Gratitude notes for July 2019
Today, two of my co-workers were able to identify that I’d made an irrational
decision based on a frustration I was experiencing from a given task. They told
me forthright, and I’m really thankful they pointed that out. Without them, I
couldn’t have recognized my error and made it right. I’m very lucky I have
people who can help me course-correct when I need it.
I’m very thankful for sleep.
I had a ton of really enjoyable conversations today. It was just one of those
days where I take for granted how many people I get to have meaningful
conversations with and am thankful for each of them.
Board game night was so fun! I lost both games, but it was the journey there
that mattered!
I really enjoyed my jog this morning. We’ve got a little friendly competition
going, which motivates me more than I would’ve thought.
I’m also thankful for all the little interactions I got to have with people
today, from shimmying with a co-worker in the morning to laughing with people I
joke with or who make fun of my face when I’m enjoying music by myself at my
desk.
I’m very lucky that I got to enjoy all these moments throughout the day. My
loved ones are all safe and my life is very peaceful. I’m extremely fortunate
that I live in a time and place that allows me all these privileges.
I loved playing piano today. I whizzed through an online tutorial about
learning the basics (again, since I had lessons nearly 20 years ago), and then
practiced the opening chords for “Kakarito Village” by Koji
Kondo. After doing the chords
enough, I could speed up and make it feel natural. I have a long way to go, but
even getting a bit of that satisfaction on day one has been super rewarding.
I appropriately had pancakes for breakfast and turned them into a very fun run
at the beach today. It’s fun when I get to have “little moments” with
pedestrians when I’m really feeling a song in my headphones; it’s fun to connect
with strangers in that little way.
I saw a lady dragging a table through a gate and offered to help her. She was so
sweet and seemed super appreciative for the hand. I didn’t want anything in
return, but it did feel nice that she was so happy from the gesture. I should
keep helping ladies dragging tables in the future.
I love how clean my place is. It’s so clean that I won’t even leave dishes in
the sink anymore.
I’m so lucky that a day like this is even possible for me. I have the freedom to
chose my schedule, the health to be at the beach and groove to some tunes, and I
worked through an eclectic variety of foods throughout the day. I’m thankful
that my loved ones are all safe and that I had the luxury to throw myself a
little vacation right here at home. I could lose that privilege at any time.
I cleaned my apartment so good today. It started with one delivery box that
was clogging up my entry way, and it ended with completely rearranging my closet
space and sweeping up dust in the process. Surprisingly solid sense of
accomplishment from it, and my place feels strangely better than it did
before.
I’m so lucky I get to hang out and eat with some friends that I’ve had for a
relatively long time. I really enjoy them, and I’m grateful that they choose to
spend their time with me, too.
It’s fun going to the grocery store and looking forward to chatting with the
person who helps me check out. I always talk with this one lady there who I just
feel like I can relate to and talk to easily. Getting groceries isn’t the same
without her.
I’m very lucky that I’m healthy and didn’t have to actively think about my
mortality today. My health could go at any moment, and I’m very fortunate that
it’s such a non-issue for me that I could concentrate on things that make me
happy instead. I’m very lucky for this opportunity.
On my drive home tonight at 11:30pm, I saw a group of ~100 people on bikes with
glowing lights just rolling down the middle of the street. One guy was riding
the chariot of bicycles with two American flags flying behind him. I guess
people do all kinds of things on Friday nights.
Great dance class tonight. I’m lucky I can afford to block off that time and let
loose for a little bit. What a great routine I get to have.
Fantastic improv comedy show tonight! I loved the “abandoned meadow” and dance
battle scenes. There were tons of funny moments and a full crowd, including 10
of our own who got together for a bit after. I’m so thankful that enjoying an
evening like this is possible. We were able to do it so casually today. We have
the freedom to do as we please and I feel very fortunate for that.
I’m very lucky for the number of people I get to chat and connect with in any
given day. It reminds me of a time when I’d bump into people in town that I grew
up with, except I get to enjoy that serendipity in my life now on a regular
basis.
It felt really sweet to be welcomed back to the office after being gone for a
while. I didn’t realize how impactful small gestures like that can be; I’d best
remember that so I can pay it forward to people I miss when they’re gone.
I listened to an IndieHacker podcast with Hiten
Shah today. It
stirred a lot of helpful ideas about how to affect my process to optimize for
continuous problem-solving and improvement that I’ll be slowly implementing into
my routine. I’m thankful I stumbled upon it.
I’m thankful for the food I eat, today. It might not seem significant, but I eat
exactly what I want to eat, and I’m grateful that I want to eat stuff that
happens to be good for me and keeps my energy in a healthy state. I know what
it’s like to be trapped in a diet of fats and sugars, and I’m very lucky that I
can see my way out of it.
I sat next to a pretty successful entrepreneur on the flight back to LA today. I
picked his brain for a full half of the trip, and he was happy to oblige. I love
it when I get to have enjoyable (and valuable) conversations while traveling.
For the first time since I moved to my current place, I let it be 76 degrees in
my home and enjoyed it. No A/C or even moving air. It felt like summer. I ought
to do that more often.
