Saturday, December 1, 2012

My Top 10 List

So, I am a little late getting this posted...but since when have I ever been early for anything LOL... so, here it is, my Thanksgiving post. 

I love this time of year, Thanksgiving, autumn, leaves, the beginning of the Christmas season and New Year...yep, I love it.  I especially love the month of November, I know, kind of weird huh...but I do, maybe because I love cooking, being with friends and family, and cool weather, beautiful fall leaves...and of course, heart full of gratitude.  Sometimes I look at my life and am just amazed at how blessed I am, seriously, I am blessed... in so many ways.  Of course, not everything is perfect (I am still pleasantly plump..hehehe), but things are good and I feel very, very, very lucky and grateful, especially when I see so many wonderful people around me struggle with so much hardship and trials... I guess I just feel lucky.... so I just wanted to take a minute or two to express just a few things I am grateful for, of course, I can't list out everything that I am grateful for, but I was able to narrow it down to 10, so here it goes:


 1) My family
 
yeah, so we are not perfect....not even close....we laugh, we cry, we fight, we say mean things to each other, we talk really, really loud, we but head on political issues, we do crazy things, but all in all.... I love my family, and I can't imagine life without them.  I am especially grateful for the people my siblings have married...Melissa, Sarah, Matt and Adele, you hear horror stories of people's sister/brother-in-laws and how crazy they are, but I have been really blessed because of my "in-laws" rock and I am so happy my brothers and sister chose such wonderful people to marry and bring into our crazy family.  
Along with my family, I am so blessed to have these kiddos in my life, my nieces and nephews...they have brought such joy and laughter into our family, and I consider being an Aunt one of life's greatest blessings.  I am also blessed to be called "aunt" by several of my friends kids and I feel honored to be able to be a part of their lives as well.
 

2) My friends who have become my family
Wow, I think the Beatles had it right by saying "I get by with a little help from my friends"...seriously, I have the most wonderful people in my life, people I can call on when I am feeling down, discouraged, overwhelmed, stressed out, bored,  need a good laugh, need a good cry, and no matter where they live..near or far, or how much time comes and goes in between seeing them, we can always easily reconnect.   Friendship is something that I value and take seriously, so having good friends in my life is more important that gold, silver, and even chocolate or Diet Coke...so thank you friends!  Thank you for being in my life!

3) A job I like and great people to work with
It's not always perfect, but I love that fact that I can leave work at work, I have flexible hours, and awesome coworkers...even the really eccentric ones LOL.  I have made some really great friends working at the DLC and feel blessed to be able to have not only a job, but one that for the most part, I enjoy going to.
 
4) Laughter
"Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand". — Mark Twain

5) Good mental health
Seriously, I thank my Heavenly Father almost every day for my mental health...maybe it is a weird thing to thank him for but if you worked in the same field as I do (some of you might), than you how much easier life is if you don't have to struggle with mental health issues....  Statistics are that 1 out of every 4 people have a mental illness...that is a staggering number.  Mental illness doesn't show on the outside, but it is a silent struggle/battle/fight that a lot of people I know, some very close to me deal with every day...and I am extremely grateful that I personally don't have to have that struggle.  Life is tough for everyone, but even tougher for those with a mental illness.  Although my life isn't perfect, nor has it worked out as I had planned back when I was a young girl... I can still wake up each morning and find joy and happiness in just being alive... and I think that comes a lot easier for me because I have been blessed to not have the added challenge of things like depression, anxiety, mood swings, personality disorders, delusions, compulsions, ect...and I recognize the gift of good mental health that I have been given, and it is one that I am thankful for, because like with anything else, it could always change.   

6) Spirituality and my religious beliefs
I love my Savior, I know He lives and is aware of me.  I am thankful for  modern day prophets.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the principles that are taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I am thankful for parents who taught me those principles when I was young, and for church leaders and friends that have helped me figure out who I am, which as it says in the Relief Society Proclimation "I am a beloved spirit daughter of God, and my life has meaning, purpose and direction".

7) 2012 and the many great experiences I have had this year and new people who have come into my life
I will post more about this later, but this time last year I made a decision and committment to "Sieze the Day"....to take back control of my life and make the year I turned 40 one of the best years of my life...and I will say with all of my heart, that 2012 truely has been one of the best years ever, for many reasons and I am grateful for all of the experience I have had this year and for both my old and new friends who have played such an intregal part of it!

8) Physical health improvements over the past year
I will be starting 2013 (provided the world doesn't end on 12/21/12) 30 lbs lighter (I know that might not sound like a lot...but to me it is) than I was last year, several inches smaller... and several months under my belt of consistently going to the gym.  Last spring when I stepped into the gym, I was a little nervous and intimidated... this morning when I went to the gym...and almost every time I go I am greeted by name and I don't even have to show them my membership card...they have it memorized because I come often enough...yay!  I am thankful for those who have supported me with this goal...especially my gym buddy Jen.  I will also be starting this new year with the same resolve to continue on my weight loss journey, no matter how long it might take me.  I have better physical stamina than I had last year and I feel better physically than I have in a long time. 

9) A roof over my head
I have been living in this apartment for 6 years, it honestly feels like home to me and I am grateful that I can come home every day to a roof over my head.  I drive by the homeless shelter on my way to work every day which reminds me over and over again, how lucky I am to have a place to call home. 

10) Peace and balance in my life (mostly)