I will find opportunities to elevate the ordinary wherever I look for them, since we find what we’re looking for if we’re paying attention. I’ll go elevate a shower next, then breakfast, then my work day with the first of many meetings.
Approaching this and my interactions with humans, plants, and animals with a conscious pause to appreciate and enjoy are opportunities to elevate the ordinary today.
I was thinking of a visual to answer this question. What if I enclosed my opportunity in a beautifully wrapped package. As I gently, excitedly open it, the contents looks very new and sparkly. Then I can look at all the bright colors of foods or the packaging in a delightful way.
I have a lot on my list today. I will attempt to be as present as possible. I’m off to a good start. I woke up and looked outside, in the predawn darkness, to see the crescent moon, and Jupiter right below it.
Beautiful.
I’ll practice Stoic negative visualization today. The question to ask is, “What if this were one step worse?” The result is that you want and savor what you have.
For example, if I had bad coffee instead of good coffee this morning? I would grimace at my coffee and hurry to get it down. What if I didn’t have enough food for a filling breakfast? I would walk out of here feeling hungry and trying to convince myself it’s okay. Instead, I have wonderful rich coffee, and enough breakfast to feel pleasantly full. I can do this practice throughout the day.
Today I’ll go to campus for my group facilitation class. This class is a great opportunity for me to improve my social skills and practice teamwork with my peers.
I’ll be at a community meeting mid afternoon, I’ll focus on putting some zip into how I help facilitate it. Sometimes there’s “people drama.” I’ll be in a listening mode. Prayers for the safety of all educational facilities, students and staff, as schools all begin again. ☮️
Putting a little extra shine on everything I do. Breathe a little deeper. Linger a little longer, fold the napkin a bit more carefully. Be present and aware.
Today is another Menards piano day. Being able to have a laid back work life of a few part-time piano jobs is something only a very few can say. I remember my first day going to church, my pasture, Jason, talked about the ability to do the same thing with the same people for 20+ years.
1. Connecting with friends in person, especially as numerous other friends have moved away. Their encouragement helps to keep me going when things get tricky.
2. Receiving a bounty of unwanted grapefruit from a friend’s tree, and pondering how to use and share them. Our neighbourhood has a food cupboard, which is a starting point. Such big, heavy, juicy golden fruit.. and a big investment for the tree to produce them! Too precious to waste.
This reminds me of yesterday’s question. It’s ironic because it’s about repetition. Appreciation follows a gratefulness practice. We appreciate the gift of things flowing smoothly. There’s a gift in a great cup of coffee, a conflict free day, and arriving safely. May you all have an easy day.
I immediately thought the same thing about the repetition of a theme, Avril. Thank you for providing a reason to appreciate it rather than having some other more negative response.
With gratefulness, presence, an open and willing essence, each day is full of opportunities to see and live the good of our home earth, instead of living and seeing the bad that occurs on/within our home.
What a timely message,
dear Joseph,
as I was suddenly and unexpectedly
drawn into a negative space last night
on/within my home.
I said not a word,
but dark, useless thoughts entered,
and your post this morning
helped me to sweep them out.
Thank you for this. ♥
You just never know,
do you,
when your words
will lift someone else.
🙏🏼
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I will find opportunities to elevate the ordinary wherever I look for them, since we find what we’re looking for if we’re paying attention. I’ll go elevate a shower next, then breakfast, then my work day with the first of many meetings.
Approaching this and my interactions with humans, plants, and animals with a conscious pause to appreciate and enjoy are opportunities to elevate the ordinary today.
I was thinking of a visual to answer this question. What if I enclosed my opportunity in a beautifully wrapped package. As I gently, excitedly open it, the contents looks very new and sparkly. Then I can look at all the bright colors of foods or the packaging in a delightful way.
I like this, Yram. This moment as a gift.
I have a lot on my list today. I will attempt to be as present as possible. I’m off to a good start. I woke up and looked outside, in the predawn darkness, to see the crescent moon, and Jupiter right below it.
Beautiful.
Indeed,
you are off to a good start,
dear Charlie . . . ♥
I’ll practice Stoic negative visualization today. The question to ask is, “What if this were one step worse?” The result is that you want and savor what you have.
For example, if I had bad coffee instead of good coffee this morning? I would grimace at my coffee and hurry to get it down. What if I didn’t have enough food for a filling breakfast? I would walk out of here feeling hungry and trying to convince myself it’s okay. Instead, I have wonderful rich coffee, and enough breakfast to feel pleasantly full. I can do this practice throughout the day.
Today I’ll go to campus for my group facilitation class. This class is a great opportunity for me to improve my social skills and practice teamwork with my peers.
I’ll be at a community meeting mid afternoon, I’ll focus on putting some zip into how I help facilitate it. Sometimes there’s “people drama.” I’ll be in a listening mode. Prayers for the safety of all educational facilities, students and staff, as schools all begin again. ☮️
Putting a little extra shine on everything I do. Breathe a little deeper. Linger a little longer, fold the napkin a bit more carefully. Be present and aware.
Today is another Menards piano day. Being able to have a laid back work life of a few part-time piano jobs is something only a very few can say. I remember my first day going to church, my pasture, Jason, talked about the ability to do the same thing with the same people for 20+ years.
1. Connecting with friends in person, especially as numerous other friends have moved away. Their encouragement helps to keep me going when things get tricky.
2. Receiving a bounty of unwanted grapefruit from a friend’s tree, and pondering how to use and share them. Our neighbourhood has a food cupboard, which is a starting point. Such big, heavy, juicy golden fruit.. and a big investment for the tree to produce them! Too precious to waste.
Oooh, grapefruit! I do a lot of canning so the first thing I think of is ways to preserve them in some form that fits in a jar. The Food in Jars website is always my starting point. Marisa has grapefruit jam https://foodinjars.com/recipe/grapefruit-jam/ and this very interesting-sounding one for salt-preserved grapefruit that you could toss into a salad or something else later https://foodinjars.com/recipe/salt-preserved-grapefruit-black-pepper-cloves/.
I can elevate the ordinary with a smile and kindness.
https://nationaltoday.com/international-literacy-day/ – this makes me think of Dolly Parton.
♥
This reminds me of yesterday’s question. It’s ironic because it’s about repetition. Appreciation follows a gratefulness practice. We appreciate the gift of things flowing smoothly. There’s a gift in a great cup of coffee, a conflict free day, and arriving safely. May you all have an easy day.
I immediately thought the same thing about the repetition of a theme, Avril. Thank you for providing a reason to appreciate it rather than having some other more negative response.
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” — Muhammad Ali
Act as if,
dear Avril,
and it will take you there. ♥
Wishing you the same Avril 🙂
Thank you
With gratefulness, presence, an open and willing essence, each day is full of opportunities to see and live the good of our home earth, instead of living and seeing the bad that occurs on/within our home.
Peace, Love & Light.
What a timely message,
dear Joseph,
as I was suddenly and unexpectedly
drawn into a negative space last night
on/within my home.
I said not a word,
but dark, useless thoughts entered,
and your post this morning
helped me to sweep them out.
Thank you for this. ♥
You just never know,
do you,
when your words
will lift someone else.
🙏🏼
This moment is extraordinary and I’m so grateful to the universe. Thank you . I can keep remembering to say thank you . ☺️
In every moment of this new day there are opportunities to elevate the ordinary….open the heart and soul to all.
« Elevate the ordinary ». A simple and beautiful summation, EJP. Thank you.🌺