Tuesday Truth.
Number 50.
I thought this quote would be fitting since I’ve just finished reading The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. The tagline to the book is “How a year looking on the bright side can transform your life.”
I try to practice gratitude and search for the positives in less than stellar situations, but just like my meditation practice, I go along fully engaged in my practices and then I miss a day and then a little while later, I miss a few more and suddenly I’m not practicing anymore.
And then I remember, come back to the practice and the same scenario unfolds.
Does anyone else have this problem?
I’ve engaged in both for long enough periods that they should be ingrained habits, and yet…they always seem to take a backseat when life demands my attention (which also coincides with when I most need them). However, each year, I find that less time lapses between picking up each practice again.
So I’m grateful for that.
Autumn has turned to darker colors in my part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The mountainsides looking like the sun has scorched the land. Soon the landscape will shift to the hidden shapes of the trees, exposed as their leaves fall away.
I’m trying to figure out where the entire beginning of November went.
Quite a bit of the weekend time has been filled with soccer….and lots of driving to soccer. Miss Sunshine had a soccer tournament down in Winston-Salem, NC this past weekend. Four soccer games with temps ranging from 30°F to 65°F. I brought three different pairs of boots to deals with the wide shift in temperatures. I don’t like to be cold!
We also went
I also took all the wallpaper off of the basement bathroom walls.
It was oddly satisfying.
I am so excited that the basement is finally getting a makeover after 6 years of living here and disliking the aging carpet, dark walls, and the 80’s bathroom. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that I’m painting it all in Sea Salt. I love the calm that color brings to my home.
And because we weren’t doing enough remodeling (snort), my husband pulled the carpet off the stairs to the basement. To be fair, the carpet was in horrid shape. I wrote about how I stained them back in the third post I ever wrote in January of 2016 (How quickly a day can derail you). Add 3 1/2 more years and the dog getting sick on them and he moved up the timeline to their repair. They will not be getting carpet again. I still have to decide on a stain color.
So that’s what I’ve been up to.
What’s going on in your part of the world?
Let your light shine!
Amy
I know what you mean about that gratitude practice Amy. Doesn’t matter how long we’ve been practicing it, there are always lapses, usually during life’s challenging moments. It’s good to be kind to ourselves though and know we can always get back on track. I like the sound of that make over. Amazing how a change in our surroundings can lift our spirits. Have a great month. xx
Thank you, Miriam. I hope that you have a great month as well. You are right! It is amazing how a change in our surroundings can lift our spirits. I’m grateful for the moments when I get back on track with the gratitude practice. It always makes such a huge difference in how I feel. xx
It’s great if one can find the bright side but there are times when all seems so dark.
I have walked through dark times and also beside those walking in dark times. So I certainly don’t want to diminish the fact that there are challenges that pull you deeply under the waves. And in those times it can definitely be a hard challenge to find the bright side. But hopefully, there’s always that one glimmer of light that draws you toward it.
Soccer at 30 degrees is no fun!! Congrats on doing renovations, we just went through with all of the ground floor this fall. I’m glad its over, but I love the results. Hope your week is going well! Marcus
Soccer and cold don’t go together very well! lol. Renovations are always exhausting, but usually well worth it. I’m glad that you are enjoying yours. I’m rounding up for another weekend away of soccer! I hope your week is going well too, Marcus! 🙂
A friend of mine had adopted a similar motto for 2019, essentially with a theme of “today is my favorite day”. I love that concept… although I’ve done a terrible job lately of remembering that each new day has the potential to be the best day yet. But it’s true; every day is a new opportunity for wonderful things. 🙂
I love your friend’s motto!! I don’t do very well at remembering each day’s potential, but I find myself feeling so much better when I do!! 🙂
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing this, Amy! I needed to read this one. I am guilty of wishing away my days right now because it’s been a tough few months, and I just want to make it to the end of the semester. But this is so true– each day is a gift and just having the perspective as such can make sure a difference!
I’m so glad that this resonated with you, Mackenzie! I’m sorry that it’s been a tough few months. You. Are. SOOO. Close. I know it’s easy to wish the time away when the days are stressful, but I hope that you are able to take some moments to savor each day. xx
Thank you!!!!! ❤️
I always try to find the brightside of life, and being grateful, but sometimes I forget that.
It’s work to redo the house, but it’s so satisfying and worth the work in the end. Are you taking before and after snaps?
My world…I’m settling in back at home after being at Baby Girl’s taking care of #1 Grandson while she and The Handsome Surveyor were on an overdue mini Honeymoon.
Far too often, I forget to look at the bright side of life. I find that I’m always thankful for the reminders of my many blessings when I remember to look at that side though!
Most of it was torn apart while I was out of town, but I’m pretty sure I have some photos here and there in the archives that’ll work for my befores. Someday I’ll get better at remembering the before shots. lol.
I’m sure you had a great time with #1 Grandson. I’m so happy that Baby Girl and The Handsome Surveryor were finally able to go on their overdue mini honeymoon. I hope they had a wonderful time!!
You sound so busy! And, taking down wallpaper 😳 Not my favorite activity, but you’re right. When it’s over, it’s so satisfying!!
It sure is a busy time, Dee Dee! I’m hoping that it’ll slow down by Thanksgiving. Yes! It was so satisfying when the wallpaper removal was complete. This one went a little more smoothly than some other removals I’ve undertaken!
There has been recent buzz about this book, Amy. Did you like it and learn anything new? I agree with you how I need constant reminders about what is important. I like how schools continue with traditions such as a Sadie Hawkins dance, although I have not heard of one in Canada?
Fall is definitely here, too. I am grateful for my layers of clothing and a cozy home:) Enjoy your precious family time. I hope your daughter enjoys the dance.🙂
I did enjoy the book. I like how she interviewed people to have a scientific basis for parts of the book. I’m not sure if I learned anything “new”, but perhaps a newfound inspiration for areas that I may not give proper thought to finding gratitude amongst.
I did read that Sadie Hawkins is celebrated in the U.S. and Canada, but I hadn’t heard of it in many schools here. So it just may not be widespread.
Layers and a cozy home is a wonderful thing in the fall! Thanks for the wishes! 🙂
Home projects are kind of fun!!! Soccer tournaments in the cold, not so much. Haha. I don’t meditate (though I should), but I do the same thing with vitamins. Good for a week, then off the wagon. Haha. Enjoy your weekend Chica!
I enjoy the process of designing how the home project will look and admiring the end result. Not so much the in-between. lol. I’m just as bad with vitamins! Enjoy your week as well! 🙂
I agree, the in between can be horrendous!
When I first started gratitude practice, it was hard work. Now, I just live there, mentally. Meditation and I don’t meet as often as we used to, same with yoga, and so I do find I lose ‘flexibility’ in both if I skip too many days.
When I was in high school, we had Sadie Hawkins, called Turnabout around Valentine’s Day each year. They no longer do that, which I think is sad.
Living mentally in gratitude is a great place to find yourself. I remember to visit there, but I’d like to get my practice to living there.
I’ve recently been regular with my meditation practice, but my yoga practice took a sad backseat with some back pain. The chiropractor finally got that all fixed, but I find that I haven’t made my way back to my practice as regularly as I’d like.
When my oldest had the Sadie Hawkins Dance, it was in February or March. Our school year shifted to graduation before Memorial Day, which pushed prom to the end of March, so they moved back this dance to December.
I am sad your back pain returned. Thankfully you’re dedicated to self-care 🙂