50 Things

 

Today is my 50th birthday. To celebrate, I give you 50 things I am grateful for in no particular order:

1. That I get to wake up next to my two favorite people: my husband by my side, and my son who crawls into bed with us every morning – he is the best alarm clock ever.
2. When my son says, “Mommy, I wuv you.”
3. An entire year of healing and letting go of things that no longer serve me.
4. That I get to inspire people to practice gratitude through my workshops, app and books.
5. My friends. Friends are gold to me. I’ve been so blessed to have many close relationships in my life.
6. The opportunity to live in these fun places for extended periods of time: London, San Francisco, Sausalito and New York City.
7. Mocha chip ice cream.
8. Snugging on the couch with my four year old.
9. Sleep, beautiful sleep. It wasn’t always possible but sleep is my friend again.
10. Living on the north shore of Long Island near the water.
11. The beautiful seasons.
12. Meditation.
13. My amazing body.
14. Cooking healthy, delicious food for my family.
15. My parents. They have both passed but I keep them in my heart every day.
16. My struggles. Without them, I never would have discovered the gift of practicing gratitude.
17. Fall festivals.
18. Tree lightings. I love going to Christmas tree lightings.
19. Dark chocolate. I know it’s cliche but dark chocolate has become so sacred to me that I include it in my spiritual ritual each week where I cleanse each chakra, letting go of what I no longer need in my life, then bringing in love and light. The chocolate helps me taste the beauty of life as I breathe it in. Ok so that may be a little weird but now that I’m 50 I don’t really care if you think I’m weird. 😉
20. My husband for sharing nighttime responsibilities of cleaning up and putting my son to bed every night.
21. My husband for being such a fun Dad.
22. My beautiful home.
23. The view of trees outside my window when I wake up each morning.
24. That we get to go to Colorado to visit my husband’s family every Christmas and ski and snowboard and enjoy mountain life.
25. Yoga. It’s my feel-good activity.
26. Writing. I never knew how much I would love being a writer.
27. The mess of toys in my kitchen. Each one reminds me how much I love my son.
28. My waterfall in my back yard. Pure zen.
29. My trip to Costa Rica in 2011 which helped launch my gratitude career.
30. The ocean. Being near the ocean revives me mentally, physically and emotionally.
31. Doing art projects with my son. I love getting messy with him and having fun.
32. Baking cookies and banana bread with my son. He loves to bake as much as me.
33. All my mentors, teachers and coaches. Support is all around me.
34. My sister. The day she was born was one of the best days of my life. We grew up together and now we are adulting together. It hasn’t always been a smooth ride but we always manage to be there for each other. I love her so much.
35. Our family mantra: “Be kind, be helpful, be happy.”
36. My nieces and nephews. Children are the world.
37. Peace and quiet. Appreciating the silence whenever I can helps me stay calm and centered.
38. Interactions with strangers. I have found that when I am relaxed and I take the time to notice people and really connect to them, my day is so much more fun.
39. Super clear goals. My gratitude practice has helped me get so very clear on what makes me happy, which has empowered me to get rid of the things that don’t.
40. Financial freedom. Growing up my family struggled financially. There was even a time when we qualified for free lunch in school. I remember being so embarrassed that I pretended to give the lunch ladies my money even though I didn’t have any. Money needs to be appreciated. If you fear you will run out, you’ll never enjoy it and you’ll never have enough.
41. My bath tub. I’m going to treat myself to a birthday salt and lavender bath once I’m done writing this list!
42. Long walks in nature. Science is now proving why this feels so good. Did you know trees emit essential oils into the air? According to a study conducted by Japan’s Chiba University, “Forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than do city environments.”
43. Date nights with my husband.
44. My health. It’s everything to me and I work hard to preserve it as best I can and to teach others what I’ve learned along the way.
45. Music. I love how music makes me feel. One of my goals is to learn how to play an instrument this year. I’m thinking the ukelele.
46. Overcoming depression. Depression runs in my family. It hit me hard in my twenties and thirties. Through food, lots and lots of self work, and mindfulness, I was able to overcome my challenges without medication. For this I am so grateful.
47. That I get to be a Mom to the most amazing kid ever. I am so over the moon in love with my son every single day.
48. My freedom. Each day I get to make choices to benefit myself and others. Never has there been so much opportunity to be creative and productive. I may be 50 but I feel like there is a whole new life ahead of me to love and be loved by.
49. Surviving the birth of my son. I lost so much blood I almost died but we both pulled through and are healthy!
50. You. Thanks for sticking around!

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading my list. It isn’t everything I’m grateful for, just what I am grateful for now, in this moment.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!