Attitude of Gratitude: 2021

Day 1: Attitude of Gratitude
Today, I am grateful for my breath. Without it, nothing else matters. Without it, none of the other stuff would even exist.
Day 2: Attitude of Gratitude
Today, I am thankful for the wherewithal to prioritize my health, be it physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual. It is a responsibility I regard with reverence.
Day 3: Attitude of Gratitude
Today, I’m grateful to live in a home that keeps us warm, dry, and safe. We landed in a great house and we’re having a wonderful time making it even better.

Day 4: Attitude of Gratitude
I'm grateful, today and every day, that my daily life provides so many beautiful opportunities to nurture my creativity and express myself artistically.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 5
Today I am grateful for friendship, and all the ways it shows up in my life. Best friends, childhood friends, friendly acquaintances, work friends, writing friends, neighbor friends, internet friends, high school friends, family friends, furry friends, faraway friends, college friends, new friends, friends I haven’t met yet, and even former friends - every one of them has helped shape my values, behaviors, and beliefs, added value to the depth, richness, and quality of my experiences, and contributed somehow to getting me where I am today. I love where I am today, so today’s gratitude belongs to you, my friends.
​Attitude of Gratitude: Day 6
Today I am expressing gratitude for the power, wisdom, and beauty of trees.
​I’ve always been something of a tree hugger; I love their magnificent displays of color in the autumn as they remind us it’s okay to let go, I love the way they model resting for the winter, and I love way they begin anew in the spring. I adore the way they flower, provide food and shelter, and communicate with a language all their own. Trees are special, and I’m thrilled to be planting a new one in our yard today.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 7
While I am a proponent of “Get Rid of Daylight Savings Time Entirely and Don’t Let the Door Hitcha on the Way Out,” that is not the way of things yet, and so I use the changing of the clocks as an annual reminder to get grateful for the chance to slow down, get cozy, and prioritize rest. We’ve officially entered the season of concentrated hygge around here, where the battery-operated candles get their time to shine on the mantle, the holiday tree is adorned with autumn decor and white lights, and Simon’s evening walk gets bumped up to 4:00 pm. Fuzzy blankets are at the ready, flannel pajamas re-enter the rotation, and watching tv in front of the fire at night is done while sipping bone broth and hot tea.
There are few feelings I enjoy more than being cozy, and today I am grateful for how easy this time of year makes it.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 8
Today, I’m grateful for coffee.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 9
Today, I’m grateful for my ancestors, most notably my parents.
​My soul knew what it was doing all those years ago when it chose Ron and Margo to be the ones to raise, teach, and nurture me. My lineage is one of strength, intellect, humor, hard work, generosity, and love, and I consider myself lucky that it is so. Today's gratitude goes to my Mom and Dad, for… well, everything.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 10
Today I am grateful for my yoga practice.
Yoga is my moving prayer, a union of breath and body, a confluence of mind and spirit. I’ve met some of the best people I know through yoga, and it helps me access my favorite version of myself.
Yoga
grounds,
calms,
stretches,
soothes,
strengthens,
focuses,
challenges,
rewards,
balances,
motivates,
centers,
relaxes,
delights,
and
saves
me.
And for that, I give thanks.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 11
Today I am grateful for the sacrifices - visible and invisible - that our veterans have made in the name of protecting and defending human rights.
I’m grateful for those who heed their calling to serve. I’m grateful that I can take for granted the opportunity to spend a whole month listing out things I’m grateful for on the internet because I live in a time and place where the ideal of saying what I want to say when I want to say it has been established, safeguarded, and upheld. It’s not lost on me that the privilege, security, and comfort of my life experience is, in part, due to the selflessness and bravery of our nation’s veterans. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 12
Today, I am grateful for Taylor Swift, and no, I’m not kidding.
She is a musical trailblazer, a savvy businessperson, a lyrical genius, and the main soundtrack to the past 15 years of my life.
I walked down the aisle at my wedding to an instrumental version of “Today was a Fairytale,” she sang about Bad Blood and Big Reputations during my legal debacle, and lyrics like, “I’m the one who burned us down/but it’s not what I meant/sorry that I hurt you” popped into random shuffles like divinely-appointed apologies as I worked on healing and forgiveness.
