Right now my everyday items are mostly in storage and I look forward to getting settled soon in my new home with my son.
Looks like the new septic is in!! It has been 3 months living out of suit cases. I miss my special belongings. I do not have much but i do have special family items passed down from family. I will so honor my items when I get settled!
Oh my goodness,
dear Robin Ann . . .
I had no idea you’ve been going through this for 3 months.
I can certainly appreciate
your desire to get settled with your son
and begin to enjoy your new home
with love . . .
sparrow ♥
The light shining from above the ceiling, the light shining through my computer, the mirror at the wall reflecting what is in front to be perceived, that we can be together, sit together, share together, eat together in a most beautiful location and nature with trees and all, not to take a single item of all related for granted, gratefully honoring the divine in every item, every living being and every expression of life.
I need to bring more intentional gratefulness into my daily life and throughout the day.
This website is such a beautiful place to slow down.
May we all be blessed with peace & joy today!
I may have mentioned before,
that I am a crow,
and have always been attracted to the bright and shiny,
unusual and interesting things.
When I was younger,
living on extremely limited funds,
I would haunt thrift shops and yard sales
for bits of beauty.
That is how I set my table and curtained my windows,
furnished my home
(when I had a home) . . .
sewing different pieces of fabric together for tablecloths
and making mismatched creations with plates and bowls and cups.
Everything in my home made me grateful
every time I touched something
I would think of whoever’s hands had touched it in the past
and how it was carried forth to me.
Every time I pour from my porcelain fish pitcher
I am thankful . . .
whenever I serve pasta in the Portuguese salad bowl
I gratefully smile at the hand painted designs inside.
Don’t feel sorry for me . . .
I have some beautiful treasures from those days.
It broke my heart
when our local Salvation Army store closed. 🙂
I have always been aware and grateful for the conveniences of modern living. When I was young, I did a fair amount of backpacking. When we would return to civilization, every little convenience was a miracle. Also, as a person who fixes things, I understand just how lucky we are when things work. If you’ve ever had an old beater car, you know what I’m talking about. One time, and one time only, I washed my clothes the old fashioned way. I heated a tub of water over a fire, added soap, stirred my clothes around with a stick, and then spent the next few hours rinsing and wringing out and hanging my clothes.
I have never complained about doing laundry ever since.
The three years I was a nomad following the flock of sheep from pasture to pasture, I washed my clothes in a big, galvanized tub and a good old fashioned wash board, Charlie. Ever since I have never taken a washing machine for granted. A used washing machine was the first appliance I ever bought.
For the first few years of my married life,
dear Charlie,
I lived in a 9 x 12 fish house on the coast of Maine . . .
no electricity,
cold running water in the summer,
wood stove in the winter,
and a chemical toilet.
Like you,
I washed all clothing and bedding
in a galvanized washtub
in water warmed from the sun . . .
also used the washtub for bathing.
First time in a laundromat
was Heaven.
Now I am even more blessed . . .
I have a washer and dryer in my house. 🙂
I already have moments of gratefulness that arise from paying attention and noticing. I don’t just think of the item itself when I pause for a moment of gratitude. I think of the labor that went into making it, the natural resources without which it couldn’t exist, the human ingenuity to invent something, the people who brought it to my town. I also sometimes think about how much harder other times in history were. I turn on my faucet and clean water “just appears”; I don’t have to haul bucket after bucket from a well, stream, or lake, then boil it over a fire to heat it.
Since I work in transportation I appreciated that today’s quote mentioned paved roads. A lot of hard work goes into building and maintaining them so everyday items can be there on the shelf at the store. “How did that get here?” is part of my appreciation.
There still are many spots on the earth where people spend much of their time hauling water in buckets and jars. Generally, a task assigned to the women.
I like the Stoic practice of imagining things one step worse from how they are. It’s called negative visualization, and helps you want what you already have. For example, if I didn’t have this warm jacket, I would be shivering. If I didn’t have this computer, I would be thumb typing this comment on my phone. If I didn’t have this watch I would be searching for my phone to see what time it is. And so on. Helps me think I have it pretty good here, with all of these helpful objects.
By more often pausing to notice the items I am interacting with and give mental thanks for them. I already do this pretty frequently while doing dishes– I was really helped by a grateful.org question a few months ago about making parts of one’s daily routine into ritual. Part of making washing dishes into a ritual is feeling gratefulness for each dish as I wash it. I can see how it would be helpful for me to do this at other times of the day as well.
