solar powered.

Not Wanting To Wake Up

Oddly enough, I am grateful for not wanting to wake up this morning when my alarm went off. Why, you ask? Because before I was even out of bed, I had a challenge I could overcome. Even in my sleepy haze, I saw this as an opportunity to accomplish something. And so I did.

I think these types of challenges are personally more valuable than any others we come across. When I'm assigned a task by someone else, it may or may not actually be challenging; it's just something I have to complete. But here, I was brought face to face with my own will. Will I rise up and defy my body's craving for more sleep? Or will I simply turn off the alarm and lay my head back down? How I answer this is how I answer everything.

Today, I said, "Rise up," not only because there are much more important things I want to accomplish other than sleeping, but also because getting up is a testament to the fact that I am in control; that what I do is a result solely of my will and that I will be overcome by no external force.

So thank you, desire to keep sleeping, for giving me the opportunity to prove myself this morning. Not even up an hour and already I've accomplished so much.

This Blog

I am grateful for this blog. It's a way for me to explore the way I see the world and reevaluate—and even reset—my priorities. This blog is a process; an exercise. My past experience tells me that the more I practice gratitude, the easier it comes to me. And that's the whole point. It's an important part of life to be ambitious and set goals, but to be forever dissatisfied with my current situation because I'm always seeking something more is simply ridiculous.

I will not give up my ambition to create an amazing life and to be the best person I can be. But I will also not forget how incredible my life already is and how unbelievable it is that both I and this universe should even exist.

So thank you, blog, for helping me open up my eyes to the world around me and for helping me gain a little perspective. Here's to the journey.

Mornings

This morning, I am grateful for mornings. They're a time before the craziness of the day has started; a time where I can set my routine and focus on getting a good start to the day; a time for me to wake my mind and body up, making them agile and limber; a time for me to muse over the potential of the creative workspace that is the day to come; a time to reflect on everything I am capable of and dream of all the amazing things I want to accomplish.

Mornings are amazing things. They are invigorating and inspiring. Sometimes it can be hard to be enraptured by them when all my body wants is more sleep, but I dare to be challenged. So thank you, mornings, for allowing me to create my future and to be the best self I can be. Thank you for being there for me everyday, whether or not I acknowledge it. May I be more aware of your presence and potential.

The Final Countdown

I am grateful for the final countdown (cue song) of this project I've been working on for months. Just two more weeks and I'm finished! After that, I can move onto other interesting projects in other interesting fields. I'm grateful for the challenges this project presented me and the opportunities for learning I was given. Now let's finish this thing.

Trip

I am grateful for the amazing trip we just had. My wife took the final step in completing her two years of relentless study. We explored three unique towns and tried all their delicious food and beverages. We admired the mountains, the snow, the blue skies and grey. It warmed up, it got cold again. We safely traveled along the winding highways, back and forth, up and down. Our trusty rental car never let us down and showed us the wonder of a new car's impressive gas mileage. We went to an ice cream factory and, while we didn't get the tour, got some tasty treats. Also, we caught up on some well-earned sleep.

It was great to leave the state and take a vacation with my wife to celebrate our marriage and her graduation. It was nice to treat ourselves and just relax. We had fun and got back safely to our sleepy dog. Thank you, trip, for letting us explore the world a little more and to have a little more adventure. I hope to be seeing you again soon.

Awesome Weather

I am grateful for the awesome weather! Yesterday was sunny and relatively warm and today was more of the same. Beautiful. It was wonderful to walk around the state capitol with my wife and grab some good food. Thank you, downtown, for having lots of cool things that are walking distance from each other. Thank you, good weather, for enabling us to walk to them.

Walk on.