Thankfulness

Through the month of November I shared something that I was thankful for each day on facebook.  The whole experiment was a lot of fun and got me into the habit of spending my day thinking of all the things I might post that evening as the one "Thankful" thing.  It's easy to forget all that we have in our lives to be thankful for when we compare ourselves to others or simply get lost in the day to day routine.  The items are in no particular order - just what I was thinking about on the given day. As one of my friends pointed out, they are not of equal value.  I think that was part of the point.  There is a range of things everyday to be thankful for, whether it is simply being about to get up or having an life changing positive experience. 

1: I'm thankful that all my friends in NYC are safe after the storm.

2: I'm thankful for spontaneous late night/early morning phone calls that make me smile and laugh.

3: I'm thankful that the biggest decisions in my life right now are between all wonderful positive things. I have a blessed life. My most stressful decision is do I go to NZ for Annual leave or up to Cairns.

4: I'm thankful for full filled weekends of mischief, mayhem, and memories.

5: I'm thankful for the education I received and the freedom to speak my mind. I'm realizing that there are a lot of pieces that are in place without my recognizing it: Teachers giving their time, no laws preventing me as a woman to get an education, parents who sacrificed to send me to college... and the list could go on.

6: im thankful that I would make a bad exclusive brethren wife.

7: I'm thankful for the fascinating chance to "watch" a presidential election from a different cultural perspective. Very insightful.

8: I'm thankful for lectures that make my brain go "huh?" And revert to a protective stance of just processing individual words, like "photon" and "in", instead of anything in phrases. And I think I learned that teleportation is possible if neither side knows what orientation the photon is in.

9: I'm thankful the emotional meltdown my team seemed to have today because it have me the chance to practice positive conflict resolution.

10: I'm thankful for my health especially given my poor eating habits which I am slowly changing to more nutritious. 

11: I am thankful for lazy Sundays where I don't have to do anything on my to do list.

12: I'm thankful I'll be able to attend both my good friend's and my little sister's weddings.

13: I'm thankful for how similar this time in australia is to a second uni -undergrad not grad.

14: I'm thankful that when I put in my notice at work I was told I always have a job with them if I want. Not that I would ever use it... but it's nice to have options.

15: I'm thankful for good music shared with good company.

16: I'm thankful that I have everything I need in life and can focus on creating a wonderful life instead of worrying about food, shelter, or security.

17: I'm thankful for days so wonderful that I can't pinpoint which part I loved the most. Great dancing, great company, great skyline at sunset, great party, great company, great conversations with great people here and abroad, great dinner randomly made for me... simply a great day.

18: I’m thankful for technology that keeps me connected to those I love. 

19: I'm thankful even though my company car had the radio completely removed that does not stop me from singing show tunes at the top of my lungs when stuck in traffic.

20: I’m thankful I no longer appear to be allergic to carrots. 

21: I’m thankful I have all my limbs. I saw a news clip where a virus ate away a women’s limbs. I realized almost everything I love to do required the use of legs and arms so I am thankful for something basic today.

22: I’m thankful for lifelong friends with people from around the world. As cliché as it may sound, the really great friendships are the ones where no matter how much time has actually gone by since you have talked it is as if no time at all has passed, there is always a couch to crash on when in the same time zone, and different perspectives and experiences are shared in such a way to enrich everyone’s life. I am privileged to have these exceptional friendships in my life.

23: I’m thankful for my dance studio. Seriously some of my favorite people in Australia. We are all so different yet come together with a shared love of dancing. As individuals and as a collective they are funny, intelligent, supportive, free to be fully themselves, and all around a lot of fun to hang out with. And a special shout out to my dance instructor who is a cool person, incred

ible dancer, and especially awesome teacher matching his style so that each student gets the most of what they want out of dance.

24: I’m thankful my 1 scuba dive turned into 2 dives. Saw some bull rays and nurse sharks, swam in the middle of a school of fish, and started to finally feel more comfortable (and calm) in the water. Can’t wait for Cairns Monday week.

25: I’m thankful the event I planned ran smoothly even though I was late. It reminded me how much I enjoy creating events for people to meet potential friends and try something new. 

26: I’m thankful I have only 1 more week at my current company. There have been a lot of challenges, a lot of on the job training as a manager, and a LOT of stories.

27: I’m thankful for my siblings. You don’t get to pick your family but you do get to pick how yo

u relate to them. I am so happy that my siblings and I are not just forced to get together at holidays like some families but genuinely love hanging out with each other. It’s nice to know that no matter what happens I have two people who have my back no matter what, who understand me better than anyone and who I count friends. If I could pick my family, I wouldn't pick anyone else.

28: I’m thankful that after picking up and moving countries I still feel financially secure. I can buy food and pay rent and still have fun on the weekends. There are a lot of people who don’t know if they will be able to feed their families and I get to go scuba diving. 

29: I’m thankful for my eternal safety net, my parents. My life may not look anything like what they expected for me but they have always allowed me to take risks with the knowledge that I am loved and have a place to come back to whatever the result. 

30: I’m thankful for this whole Australia Experience… Chapter… Adventure… Whatever title you want to use. Seriously feel like the luckiest person right now for having had this experience. I have grown as a person, faced and overcome challenges, done a lot of interesting things, learned how to handle uncertainty better, met some incredible people, and just plain had an amazing time.