By being present to notice the ‘supportive infrastructure of my life’. By celebrating the ordinary. I have a practice where each week i randomly assign a chakra (& corresponding color) to each day. Today I’m focusing on the root chakra – I’ll wear something red, write with a red pen, change my computer background to an image with this color, focus on taking photos of anything red that catches my eye….I also take some time to think about how the quote of the day can be related to my own ‘chakra/color of the day. By just thinking about those things that I can incorporate into my day, I’m also focusing on being grateful.
Lauryn, your idea of focusing on a chakra each week is very appealing. I took a couple notes from your post with the intention of playing with this idea in my own life. Thank you so much. 🩷
How can I incorporate gratefulness for items that are part of my daily routine? Like so often, by slowing down and noticing how these items make my life easier, more pleasant, safer, more beautiful, more convenient, etc. Just slow down and notice, Mary.🩷
I have been more conscious of appreciating everyday items ever since I have put this site in my daily routine.
I often find myself saying “thank you” to an object.
That makes three of us. Thanks for being there for me, coffee, and thank you, cup, for holding it for me, and thank you to all the hands and labor that brought them all together here in my house.
I have a practice I’d like to share specifically about doing this; Thich Nhat Hahn’s gathas. They are pithy statements about the mundane. Everyday activities are the backbone of our lives. When we don’t have basic need met we suffer—yet it is so easy to go on autopilot. My favorite gatha from Br. Thay is about driving, “Driving in my car, the car and I are one. If I go fast the car goes fast. If I go slow, the car goes slow.” The gathas are almost haiku-like and they inspire mindfulness and gratitude. Here is a link to several https://beherenownetwork.com/thich-nhat-hanhs-gathas/. Please check it out and enjoy.
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Right now my everyday items are mostly in storage and I look forward to getting settled soon in my new home with my son.
Looks like the new septic is in!! It has been 3 months living out of suit cases. I miss my special belongings. I do not have much but i do have special family items passed down from family. I will so honor my items when I get settled!
Oh my goodness,
dear Robin Ann . . .
I had no idea you’ve been going through this for 3 months.
I can certainly appreciate
your desire to get settled with your son
and begin to enjoy your new home
with love . . .
sparrow ♥
The light shining from above the ceiling, the light shining through my computer, the mirror at the wall reflecting what is in front to be perceived, that we can be together, sit together, share together, eat together in a most beautiful location and nature with trees and all, not to take a single item of all related for granted, gratefully honoring the divine in every item, every living being and every expression of life.
What a beautiful picture you paint,
dear Ose . . . ♥
Look at the amazing gifts I have and be grateful not take them for granted.
I need to bring more intentional gratefulness into my daily life and throughout the day.
This website is such a beautiful place to slow down.
May we all be blessed with peace & joy today!
I may have mentioned before,
that I am a crow,
and have always been attracted to the bright and shiny,
unusual and interesting things.
When I was younger,
living on extremely limited funds,
I would haunt thrift shops and yard sales
for bits of beauty.
That is how I set my table and curtained my windows,
furnished my home
(when I had a home) . . .
sewing different pieces of fabric together for tablecloths
and making mismatched creations with plates and bowls and cups.
Everything in my home made me grateful
every time I touched something
I would think of whoever’s hands had touched it in the past
and how it was carried forth to me.
Every time I pour from my porcelain fish pitcher
I am thankful . . .
whenever I serve pasta in the Portuguese salad bowl
I gratefully smile at the hand painted designs inside.
Don’t feel sorry for me . . .
I have some beautiful treasures from those days.
It broke my heart
when our local Salvation Army store closed. 🙂
Such creativity and ingenuity, Sparrow. Love it.🩷
Being poor,
dear Mary,
taught me to be creative. ♥
I can stop taking things for granted.
I have always been aware and grateful for the conveniences of modern living. When I was young, I did a fair amount of backpacking. When we would return to civilization, every little convenience was a miracle. Also, as a person who fixes things, I understand just how lucky we are when things work. If you’ve ever had an old beater car, you know what I’m talking about. One time, and one time only, I washed my clothes the old fashioned way. I heated a tub of water over a fire, added soap, stirred my clothes around with a stick, and then spent the next few hours rinsing and wringing out and hanging my clothes.
I have never complained about doing laundry ever since.
