Gratitudes

I am really bad at "living in the moment". I hate the feeling of sitting still and just letting time pass. Sure, down time is nice when I'm too tired and need to sit on the couch and play around on the Internet. But if I have a whole day to do nothing, I feel like I've wasted so much of my time. If I'm not distracted by something or have an "important lazy task" (such as this blog), I go for a nap. And even then, I grind my teeth in my sleep.

I've found myself at a bit of a lull because final exams are wrapping up (okay, I should probably be studying, but there's way better things out there). Doing nothing is becoming increasingly more difficult. I've gone full force into finalizing wedding plans, and I'm getting a little bit sad I'm almost done everything because that means - lo and behold - I have nothing left to do!

I think I've come to the realization I will be a life long student. Learning things and taking on new hobbies seems like a good plan. I would love to have a million projects on the go. I just don't do well standing still.

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A while ago, I started writing gratitudes in my journal when I'm feeling down. I force myself to think of three things I'm grateful for to counterbalance the negativity. I'm not so much down right now as I am feeling "blah", so it's worth putting the effort into.

1. I'm Grateful for my Grandmother's Health

Confession: I haven't called my grandmother in a while. So today, when I called and the phone kept ringing without going to voicemail, I got really worried. Luckily, she called me back within ten minutes and was just as chatty as ever.

2. The Kind of Laughter Where You Can't Breathe

Jon does this to me. I'm so lucky. 

2.5 I'm Grateful for Jon's Advice

I'm sneaking this in with the laughter. Super lucky for this. Sometimes I'm the worst person at taking advice, but I'm glad Jon reminds me to try new things, or go back to things I stopped trying when I need more in my life. I've tried meditation a few times in the last month, and it really did help me take some weight off my shoulders. And stretching on a yoga mat is always a good thing to be reminded to do after hours of studying.

3. I'm Grateful for Freckles

And sunshine. Seriously, the weather is becoming infinitely less depressing, and this means I may not need to resort to a tanning bed prior to travelling to Hawaii! (I'm suuuuuper white and will require SPF 110 regardless). #winning