I’ve been trying to figure out what to write about next. I wasn’t into researching any more on my family tree. But, I have been spending some time determining what I wanted to do the first month of my move to SEAsia (next year – woo hoo!).
Enter INDIA, I have been wanting to spend time at an ashram for about 10 years now. This is my chance to make it happen — fulfill a bucket list item. I’m in the process of researching which ashrams, locations and what each one has to offer. I’m actually sitting here listening to Om Nama Shivaya on iTunes as I write it (my fave version is by Krisha Das FYI). Om Namah Shivaya Mantra (ॐ नमः शिवाय) is perhaps among the most powerful and the most popular mantras on the earth. It’s such a powerful mantra for me that I had it tattooed on my left hip about 8 years ago.
But I mostly want to go to spend time in India for its spirituality. Although it’s a cliche, the whole ‘gaining personal enlightenment and inner peace‘ aspect IS a major draw, at least for me. I’ve always searched for that – even here … and that lead me to my blog topic for today and the next 9 days … GRATITUDE!
and ….
the #1 thing that I’m extremely grateful for is …. MY LIFE!
No matter how you think it is, LIFE IS truly A GIFT.
No matter how much I’ve been through in my years on earth, I still get up and am thankful that I get to live another day … to tell the people in my life how much they mean to me and to be thankful for what I have. I don’t feel that we as a society take enough time to stop and think about what we DO HAVE. We’re mainly a society focussed on what we don’t have, what we need next to keep up with the Jones’.
STOP and be grateful for the simple fact that you had the opportunity to wake up this morning when so many individuals don’t get a chance to make it as far as you did.
I work in disability claims, this job can be thankless in a lot of respects, but it is fulfilling when you have the chance to help someone move forward in their life and get to see how you’ve directly impacted their life trajectory. It is also VERY HUMBLING on the daily, I deal with some members who are extremely ill – who are struggling daily with their activities of daily living, struggling with deep amounts of physical and/or emotional pain and some who know with certainty that their life expectancy on this earth has a DEFINITE TIMELINE 😦
Saturday mornin’ at the crack of sunrise
Thank the man upstairs for lettin’ me open my eyes
~ Mack 10 – Backyard Boogie
My father for example, woke up one morning 4 years ago, expecting to live a regular day, and passed away suddenly on his kitchen floor at 60 – 4 days before he was to come visit me. Not to sound morbid, but, that is a REAL LIFE, straight to the heart example to me of how precious life really is.
Disease, poverty, famine, drought, natural disasters, accidents — ALL claim thousands of lives each year, but you were lucky. You got to live, to survive, to exist and to be able to dream yet another day! Be grateful for your life. It’s awesome and it’s also what you make it. Dream BIG. Love HARD. RUN toward your life, not away from it. You create your life — NOW GO LIVE IT.
My Better Life 