😉
The three years I was a nomad following the flock of sheep from pasture to pasture, I washed my clothes in a big, galvanized tub and a good old fashioned wash board, Charlie. Ever since I have never taken a washing machine for granted. A used washing machine was the first appliance I ever bought.
For the first few years of my married life,
dear Charlie,
I lived in a 9 x 12 fish house on the coast of Maine . . .
no electricity,
cold running water in the summer,
wood stove in the winter,
and a chemical toilet.
Like you,
I washed all clothing and bedding
in a galvanized washtub
in water warmed from the sun . . .
also used the washtub for bathing.
First time in a laundromat
was Heaven.
Now I am even more blessed . . .
I have a washer and dryer in my house. 🙂
I already have moments of gratefulness that arise from paying attention and noticing. I don’t just think of the item itself when I pause for a moment of gratitude. I think of the labor that went into making it, the natural resources without which it couldn’t exist, the human ingenuity to invent something, the people who brought it to my town. I also sometimes think about how much harder other times in history were. I turn on my faucet and clean water “just appears”; I don’t have to haul bucket after bucket from a well, stream, or lake, then boil it over a fire to heat it.
Since I work in transportation I appreciated that today’s quote mentioned paved roads. A lot of hard work goes into building and maintaining them so everyday items can be there on the shelf at the store. “How did that get here?” is part of my appreciation.
There still are many spots on the earth where people spend much of their time hauling water in buckets and jars. Generally, a task assigned to the women.
I like the Stoic practice of imagining things one step worse from how they are. It’s called negative visualization, and helps you want what you already have. For example, if I didn’t have this warm jacket, I would be shivering. If I didn’t have this computer, I would be thumb typing this comment on my phone. If I didn’t have this watch I would be searching for my phone to see what time it is. And so on. Helps me think I have it pretty good here, with all of these helpful objects.
This is really interesting and feels helpful.
What a wonderfully unexpected practice,
dear Drea!
Thank you for posting . . . ♥
By more often pausing to notice the items I am interacting with and give mental thanks for them. I already do this pretty frequently while doing dishes– I was really helped by a grateful.org question a few months ago about making parts of one’s daily routine into ritual. Part of making washing dishes into a ritual is feeling gratefulness for each dish as I wash it. I can see how it would be helpful for me to do this at other times of the day as well.
By being present to notice the ‘supportive infrastructure of my life’. By celebrating the ordinary. I have a practice where each week i randomly assign a chakra (& corresponding color) to each day. Today I’m focusing on the root chakra – I’ll wear something red, write with a red pen, change my computer background to an image with this color, focus on taking photos of anything red that catches my eye….I also take some time to think about how the quote of the day can be related to my own ‘chakra/color of the day. By just thinking about those things that I can incorporate into my day, I’m also focusing on being grateful.
Lauryn, your idea of focusing on a chakra each week is very appealing. I took a couple notes from your post with the intention of playing with this idea in my own life. Thank you so much. 🩷
How can I incorporate gratefulness for items that are part of my daily routine? Like so often, by slowing down and noticing how these items make my life easier, more pleasant, safer, more beautiful, more convenient, etc. Just slow down and notice, Mary.🩷
I have been more conscious of appreciating everyday items ever since I have put this site in my daily routine.
I often find myself saying “thank you” to an object.
Me too,
dear Yram . . .
how funny is that? 🙂
That makes three of us. Thanks for being there for me, coffee, and thank you, cup, for holding it for me, and thank you to all the hands and labor that brought them all together here in my house.
I’m grateful for my TV, because I get to watch the weather, basketball, and football.
I have a practice I’d like to share specifically about doing this; Thich Nhat Hahn’s gathas. They are pithy statements about the mundane. Everyday activities are the backbone of our lives. When we don’t have basic need met we suffer—yet it is so easy to go on autopilot. My favorite gatha from Br. Thay is about driving, “Driving in my car, the car and I are one. If I go fast the car goes fast. If I go slow, the car goes slow.” The gathas are almost haiku-like and they inspire mindfulness and gratitude. Here is a link to several https://beherenownetwork.com/thich-nhat-hanhs-gathas/. Please check it out and enjoy.
Interesting, I shall check it out. thanks
Thank you,
dear Avril . . .
this deserves to be looked at more closely,
which I will do. ♥
Thanks, Avril
Thank you for sharing this link, Avril. Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.