#365Gratitude Day 301: A practice of gentle intentions

So I've been trying something new lately, that I learned from Pema Chodron's Getting Unstuck.  It's a practice Pema calls 1 & 1, a way of being mindful but easygoing.  When you wake up in the morning, you pick an intention for your day.  It can be anything, big or small.  The crucial guidelines are: 

• Pick just one thing. 
• Do your best to do that thing. 
• At the end of the day, take the time to consciously see how you did. 

I do this with a little tech assist.  I have alarms on my phone for getting up and going to bed, and I've added a little note to each to remind me to do this.  Plus, I keep my intention in a little document on my phone, so I can take the step of actually writing it down.  

I've only been doing it for a few days, but it feels good.  Some days, I've really been on top of my intention, and made it happen.  Other days, I totally flubbed it.  But it's still cool, because I got to look back on why I did.  In one case, I had planned to write, and just ran out of time.  In another, I resolved to not grouse about something at work to coworkers.  (Totally unrealistic!) The great thing has been no matter whether I've had a home-run or a strike each day, I've made a practice of paying attention. 

It feels good. 

#365Gratitude Day 300: Yeah

Just watch this. 

#365Gratitude Day 299: Balloongenuity

On Sunday Missy and I drove up to see our girl Katie, her partner Leah, and help celebrate the birthday of her son, C.  Katie really, really, really likes balloons. 

You can tell from this picture of her holding the balloons for the party, in the back seat of my car. 

They only even fit because Missy was able to get the lions share of them in the hatch, in the back.  She squeezed, pushed, pulled, and shoved balloons around until the four of us and the copious amount of balloons fit in the car.  That was the first moment of balloon ingenuity. 

I had my own moment of it later, when we were trying to tie up some balloons outside the hall where the party was going to be.  I'm no boy scout, but I do know how to make a slip knot, because reasons.

"The party is that way!" 

I was proud of myself.   The party was great too.  At one point all the kids played a game where they kneeled, sat on, leaned against, or just outright stomped on balloons to pop them.  (Did I mention we had a lot of balloons?)  It was hysterical.

#365Gratitude Day 298: Pupusa!

Turns out the convenience store near my mechanic sells fresh, hot pupusas! 

It also turns out that my car passed its annual inspection, and only need a very tiny amount of maintenance work. 

It's entirely possible that my enjoyment of said pupusas was in part driven by being ravenous, and also in part by being releived about the car.  I don't care.  Those things were delicious! 

#365Gratitude Day 297: Homework

I'm fortunate that sometimes I'm able to telework.  I really value it.  I've had jobs that were 100% telework, and others that were none-at-all.  The contrast is what makes it great.  It reminds me of an art term, chiaroscuro, the heavy contrast of light-and-dark.  It gives a painting or drawing depth. 

My telework is like that.  When I'm in the office, I work in this sort of shared space where I have no privacy whatsooever.  Sometimes the room gets very noisy, and drives me a little bonkers.  On the other hand, it's a great place to share something I'm working on, solicit feedback, and have camraderie.  

But then on those telecommute days, they're filled largely with silence.  I'll get up early, go for a run, and be at my desk in my home office working, while the morning is still fresh, and the neighborhood around me is quiet.  It feels luxurious.