The Gratitude Journal

This topic was inspired from the topic Happiness Project and further inspired by my husband Pranav. The thought is that each day you note 3 things you are grateful for and it has to be 3 different things everyday. As you continue to do this, it becomes a habit. Eventually it leads to realization and acknowledgement of our blessings. Pranav is following this advice and has his own Gratitude Journal.

I have tried this mentally (and I need to make it a practice to have my own journal too). Funnily I have to really think before I note the 3 things. The expectations even from a Gratitude Journal are high!

As I snoop and read Pranav’s journal, I am amazed to see how thankful he is for very simple things – a good meal, playful times with Ashna or ever a simple hug or good beer.

The learning for me is the mindfulness of being thankful for the daily, taken for granted things. We don’t have to win a lottery everyday to be thankful! What should I not be grateful for?

I am grateful for

This moment

A quiet morning

This journal

And a hot cup of coffee

I am grateful for

This longing

A deep urge

This curiosity

And chirping birds

I am grateful for

Those tiny hands

Holding me tight

A naughty smile

And a stubborn mind

I am grateful for

Even those unpleasant moments

That remind me

To continue this journey

I am grateful for

You and

Him

and

Us

I am deeply grateful

The Antidote to Bumps

The thought was based upon listening to NPR post winter Olympics. It was an interview with a lady who won a silver in Skeleton. Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which the rider experiences forces up to 5 g and reaches speeds over 130 km/h (80 mph). The sport was named from the bony appearance of the sled.

She was talking about a personal tragedy where she lost her 3rd child after 18 weeks of pregnancy. She had actually retired from the sport. However as she struggled through this, her husband motivated her to start the sport again. Even more admirable was the fact that he and their other 2 kids took leave of absence from work/ school and supported her in all her competitions. Hence, the antidote to life’s bumps is focusing and doing what you enjoy most.

The story continues further and she said you need to be one with the sled and be calm to win the sport. The second antidote to life’s bumps is to maintain this sense of calm – talking bumps in stride instead of being too rigid and opposing them. It also reminds me to flow with the flow. And it reminds me of being centered. While I have had more success with the first antidote, I continue to focus, learn and remind myself of the 2nd one.

What are you antidotes to life’s bumps?

The antidotes to life’s bumps

Doing what you enjoy

And enjoying the ride

It’s a bumpy ride

It’s steep

It’s fast

It has friction

It’s a bumpy ride

It’s painful

And troublesome

And long

And yet

It’s the bumpy rides I enjoy

With some music

And some love

To be one with the road

It’s fast

It’s steep

It’s fun

It’s the bumpy ride!

Let the loop run itself out

Let the loop run itself out

This discussion / thought was based on an interview on “Super Soul Sunday”, one of my favorite TV shows. The interview was with Dr. Jill, author of the book “The stroke of Insight” on her experience after suffering a massive stroke and functioning from her right hemisphere of brain. This hemisphere helps on the bigger picture and as Pranav observed in meditation we want the right hemisphere to lead us instead of the ego-self on the left hemisphere. Talking about anger, Dr. Jill referred to “Let the loop run itself out”.

For most negative emotions, it takes 90 seconds for chemicals to be generated and released. If we can just let 90 seconds pass and let the loop run out, we would technically control our reactions. Dr. Jill further elaborated that people are angery for years as they trigger a memory thus triggering the loop to begin again.

My learnings hence are – a) Let the loop run out and b) Control your thoughts on not to trigger the loop. For me, I do have a clears sense of self-awareness and repentence as I get caught in the loop. This is more relevant right now with my 2014 resolution of overacting less. Let the loop run itself out!

90 seconds

Is all I ask

To let the loop run out

90 seconds

Of forbearance

Of control

Of patience

Of forgiveness

Of love

90 seconds

…a lifetime

To let the loop run out