Slowing Down, Taking Care of Self 5/29/13

      Good evening,

Thank you, for dropping by.  The past two weeks have been a blur.  Eight day's ago, I feasted upon Yosemite and all of its beauty.  What a day it was; doing so while cycling was fantastic, sharing the time with a
friend made it even better.

       Since then, I've been to the movies a twice, had two birthday celebrations and spent plenty of time with family and friends, while carving out time to be with myself.  My life is rich, I enjoy an abundance that can never be taken from me. The prosperity I know involves community, closeness, intimacy, celebration of life, harmony and joy, in addition to tranquility, order and serenity, much to be grateful for.

My Gratitudes for Today:

1.  Grace is wonderful.  I know its virtue from friends, family and God.  I could not life with any sense of serenity without it.  It prevents me from beating myself up, when I goof.

    Experiencing grace is a tonic that provides a loving perspective.  It reminds me know I'm doing well, when the inner critic wants to disturb the joy within my soul.  I appreciate the love and harmony I know, when grace tempers the demanding moments of life.

    All is well.  Life is not about me, me, and me.  It's about Him, God.  Trust in God is a fantastic antidote to anxiety and depression. What a puny world it is when we can't see beyond our selfish tears and fears.

2.  Someone today had a rough day.  It was affecting a time we had scheduled together. This is when the slogan, "How Important Is It?" helps.  I appreciate the peace that fills my heart, when I maintain a healthy perspective and don't sweat the small stuff.

3.  I went to an Al-Anon Family Group meeting today.  Last week was one of the least pleasant moments, when I attended this gathering. Today, it was back on track.

     I chaired the meeting this evening. I made some introductory remarks about the need for us to be positive. We want to share our mess with our sponsor and our message with the group. Our goal is to stay in the solution.

     I'm thankful during the time for sharing, someone spoke up about the negativity that pervaded the fellowship last week, because of one person's too lengthy, negative share.  He did well.  He addressed the issue before the group.  I appreciate this person's effectiveness and competency in dealing with the narcissist who dragged the group down, last week.  Believe it or not, it was the very one I wrote about here.

Here is my pannier in compact form.
The sides zip open and the saddlebags

dropout. 

4.  I have a new bag---a pannier---a saddlebag for my bike.  Am I loving it.  Today, I carried fifteen books with me, along with food, clothing, cycling related accessories and a water bottle.  I can detach it from my rack and carry it as a bag.  Am I glad.

     It came in handy while meeting with clients today.

This is it, fully loaded. It fits over
 the back rack on my bike. 

5.  I lost my glasses last week. Today, they were found at tonight's gathering.  I hadn't stressed about them.  I let go and let God deal with their disappearance.  I had enough on my plate.  Now, if only I can find my keys. They've been missing for four days. Update: I found them on Thursday, the next day, inside a pouch in the pannier. 

6.  I've been busier than usual.  During this hectic season, I've been gentler towards myself.  There's that quality, grace, again.  During rough seas, it's important making sure I do what it takes to take care of yours truly.

    I'm sleeping more, and taking life slowly as I emerge from the whirlwind of recent activities.  I'm thankful for common sense, rest, balance, enjoying life and thriving during demanding times.

How About You? 
What are your three gratitudes for today?