Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive #59 -- 1/25/11

Today I'm thinking about Health. Today I'm thinking about health and how lucky I am most of the time. My relatively good health is something that I don't take for granted at the best of times, and after being ill for 2 weeks...and only for 2 weeks, I'm somewhere beyond grateful for it.

On just the other side of 12 days of fever and yuck, I can unequivocally state how thankful I am that it was ONLY that long. I'm still weak and still very, very tired, but I am feeling SO much better and it makes me deeply and truly thankful for the rest of the days in my life when I am healthy. So thankful. Did I mention that I do not take this for granted.

I lose sight so often of the positive when I'm unhealthy whether it be emotionally, physically, psychically, or fiscally. I forget how much good there is in my life when those things loom and consume...and then I dig in and remember my gratitude. I remember to look for all of the good that IS instead bemoaning of all good that ISN'T and I feel so much better. *grin*

You know...I have such lofty plans whenever I write these to write them more often...to be more disciplined somehow about writing them regularly. I find myself thinking "I should just..." and then I never do, and I end up feeling like a failure for "not", and that just seems to defeat the purpose.

So today, I'm catching my unhealthy thought patterns. Instead, I hereby give myself the ongoing permission to write these whenever I feel like it...or whenever I need to...or whenever the mood strikes me...and I'm going to remove the awful "shoulds" and "musts" and "why don't I justs" from the whole picture. Go me! *grin*

So today I sing my gratitudes for:

1) Being on the mend.

2) Being relatively healthy most of the time.

3) Catching my unhealthy thought patterns and doing something about them.

4) Home made chicken soup and healing tea from Holly...delivered to my doorstep with love while I was ill. I don't know how to express how touching and beautiful this gesture is to me....but trust me when I say that I was and am deeply moved. Thank you. :)

5) Michelle for her gentle nudgings to try Projected 365 again. I've given myself permission to call it Project Three Sixty Whenever and am not being stringent with the rules of it, but I never would have done it this year if it hadn't been for her urging, and her belief in me, and I am finding that even though I feel resistant to the process, I need it. I want to grow as a photographer and this is a really good way to go about it. Whether I'm feeling particularly confident about myself or not. *wry smile*

6) Happy face emoticons. I should be thankful for them. I use them enough. *grin* :)

7) Smiling. As one of my favorite t-shirts says "Smiling is my favorite" and y'know...YAY! :)

8) This...because how can you not be thankful for Harry Belafonte and Animal doing a drum war? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaXCQ_wZidU

9) Katie & Michael...for being Katie & Michael. For graciously and generously allowing me space in their home these months, for patience and laughter and understanding, for fantastic meals together and delicious conversations, for fun outings and sappy BBC sightings on the sofa, for love and the true meaning of chosen family. Thank you both! I love you!

10) Quiet flirtations that mutually bolster but aren't going anywhere. Sometimes those are really nice. Today a friend brought me a bag of candy as part of an ongoing quiet, go nowhere flirtation...and it was just what my soul needed today. A little boost, an extra smile...and it isn't loaded and it is safe and it isn't going to be anything else beyond a quiet flirtation...and that? Is just fine.

11) When plans don't work out and I'm exhausted so I'm actually relieved. :) Like tonight.

12) Recognizing that I'm too wiped out to even do something as mind numbing as go to the movies and honoring that.

13) Deciding that it is ok to go to sleep early tonight. Kind of excited about it actually

14) It has been a month but I was busy editing photos while sick and looking at my holiday photos made me happy. It was so magical to have Christmas with my family at home this year. It was good for my heart and excellent for my soul. I am so lucky to both love and like my family. So so lucky. Hooray!

15) I'm glad and grateful that I made the time on Sunday to go to storage and take a lot of stuff that I didn't need out of the room I'm staying in. It makes it easier to breathe in here now and I come home and walk in the door with a smile on my face.