The ageratums are blooming!I walked through my garden yesterday and found the ageratums in bloom. As I paused to take them in, a butterfly floated by and settled on one of the lavender flowers. I thought to myself, "how beautiful!" For a moment, I just focused on this peaceful scene. As I turned to walk back into the house, I realized that I was smiling "for no reason." I felt good and unburdened.
I call this a "happy grateful bit" -- just one of those small things that is easily overlooked if you aren't careful, but can change your whole outlook if you let it. It reminded me that I should collect happy grateful bits everyday -- a bouquet of gratitude for each day. Here is yesterday's bouquet:
- The ageratums are blooming!
- Melvin is dreaming of chasing squirrels. He's barking under his breath in his sleep, and his little paws are in motion.
- As I passed a neighbor's house on my walk this evening, he came over to the street to just say hello and catch up. He patted Melvin on the head, and I stroked his cat, Murray.
- The neighborhood hawk swooshed down into my yard again today and landed in the crape myrtle out front. He's so handsome!
- Clean, neatly folded laundry!
If you slow down and take notice, you will realize that happy grateful bits are all around. Share yours!
22 comments:
Wow Pat. You're amazing. Can't wait to go through my day looking for my happy grateful bits!
I had the great oppurtunity yesterday day to walk to my little sisters elementary school and pick her up at the end of the day. It was so wonderful walking and talking with a first grader. Than I got to babysit my 2 1/2 year old niece she is the cutest, saying the most adorable things, we giggled the whole time! The only chance Eric and I have had to make to the beach has been at night, we brought Kyla and the three of us had the most amazing time, Kyla loved the sand, and it was so wonderful to hear the waves and see the stars again!
Eric's job interview went very well! It looks like this guy is ready for Eric to take over his practice, which is a great oppurtunity in this ecomony. We will know more in the next couple months, but at least I can still keep in touch with everyone through our blogs!
Rae, that's great news about Eric's interview. I'm happy for y'all (but selfishly don't want you to leave Atlanta).
And I didn't reallize until yesterday's blog that you have a little (really little) sister. That's cool - great times with her the last few days I'm sure.
1. Nothing beats a really good cup of coffee like the one I'm presently enjoying.
2. My two dogs are curled up next to each other and are so cute!
3. I did 10 OHS yesterday at 115# !!!
4. I love all my clients at CFED!
5. Jonathan cooked me dinner last night!
There's a lot more great stuff, but I might save it 'til tomorrow...
Good idea, Shana. I'm keeping a list of "Happy Grateful Bits" for today as I notice them. I have to jot them down as I notice them or I'll forget. :-)
Melissa, where are you? How's the leg?
That's the feeling I get, how I know I'm in the "zone"... seriously,... sitting & finding myself smiling for no reason.
Yesterday night I walked to the grocery store and just walked around. Didn't buy anything... it passed through my mind for a moment that mmm... I could get a cake hehe but I said "don't even go to THAT side of the store" and so I looked at books & magazines, made my one purchase then walked home.
I was super surprised that I "got a visit from Aunt-Flo" this morning, cuz y'all I SWEAR, usually the 2 days before -- I am white-knuckling it to not eat everything in the house. I really feel in my heart, that these new vitamins are meeting some major need in my body so I'm not having crazy cravings like I usually struggle with. I've felt more serene in the last 2 weeks than I have in a long time.
I had a really great time at lunch... little things flash through my mind of something we laughed about, and THAT makes me smile. ...I made it a point to watch the lion-video holyCRAP that's a heart-jerker!
I did 3 things yesterday that I've been procrastinating about, so I was feeling especially wiggly-puppy afterwards (gheeze it takes more energy to AVOID doing stuff.)
Aaannnd well, thinking about writing my girl on this blog makes me smile too. ;)
My GIRLS... or rather, my GIRLZ lol.
Just got done reading all the great posts from yesterday. Meeks, I love the pyramid head descriptor! I totally know about that.
Miki - you have been doing great, and i think it is totally reasonable for you to have a planned snack that is sweet.
Rae - where might you be moving? Would it mean you'd be close to your little sister and niece?
Thanks Pat for your post. I am going to start writing my happy grateful bits too!
Just a few things that I am grateful for today:
-the amazing weather
-Stan and I carpooled to work and are meeting for lunch - so we are getting to spend some extra time together
-my cat - when she gets annoyed, she has this grumpy meow that makes me laugh
-to be back home and with my vitamins. Erica suggested I start taking Florajen for IBS and other digestive related things. I forgot them over the weekend and felt so ick - so I am happy to be able to take my vitamins again and be "regular" (I know you all wanted to hear that)
-PatC's blog - always puts a smile on my face.
I was starting to worry about Melissa because she hasn't posted all day, but I just saw a post from her on the CFED blog. She's not a work today, but is planning to workout so I guess that means her thigh is better.
Also missing Miki today...
Kath, your supergirl photo is one of my happy grateful bits today! Congrats on foregoing the cake!