I’m lucky for the opportunities I have to relax and think of absolutely nothing.
I’m not brain-dead; I get to enjoy the lack of obligations and lack of dangers.
It’s a great place to be, and that privilege can be ruined in an instant by
something irreversable. I’m very thankful to live in a time and place that
affords me these moments for free.
Great time at dance this morning. I don’t know if it’s the playlist or the sound
system or the people, but it was super easy to lose myself in the music today.
Love that I get to come home to such an awesome group.
I’m very lucky for people I’ve spent a large chunk of my life with who I still
get to keep in touch with. I think I undervalue how important those
relationships are, and I’m glad I still have some that I get to connect with.
The “ronny/lily” episode of
Barry was
awesome. I like that program, but I really like that episode.
Playing with a dog in a pool on a hot summer’s day was a real treat today.
Especially when she waits for me to come up for air so she can jump on my head
and get the tennis ball from my hand. I’m not joking; I laugh every time she
does it.
I’m very lucky for the people in my life who like spending time with me enough
to spend multiple days with me. It might seem normal at first, but there are
people who don’t get to enjoy that same luxury. I’m very very lucky that way.
I’m thankful for all the tiny comforts that ward off distractions and make it
easy for me to be in the moment. A/C. Full meals. Water to drink. A safe place
to sleep. All these things are the foundation for a life that I’m thankful for.
Mom and I started and finished Stranger Things season 3 today. Perfect show for
a rainy day.
I woke up after 10 hours of sleep and played with my Mom’s dog in the pool with
heavy rain and 80 degree heat, all on a whim. The smells of summer have been a
trip to the past; they remind me of times when I was a kid and how summer truly
was freedom. I’m really thankful that I get to experience this environment in
such a present and emotional way. I’m thankful that I opt for this kind of
vacation.
I’m so lucky that I got to be with my Zumba ladies tonight! The crew is as
together as ever, and it felt great to be right back in it as if I’d never left.
It’s a real treat that I get to be part of that community and got to have so
much fun with everyone tonight.
I’m very lucky that staying with my Mom and her boyfriend is something I enjoy
and look forward to. It’s very easy for me, and there are countless realities
where that wouldn’t be true. I’m so thankful that we all get along and are able
to enjoy our time when we’re together.
I was only in the gym for 20 minutes this morning, but I still got to bump into
one of my neighbors that I love seeing and talking to. He’s such a good guy, and
I’m lucky that I get to cross paths with him from time to time.
Today, I learned a lot from somebody who was raised American but also identifies
as Mexican. He had a hard time not fitting in growing up because of the color of
his skin, and it was enlightening to hear about the world view that results from
it. It’s just a whole set of problems I’ve never had to seriously deal with. I’m
glad for the chance to add that bit to my perspective going forward, and I’m
thankful he was able to tell his story in a way that resulted in something
meaningful for me.
At the airport gates, there’s an unspoken rule that, if you can, you should find
seats in a way that always leaves at least one empty seat between people. At the
time I arrived, that wasn’t an option, so I chose to sit next to a girl who
looked to be about my age. We started talking, and the next hour of our wait
went by effortlessly.
I’m so lucky to have my Mom, who makes time in her schedule to see me and who is
a fantastic host in so very many ways. Being with her today just makes my life
better, and I’m very thankful and lucky to have her.
I was flying down the sidewalk this morning with some tunes I hadn’t listened to
in about six months. It feels great release energy so excitedly. It feels
exhilarating like a video game, except that it’s actually real life.
I was delighted with some awesome people I got to spend one-on-one time with
during lunch and dinner today. I love how natural it is to schedule time with
people so casually and genuinely enjoy the company and conversations. I’m really
grateful that I have people in my life that make time together so rewarding and
fulfilling.
I had a surprisingly fun time solving one problem at work today. It was a simple
problem with some unique constraints. I was able to scrap together some tools
I’d used in different contexts previously, and it “just worked”. And then it
really helped the people who had the problem, which felt really good. I’m
grateful that I can stumble across little gems like this throughout my day.
There are tens of little interactions I get to have throughout my day that I
totally take for granted on a regular basis. I’m very lucky to be with people
who just mesh together so willingly and easily. I’m fortunate to be part of all
that and to be with such awesome people each day.
I’m thankful that my body works in a way that spares me from ongoing pain and
fatigue. I think I really get the best of life because I don’t have to live with
distractions related to survival. I’m very lucky all this was given to me.
I got to have one of my morning dance sessions in the middle of my jog this
morning. I dropped into the office super early and had an interpretive dance
sesion with one of my early-bird co-workers. I love that the routine might be
firing up again.
I received a fat property tax bill in the mail today from a state I haven’t
lived in for nearly 18 months. The bill was based on incorrect information, and I
immediately thought “ugh, this is going to be a pain to correct”. I called in,
and the nicest lady answered. I think her helpful demeanor was the difference
between me feeling violated and me feeling confident that this error can be
sorted out. I’m thankful for her. I don’t know if she knows it, but she made me
feel so much better with so little effort.
