an attitude of gratitude

I'm always excited by assignments that turn into personal projects.  This one is a companion piece to my HUMN 318 class at Franklin University; in our studies of the world's religions, we'll be incorporating a spiritual practice into our own lives where it hadn't been before. 

To that end, I've chosen to add daily meditation into my life.  I'm a busy girl (like so many of us) and I find that it's very easy to arrive at the end of the day with no idea where my time has really gone.  Sure, there were those hours at the office, and the mile on the treadmill, and the mindless TV white noise while J and I ate dinner... but as I grow older, I'm discovering more and more that my parents were right, and that time really does fly.

It's my goal, then, to learn to employ meditation as a way of slowing myself down.  Psychologists and behaviorists have many  theories as to how long it takes to form a new habit, but I think -- I hope! -- that a twelve-week class will be long enough to help me!  The appeal of meditation lies in the idea that it is rooted in self-care.  At the risk of sounding like a therapy session on paper, I'm eager to see the benefits, both personally and professionally. 

Learning Meditation is a useful site for beginners like me; it explains the concept of meditation in simple language and offers several suggestions for how to begin.  Each includes time spent alone in quiet thought, free from distraction.  It's going to be a challenge, but I am ready to tackle it.  What's more, I feel like I need it.

This blog will serve as a record of my meditative journey.  I am, by nature, a list maker, a writer, a romantic... and those three in combination will spur me to keep track of how it's going. I've decided to take it a step further, to give the daily meditation some focus.  I will be spending my quiet minutes reflecting on something (or someone!) for which I am grateful.  I've said many times before that I lead a charmed life... whether it has been by luck or fate or divine intervention, the fact remains that I have much for which I am thankful, and I am looking forward to making gratitude a consistent part of my life. 

This week posed a few challenges.  There were a couple incidents that provoked some pretty strong emotions, and on those days, it was a little tougher to find something to appreciate.  The end result, however, was exactly as I'd hoped!  In forcing myself to find good in the day, I was able to quiet negative thoughts and clear my head.

I'm looking forward to continued progress.  Stay tuned!