101 Rays of Gratitude

photo by longhorndave

Gratitude allows us to feel content with what we already have. It allows us to see what truly provides happiness, to appreciate things we did not see before.

I hadn’t thought seriously about gratitude, aside from brief musings on Thanksgiving, until the past few months. Since then, I have come to see how fortunate I my life is. In fact, simply being alive with an able body, is something I am deeply thankful for.

If we can’t feel gratitude, then we can’t experience the abundance of gifts nature has given us (including other human beings we love and cherish). In short, we’d lose contentment to misery.

Actively feeling grateful for everything in my life has changed my perspective from cynicism and selfish need (the bad kind) to contentment and possibility. It has allowed me to look past the cynicism of others, as I can safely fall back onto my inner well of contentment.

Everyone can practice being grateful. It may not come easily at first, but find something in your life to be grateful for, and continue to seek out these things. Eventually, you will see everything that you could possibly be grateful for, and it will fill you with a sense of contentment.

To commemorate the life changing nature of gratitude, I offer my 101 rays of gratitude. Thanks to Sandra Lee at Always Well Within for the clever title. Yes, I totally copied her, but I think she will be grateful for it. :]

I am grateful for…

1. The Earth, for being the right temperature and atmospheric content for living things to thrive.
2. evolution. Without evolution, we wouldn’t be here, nor we would we improve at all.
3. biodiversity.
4. Nature’s beautiful landscapes – mountains, forest, lakes, meadows, clouds, sky, oceans. Not to mention the services these landscapes provide.
5. love – the kind of love that keeps us all woven chaotically together
6. sunny days and cool sea breezes – solar system, please keep orbiting in stable fashion
7. my backyard permaculture garden, one of the greatest surprise gifts Craigslist + the Universe could’ve given me
8. Freecycle and Craigslist
9. the amazing connection with other awesome bloggers
10. genuine encouragement
11. anyone who stands up to speak out and fight for social change, to improve the lives of ordinary people who couldn’t stand or speak for themselves
12. amazing bloggers who teach me new things every day
13. my body, my brain, so that I could walk, type, think, analyze, love, write, and live.
14. my boyfriend, who is amazingly supportive
15. milk chocolate with hazelnuts [organic and fair trade, please]

16. Michael Pollan, for being a vocal mainstream advocate of better food
17. the joy of harvesting food in a sunny garden
18. the Interwebs, for without you, I would know very little, and I honestly don’t know what my childhood would look like.
19. curry powder and cumin, I’m drooling for you as I write about you.
20. Tofurky, for helping vegetarians in transition.
21. the sweet sounds of music
22. thought leaders that can create ripples of social change
23. my parents for giving me life to live
24. good ideas
25. cooking and then eating a deliciously savory, home-cooked meal made from local, organic foods
26. the incredible weekly CSA box, filled with fresh and plump fruits and vegetables begging to be eaten
27. my education
28. my friends, who give me laughter and love
29. ordinary people trying to improve their lives
30. the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through my apartment
31. eating food straight off the vine

32. kittens, bunnies, puppies, and chinchillas
33. positive vibes
34. farmer’s markets
35. authenticity
36. every person that works hard to provide me the food, clothing, transportation, shelter, energy, and other things I need for a smooth day.
37. the moon, because it is mystically beautiful to stare at on a dark night
38. the stars
39. laughter
40. books that open my mind with ingenious ideas or moving prose
41. a cool moist dusk, with a beautiful view and a glass of smooth Syrah
42. Carcassonne and other such boardgames
43. Wikipedia, for being surprisingly accurate and open-source
44. my bicycle
45. my job – an opportunity to work with an awesome group of people on a meaningful project, that also pays the bills. Only problem is – it’s not my passion. But I am still extremely grateful.

46. my youth, and the opportunity to continue to grow and evolve as an individual
47. social change throughout history – without it, we wouldn’t have equal rights laws for women, homosexuals, and minorities. We wouldn’t have anti-trust, democracy, clean water, equal pay for everyone, etc.
48. technological inventions that have facilitated human livelihoods
49. medicine and research
50. chai spice tea
51. window planters
52. Instructables.com
53. Sunday picnics at Golden Gate Park, sipping on wine, laughing with friends, and soaking in plenty of warm sunrays
54. discovering my innate connection with nature
55. the idea that tomorrow holds a new day full of possibility
56. the ability to live life like an artform, a blank canvas ready for a new adventure, idea, or emotion
57. the ability to live life like an experiment, testing the waters of possibility, testing the edges of my comfort zone, and, in the process, creating a new adventure.
58. selflessness
59. kindness
60. epiphanies
61. open-mindedness

62. my open mind
63. my analytical mind
64. to be an HSP. Though it may seem like an impediment to my social life, it allows me to see more of what’s really there, and therefore I cherish it.
65. my strengths
66. the ability to recognize and mitigate my weaknesses
67. finding my boundaries
68. the Sun and its rays of happiness and gratitude
69. solar panels
70. electric cars
71. clean technology – not in a buzzword sense, no thanks
72. the experience of elated happiness and calm contentedness
73. experience itself
74. kindness between strangers
75. genuine smiles

76. WordPress.com
77. bonding with others
78. inspiring others via my blog or beliefs
79. bloggers who want to make this world a better place
80. organic farmers
81. the refreshing taste of cold water on a long sunny hike
82. the magical forest
83. botanical gardens
84. community farms
85. wildflowers by the road
86. feminism
87. modern art museums
88. biodynamic wine
89. pink sunsets
90. volunteers
91. baking soda and vinegar
92. public libraries

93. police and firefighters
94. my Macbook
95. social entrepreneurs that take care of the environment and of their workers
96. vegan cookbooks
97. thrift stores
98. art that confuses and questions, rebels and makes a statement
99. dub, house, underground hiphop beats, indie and electro-clash music
100. compassionate and loving individuals
101. the adventurous, dreamlike journey that is life