Oh, and thanks Gnomes, Sheryl, and Erica. I got the idea for today's post from Shana's comment yesterday, and then we talked later about how this would make a great topic for the blog.
It's good to see you on the blog, Miki. Sorry you aren't feeling well today. I hope you won't be down on yourself for what you ate last night. Just let that go. It happens to all of us. You've done great making changes...it's about "progress, not perfection" (that's a WW saying, and I've heard Melissa use it too).
Hello everyone. Sorry I'm so late posting. As Pat mentioned, I am at home today. I had to wait for the delivery of my NEW COUCH!! YAY!!! So, that is one grateful bit for the day. Anyhoo, I had to search through about 300 e-mails to find the link to the blog from home as I have it saved in favorites at work. At least my e-mail is cleared out now.
Pat~Once again, I love the subject for today. Especially as you described your flowers and the butterfly, that is sooo wonderful! Things like that make me happy. I LOVE FLOWERS!! Especially the happy flowers, like daffodils and tulips. Their sooo happy looking. :o)
Rae~Glad you are having a great vacation. I'm jealous of your beach time.
As for my thigh, it is VERY colorful. Still hurts a bit to walk on it. I think squats will be okay though. I'll have to try a few here at home. Either way, I'll be at the gym. I HAVE to do something.
Melissa, don't you love showing off a good bruise, though? Maybe you could make it one of your happy bits....
PS - there's something about calling them "happy bits" that is making me think of "naughty bits" and that is making me crack up ... so I am adding "happy/naughty bits" to my list of happy bits... LOL!!!
Yes Shana, I do like showing off a good bruise. I just don't like when they hurt so bad. And...it just looks weird.
Yay for happy/naughty bits! I just like the word "BIT". :o)
Miki - you deserved all the congrats i gave you. It was based on all you have been doing to try to get healthier around food. And I mean it no less after hearing about your night last night. Let's remember the 80/20 rule....and keep focusing on those happy grateful bits!
Oh, and i LOVE the word bits too.
a few of my happy grateful bits today....
*i have a client tonight who I really like, and i am really excited to help her meet her weight loss goals before her wedding in march
*i think i see an end in site with this back injury
*it is 5:18 and i have worked hard all day and now i am going to go outside and breathe some fresh air and exercise.
*i do not have a migraine today (had one yesterday)
I love it when I get scabs from doing 30-mups HAHA it's like a badge-of-honor. And the scrapes up the shins from deadlifts, hurts like a mutha but something GREAT (sick) about being able to say "uh I got that doing 100 pullups" ooorrrr "I pr'd on my DL with 220 ell bees" haHA!
I had a special treatment from my shiatszu (sp?) massage therapist (in FL sorry) and I have NOT had cramps for a year & a half. None. Nada. So that is one massive happy bit.
I like having pictures around, and looking at the pix in the gallery -- I remember what was happening during that moment and that lifts me.
Some of my Tuesday HGBs. In chronological order:
1. Seeing Naiya's braids standing straight up on her head this morning as she brushed her teeth. Made me smile big time.
2. Met another mom at my kids' school. We were both late but she had a smile rather than a scowl. And she lives in Avondale Estates and suggested that we exchange numbers for those days we just might need some backup.
3. My lunch companions agreed to sit outside and eat.
4. FINALLY got through reading a deposition transcript that seemed like it took forever to read.
5. Got a great compliment on my written and oral advocacy skills from another attorney.
Love your HGB's, Sheryl! Thanks for sharing them.
I've had a good two days, sticking exactly to the menu I planned. Tonight I'm feeling a little tempted to have something else. I thought I might be hungry, but I decided to drink a glass of tea and delay for a while. Now I don't feel hungry and not quite as tempted to just eat anyway.
Here are the Happy Grateful Bits that I jotted down today.
1. Freshly shaved legs.
2. Clear blue fall sky.
3. Pumpkins & mums at Sherry's Produce Stand.
4. A perfectly ripe pear.
5. Melvin asleep, curled up in the footwell of my desk while I work.
I love the topic for Today's blog, and it clearly is one of my happy grateful bits for the day. Thanks, Pat, for keeping up the blog and sharing these special things. I am suffering through a sinus infection, but noted the following happy grateful bits today:
1. The wonderful rain shower we had in Savannah
2. The playful squirrels in the giant oak tree, kept there by guard dog Pickles, who has determined her job in life is to assure those squirrels never set foot on the dirt in the yard,
3. The woman I talked to on the phone today who is struggling to make ends meet in this economy, but who took the time to call to compliment one of my staff,
4. The wonderful BBQ Tofu that I had for dinner (MMMMM - Delicious),
and 5. Sitting outside enjoying the wonderfully cool night breeze after a grueling workout!
Jeremy Irons once said in an interview, "We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams." Happy grateful bits help us build great memories and remind us to always dream. Time machines are important!
Post a Comment