Friday, October 24, 2008

Blessing in a Blog

I knew my last two blog posts were tending towards the Debbie Downer side of life, so imagine my surprise and thankfulness for seeing this post by my dear friend Z.
It made me want to try it out, so I'm doing it. Here. Before I fly to Chicago in a selfish effort to lighten my heart and embrace "the now," as someone in the 90s said. I know Thanksgiving is still almost a month away, but here goes...

I am grateful for...

My fiance, B, and his level-headed perspective. And his amazing blue eyes.

My job, that I enjoy it and that it enables me to do things outside of work that make me happy, like fly to Chicago.

My parents, that they are so supportive and choose to celebrate everything in my life. True love. Hard to find, hard to beat.

My apartment, that I have a space to go that is all my own. Easy to see your true self when there's no one else to blame the piles on.

My friends. I can't even imagine.

My car, it takes me where I want to go whenever I need it.

My blog, that it has enabled me to reconnect with so many old friends.

The fact that I didn't have to listen to the album featured in the artwork for this blog!


Basic, yes, but true. Think about what you're thankful for. I bet it isn't fancy or super-specific things (like power steering, though I am very grateful for that as well), but more themes of your life, and the people that wind through them.

Next, repeat this phrase:

May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful. May I be safe.

I dare you to say it three times without feeling a warm, calm sensation rushing through your temples. It's so true that it really almost brings tears to my eyes. That is all I could ever want, ask for, or hope for in life. To be happy, to be healthy, to be at peace, and to be safe.

Think that for yourself, then expand the circle to "someone who has shown you the best of yourself," then to a friend, then to a difficult person in your life, then to everyone as a single group.

I think I like this so much because it reminds me of prayer, but it feels somehow more of an active version of prayer, reminding me not to just list things that I'm thankful for, fearful of, sorry about, or asking for, but to engage other aspects of my being and reach further into the why and how of it all.

May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful. May I be safe.

May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful. May I be safe.

May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful. May I be safe.


May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful. May you be safe.