Today, Taylor re-releases her version of her album Red, which originally debuted in 2012, the year I met and fell in love with my husband. I am over-the-moon excited to press “repeat all,” sit back, and enjoy the emotional ride down Memory Lane.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 13
Today, I’m grateful for my geographical location.
We took a chance and it paid off! Tennessee is beautiful, friendly, entertaining, and in close, easy proximity to a slew of other places that are fun to visit, like Gulf Shores, Alabama, where we are headed right this very minute.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 14
Today, I am grateful for sleep.
It keeps me happy, it keeps me healthy, it’s one of my top priorities and favorite things to do. I love crawling into bed to read each night and I love the luxury of waking up without an alarm each morning. I love pajamas, I love naps, I love the complexity of my dreams; I just love all of it.
​Attitude of Gratitude: Day 15
Today, I am grateful for perfect days with my favorite guy.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 16
Today, I am grateful for the work I do.
I love coaching Thought Leaders to get (and stay) organized, to use their mindset as a tool in maximizing their success, and to establish self-care practices that allow them to prioritize themselves while still being of loving service to others. I especially love that I can do it from anywhere.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 17
Today, I’m grateful for the privilege of having food, especially healthy food, so easily accessible to me. I recognize this is not the case everywhere, and I appreciate having the ability to take care of myself in this way.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 18
I am grateful for my bathtub, especially when combined with near-scalding water, dim lights, bubbles and/or Epsom salts, a guided meditation, lavender essential oil wafting from the diffuser, a masque slathered on my face, and maybe even a few drinks and snacks at the ready. No two ways about it, I sure do love a long, leisurely soak in a hot body of water, and having a bathtub dedicated to it is a major blessing in my life.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 19
Today I am grateful for simple pleasures and small delights, as well as my willingness to be pleased and delighted by them.
Wonders never cease when you look at the whole world as wonderful.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 20
Today I am grateful for the healing practice of massage therapy, and by extension, my new massage therapist, Courtney, who makes house calls. (House calls!) Massage is one of my favorite forms of self-care, and 90 minutes of deep tissue work in my very own home takes it to a completely new, outrageously luxurious level. Blissed out, blessed, lucky, grateful.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 21
Sundays are laundry day around here, and today I’m grateful that we have a washer and dryer right here in our house. I actually pause to appreciate that every single week.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 22
Today I’m grateful for the duality of the human experience.
There exists a wide spectrum of emotion in each of us, and it’s not uncommon for me to feel a slew of them in quick succession or even simultaneously. I can be heartbroken over news stories coming from my home state of Wisconsin and still laugh at my husband’s jokes. I can denounce the historical context of Thanksgiving and still be looking forward to Thursday. I can be having a frustrating day (slow drivers! late doctors! road closures! wrong turns!) and still be grateful for moments of time within it.
I’m grateful to have “Yes And” awareness.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 23
Today I’m grateful for books.
​Reading has been a mainstay hobby for my entire life; it’s one of my favorite ways to pass time. Books entertain, educate, and inspire me. They take me places I might not otherwise go; they open my mind to different ways of thinking and expand my worldview, which, in turn, expands my compassion, empathy, and ability to be kind.
​Attitude of Gratitude: Day 24
Today, I’m expressing gratitude for one of the great loves of my life, Simon. We hit the jackpot when we rescued this dog. He’s intelligent and hilarious, an impressive communicator, and an absolute snuggle bug. He loves his people, and takes his self-appointed job of being our protector very seriously (did you know Lhasa Apsos originated in Tibet and were bred as sentinels in palaces and Buddhist monasteries?). He’s a faithful companion, a total charmer, and matches all the typical temperament characteristics of the breed: playful, assertive, devoted, confident, friendly, steady, energetic (two walks a day, every day!), fearless, lively, spirited, and obedient. Well, maybe not that last one.
I thank my lucky stars for Simon multiple times each and every day. I’ve never known another dog quite like him, and I suspect I never will.

