Day 43: An Upgrade

Ever since I moved to my office a year ago, I have not been able to make a phone call from my cell phone (which is also my business phone) from inside the building. It has been incredibly inconvenient, resulted in many dropped calls and caused me to talk very close to the nearest window, which was often in another room. One of my other office mates had the same issue but switched carriers a month in. I was holding on for as long as I can.

So my phone started to break down in other ways recently, and I decided to take the opportunity to upgrade my phone and change carriers.  My dad offered to cover the cost of a new phone for my birthday and that's the part I am most grateful for. I wouldn't have gotten something so nice for myself, but took his phone recommendation and am happy with the result. It will even let me take some better pictures for this project. Super plus. I am blessed.

Day 42: I Love Yous

My yoga teacher recommended I integrate my daily gratitude with my daily yoga practice. He said fill my heart with the gratitude I feel for your daily gratitude for the day, with each breath. So today I was about to begin my yoga practice and I hadn't yet decided on what I was going to post as my gratitude for the day. Then, just like that, the answer came.

My friend that I hadn't talked to in a while called, so I decided to answer it. We spent about 10 minutes catching up and he ended the call the same way he does every time we part; he said, "I love you."

Most often I've shared those words with my parents, when parting in person or on the phone, and also some family. I also share those words with my boyfriend and a few close friends. Only recently have I started to cherish it more and more each time.

It seems like more of my friends have initiated "I love you"s within the past few years. Maybe its that I'm older and have known more people longer, or we are all more mature and know that "I love you" doesn't = "I want to have sex with you," or I'm surrounding myself with more loving people. Maybe, shmaybe, I don't really care what it is, I just want to say I love it.

Recently I initiated "I love you" with someone I feel close with but had never spoke the words in person. It felt amazing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. <3

Day 41: Self-Compassion

So I missed posting my gratitude yesterday. I made up for it today so I am still on track but broke my posting-everyday-streak.

And I'm totally okay with that.

It's funny, we talked in my yoga teacher training class today about reciting mantras as a practice and how typically you want to do a practice for 40 days. I've heard elsewhere that if you break a practice, you should start again. I think it is funny that I broke this practice on the 40th day, but I feel it is a good thing I signed up for 101 because as far as 40 days are concerned, I've got 40 (plus 21) more days to get it right.

The truth is that it probably doesn't matter to anyone else whether or not I post everyday. So if I get upset about it, it's just about me. If I have compassion about it, I can move on and have gratitude for that. I'll go with that route.

Day 40: Acupuncture

Technically this should have been posted yesterday but who's counting?

Yesterday I received my first acupuncture treatment in months. I have this great friend who is also a great acupuncturist and the only person I let put needles all over my body. Her name is Dr. Becky Rubright and she is the owner of

Living Harmony Healing Center

in Seminole Heights.

Dr. Becky listened to me talk about where I'm at right now and we both decided that a "tree of life pattern" was the best option for me. Becky's approach to acupuncture incorporates sacred geometry and knowledge of the chakras.  For a metaphorical metaphysicist like me, this is perfect. We used my session to encourage my growth in all spheres of my life.

It was just what I needed!

Day 39: A Successful Open Mic

Over four years ago, my friend Penny and I decided we wanted to start an open mic, a place where people could come and share their thoughts, their crafts, and themselves in a supportive environment.  Luckily for us,  a good friend of ours had just opened a

Cafe Hey

and did not have an open mic night yet. So on May 28th, 2008, the

Open Mic at Cafe Hey

was born.

With the exception of a handful of nights, we've held open mic at Cafe Hey every Thursday night since. It's gone through many evolutions but one thing stays the same: Anyone is free to share whatever they want. It is amazing to see what unfolds in a space like that.

I've said for a few years that I would like to write the book on open mic. Maybe I will, but until then I will just keep sharing and be thankful to those who share too.

Oh yeah, and we won Best of the Bay from Creative Loafing for the second year in a row this week! That's quite a feat because I don't think any of us voted. At least some others did!

Day 38: Completion

I start a lot of projects but complete only a few. So when I do it feels SO good. 

There have been a few things this week that have come to completion and I am feeling great about it. Though completion means the end of something, it also means the beginning of another. Life doesn't stay empty for long.  I'm working on getting more to the completion part and allowing what emerges after to come naturally. 

Less force. More grace. 

Day 37: Wood Floors

I came home to dog poop on the floor. That is no fun for anyone. Well, my dog seems ambivalent about it, actually a little joyful. She's had dinner now and a well over-due trip outside. She keeps smiling at me. I'm annoyed.

After I cleaned up and lit some incense to help get the smell out, my roommate and her boyfriend came home. I explained what happened and he said, "At least you don't have carpet." Ahhh...

perspective

. It's true, clean-up would have been a lot worse. I'd still be scrubbing but instead I'm writing about how I found gratitude even in dog poop.

I think this project is working.

Day 36: Reading in the Morning

Last night I was reading in my journal about how much I miss reading in the morning. I still do! When I was in school and had class in the afternoon or a day off, I would start my day with reading.  Most often it was stuff for school, but I loved it! I've come to realize those were really special times.

I had my ritual of fixing breakfast, then a cup of coffee and finding that space on the couch or maybe outside where I would sit for the next hour or two reading through my assigments for the day.  I loved being there with my thoughts, journal nearby in case anything started to churn. I'd occationally gaze out the window and assimilate what I had just read.

This morning I had a little bit of time before I had to leave and I thought, "Ah! I can read!" I only spent about 15 minutes on the couch but it was fabulous. It really helped to center my day, not feeling like I had to rush out, and just being with my thoughts...its the simple things that I don't want to miss!

Day 35: Hand-me-down Clothes

I am proud to say that many of my clothes, especially the ones that I wear often, are hand-me-downs. That means, I didn't pay a cent for them. Sure, I do go shopping every once in a while.  And when I do it is mostly for work clothes. But for the most part I am happy to be the recipient of the garbage bags of garments that result from spring cleaning.  Whatever I don't take, I share with my roommates or other female friends, or take to donate. It's really been great on my budget and I end up learning that I like things I wouldn't have bought for myself.

So next time you think, "I don't have anything to wear," maybe ask your friends if they need to clean our their closet.

Day 34: Deb!

Today I had to say "See Ya Later" ("good bye" just makes me sad) to a great friend of mine, Deb Muller. Tomorrow morning she embarks on a journey to travel, work, and discover. Her and her girlfriend, Cricky, have found new homes for most of their possessions, tied up their loose ends in Tampa, and have been asking themselves what they really what to experience in this life. So they are leaving everything they know to explore their passions. We all can take inspiration from that.

Deb has been instrumental in my yoga practice the past year and a half.  When we first started to become friends she had just finished her yoga teacher training and really encouraged me to take that step in my life.  She introduced me to LeShan, the teacher I am now working with, and supported me in my slow journey to beginning the training. Deb's yoga classes have been some of my favorite to attend and have helped me a lot in my practice.

But also Deb is a friend in the truest sense of the word. Maybe its the yoga, maybe it's just who she is, and probably a little bit of both. She is one of the few people that I feel really knows how to listen.  Knowing that people like Deb are out in the world (even if it's out in the world away from where I am), I feel things are going to be okay.

Deb and Cricky started a blog to share on as they journey. Check out

The Farmer and the Yogi

. Follow them. Love them. I know I will!