I really lucky for the people I get to see throughout my day, having lunch,
wishing them a happy evening, showing each other areas where we grew up or
frequent annually. I could be head-down working somewhere with people I have
nothing in common with. It’s really neat that we can just enjoy being together.
I’m thankful for those people being in my life.
I’m very lucky that I’m not haunted by memories I cannot cope with, and that I’m
healthy and able to maintain a sense of security in my day-to-day life. It’s
hard for me to remember the last time I was shaken and vulnerable, which is such
a testament to how good my life is now. I’m so fortunate that today continued
that streak. It could end any day.
There were a bunch of people waiting for the bathrooms at Venice Beach pier
today. I walked up and asked some bystanders if they were waiting. A nice woman
replied “yes”; I nodded and wandered behind her. Then she pointed with her
finger, “that stall is actually open, but there’s poop all over the seat”.
Immediately, I responded with “yeah, that’s fine”, and I went right in. I think
I surprised both of us with how nonchalant I was about not caring about the
poop.
Nobody made any moves to go into that stall after me.
I’m very fortunate that I got to casually go to the beach and enjoy the people
and weather today. It’s so great how people can all coexist in the same area
with hundreds of other people around and they all get along. I’m very lucky I
live at a time and place where something like that so available and safe to do.
I got to meet my friends’ new puppy tonight! She was exhausted when I arrived,
but she took a doggy nap during our human dinner and she really showed her
spunk! I’m thankful for the friends I have and the time we spend together.
I’m very lucky I have the dance class routine I have and the instructor who
leads it. I really appreciate having it, and it’s fun doing it with other people
who like to have a good time shakin’ it.
I got to have lunch and walks with people throughout the day. I won’t always
have the opportunity to spend days like this where I get to hang out and enjoy
my time with people who I feel lucky to know and to see each day. I’m very lucky
to have the health and safety required for days like this.
I got sprayed with a money gun today. Such a great way to walk into a happy hour
full of people you know. It’s even better when they’re cheering for you to dance
while the money’s coming down on you.
I was booked today, and I really enjoyed it. I really value the one-on-ones I
got to have with people; I’m very lucky that I have people who value me enough
to want to spend time together like that.
I had one-on-one time with so many people throughout the day and enjoyed them
each so much. Breakfast. Lunch. Paused-in-passing to connect. Work-oriented
sit-downs. A high-five at the end of the day.
My right heel keeps threatening tenonitis, but it somehow holds up. Bike ride to
and from work today was a breeze. I’m able to keep energy throughout my day.
These are all things that were given to me and I’m very lucky to have. It won’t
always be so simple, and I’m thankful it was today.
I’m grateful I have a home I get to come to at the end of the day that’s mine
and that I feel safe in. I’m so fortunate to live in a place and age where these
luxuries are the norm. I’m so thankful that I’ve gotten to enjoy these gifts for
as long as I have.
I love that I can call my parents whenever. I mean, I respect their bedtimes and
stuff, but I really am lucky that I can talk to them throughout the week and
that I genuinely enjoy talking to them. I’m so fortunate that I have them.
Something I take for granted a little bit is how alive my city is. When I walk
outside, there’s always people around. Tonight, some kids were skateboarding in
the street with a makeshift wooden ramp they put out in the middle of the road.
There was a group of people chatting and laughing outside a church on my way to
my car. People jogging in their neighborhoods. It’s easy to miss these things,
but they’re little gifts, each one of them. How lucky to live so peacefully.
I’m very lucky that my body works as well as it does and that I can eat and
dance and have energy throughout my day. I’m aware of how quickly that can all
go out the door and how it one day will.
Sometimes I go a whole day without leaving my room. Today was one of those days,
and I loved it. Long Johns. Sleeveless-T. Chicken wraps with red peppers
straight off the grill. Spoiling myself suits me.
I’m thankful for my co-workers. We really do have a group that gets together
to solve problems and ultimately help each other. It could be so much more
complicated than that and it just isn’t.
I put on some Missy
Higgins
concerts last night and really
enjoyed myself. Missy just looks like she’s doing what she’s meant to do, and it
inspired me. I’m really glad I stumbled on that and was able to be affected that
way.
I’m so lucky that I have the luxury to be at home comfortably today. Things
won’t be so easy one day not so far in the future, and I’m incredibly fortunate
that I get to enjoy my safety and health like I do today.
A few of us went to the beach today, and we saw this guy doing hip exercises in the sand. It really just looked like he was humping the earth. It was all hushed giggles at our camp.
I found a song that just triggers the waterworks with me. It’s called “Killing Me” by Luke Sital-Singh. It yanks me out of my usual flows and puts me squarely in the present moment. I love that I have tools that help me sculpt my perspective.
I sometimes forget how lucky I am for my safety and health. I never have to think about my body in a distracting way; for the most part, it “just works”. I noticed today that I also don’t have the best body compared to other people out there who might be stronger or faster than me. But that doesn’t matter to me now. My body does everything I want it to do, which is something I’m extremely lucky to have and could lose at any moment, likely before I’m ready to.
I’m also lucky I have people I can pick up the phone and talk to whenever. There was a time I didn’t feel that way, but today I do, and I’m very thankful to have any connections that make me feel supported that way.