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 25
Today, I’m grateful for sleeping late, family walks in the rain, long hot showers, Bloody Marys, parades, dog shows, football, turkey, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, gluten-free stuffing, holiday decorations, the walk down memory lane as I place ornaments on the tree, snuggles on the couch, cribbage, text messages and phone calls with loved ones, and you.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 26
I’m grateful for my sister and the special friendship we’ve cultivated over the years. She’s my lifelong bestie and always my first phone call when I have something amazing or awful to share; sometimes, those phone calls last for hours and hours. She’s the person who gets me best - we laugh till we cry and cry until we laugh, and talk each other off ledges on a rotating basis. I love spending time with her, and being able to do it more frequently was a major factor in our decision to move to Tennessee. She’s an incredible human being, my sister, and I feel fortunate to have her in my world, never mind my very own family. 
​Attitude of Gratitude: Day 27
Today, I’m grateful for my new kitchen shelves. We live for a good DIY project around here, and this one was a long time coming.

Before

After

​Attitude of Gratitude: Day 28
I’m grateful for experiences that teach me it’s okay to let go and walk away.
This is not something that comes easily to me - since I was a child, I’ve held some oddly embedded beliefs around loyalty and follow-through and finishing what I start, and while there IS value to be found in that, it’s equally important to recognize when it’s time to fold ‘em.
Not everything in life needs to include suffering; joy doesn’t need to be the exception.
If something or someone makes me consistently miserable or uncomfortable or feel emotionally unsafe, I now know I have absolute permission to leave, no explanation necessary.
Hey, I do love crossing the finish line of a good challenge, but I’ve come to value my ability to discern when it’s time to quit without shame or guilt as the sweetest victory of all.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 29
Today I am grateful for the helpers.
I’m grateful for people who go into service industries to be of assistance in making other people’s experiences pleasant, I’m grateful for customer service departments, and I’m grateful for the people who reflexively spring to action when they see someone in need, whether they know them or not. I’m grateful for people who encourage, uplift, and inspire with their words, the ones who show up to lend a hand when the world falls apart, and the ones who make it a habit to practice random, anonymous acts of kindness. I’m grateful for first responders, front line workers, and those who risk their lives every time they do their job. I’m grateful for people who use their time, energy, and resources to better the collective. I’m grateful for decision-makers who understand that strong communities are the backbone of successful societies, that health is our greatest wealth, that a rising tide lifts all ships.
It’s the helpers that make this world go ‘round, and that is not lost on me.
Attitude of Gratitude: Day 30 
I have saved the best for last. 
Today, like every day of the last nine years and 11 months, I am grateful for my husband, James.  
James makes everything better. He is smart and thoughtful and funny and kind. Just yesterday, he ran an errand. It was a surprisingly chilly day, given all the bright sunshine, and he was standing outside waiting for the notary’s office to open. There was also an elderly woman waiting, shivering because she’d misjudged the temps and didn’t have a jacket. “Didn’t expect it to be this cold!” she said to him as she rubbed her hands together.
My husband immediately gave her his leather motorcycle jacket to wrap around her shoulders while they waited.
If you know James, you probably just said something like, “Of course he did,” in your head when you read that.
Because of course he did.
I am grateful for how often and how loudly he makes me laugh. I am grateful that he always reaches for my hand and then says, "There. That's better." I'm grateful for his constant willingness to learn new ideas, try new things, and go new places. It helps me do the same.
I’m grateful for the beautiful way he loves, cares for, and honors me with his words and his actions, the way he makes decisions based on what is best for our family, the way he gives me space when I need space and a hug when I need a hug.
I'm grateful that he sets up the coffee maker each night and brings a mug to my bedside every morning, even though he, himself, is not a coffee drinker. I'm grateful for how diligently he keeps me safe and takes tender care of my heart. I am grateful that he is a man of integrity and action, and that I can trust him completely and indefinitely.
Last month, a friend of mine met James after reading about him in my book. “It’s an honor to meet you,” she said, “you are such a strong example of Divine Masculine Energy.“
I can’t stop thinking that. She’s so right.
He's my perfect partner, my best friend, and just a complete gem of a human being. I still can hardly believe the luck, getting to spend our lives together, and for that, I am grateful.

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