Quit Complaining to Yourself and Look at the Trees

I am grateful.

I am grateful for this incredibly gorgeous day. As I sit outside by the pool for a girl I’m babysitting I realized I should do a grateful post. I looked up at the piercing blue sky and realized just how lucky I am. I was going to write about my Rodan and Fields business, started typing and everything, but that will now be saved for another day.

When the breeze hits my arms and makes my skin tingle just a little with the almost chilliness I know my nerves work.

I look down beside me and see a tiny aunt walking about its life. Then the dog lays on it as it curls up beside my chair. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him panting from his jaunt around the pool and I know my eyes work.

I take a deep but also sort of shaky breath as I try to calm my nerves, not think of the next hours of busy running back and forth, and not get overwhelmed. I catch the faint odor of fresh-cut grass. Oh, right the tatted, muscled, and bearded Viking of a man just left after cutting the grass. My nose works and I can smell the world around me.

The color of the evergreens is such a striking light green with the sun’s light on it. They’re the color only a forest fairy queen could reproduce in a dress or painting but many would want to. It’s the color of life as the golden hour glow hits it. The needles, branches, and leaves all sway slightly from the force of the light breeze. I can see the details of color and it makes the world brighter if I ever stop to look.

My ears enjoy the whimsical and magical melodies of my Celtic, Scottish, and Irish Spotify station. The Lilting waves set me in a different time and place altogether. With the tune, I am in a clearing in the Scottish highlands. If I tune this out I hear the buzzing of an air conditioner or some such machine and the hum of insects and tweet of birds. My ears work…. back into the music… so does my imagination.

Sitting here on this pool chair doing homework and getting the opportunity to “force” myself to actually see the world around me is a great reminder to slow down. I rarely do but imagine how much I could relax and live into the beauty if I took enough time to notice.

Rachel Hollis and Georgie Stevenson, my two favorite podcast gals have both spoken about being grateful, mindful, living in the present and all the rest. I typically don’t ever let myself though, I refuse because the thought of being alone with my thoughts is more horrifying then pulling teeth. I mean it I’ve had plenty of teeth pulled (as a kid but still) I don’t ever sit alone with myself or my life though…

Maybe I’ve found a way on this 25th of September. Unusually warm and absolutely gorgeous here by this pool. I can do other work but try to tune into something specific around me. This is probably extremely unkosher to “meditate” and practice gratitude while doing something else, probably the opposite of the point, but it might be my way.

Maybe you didn’t need a little multitasking meditation today but I think I did. I’m stressed as all get out and after this, I will probably go right back to it but being stressed doesn't leave room for gratitude very well. Not out loud by I complain in my head all the time. When I’m stressed I just play and replay what’s wrong and how its the fault of this, or if only this was better then that.

No, just stop Rayna. You have some things to be amazed about so be amazed.

Moral: If it takes typing a homework assignment to feel truly grateful and practice some mindfulness… you probably need some help, but also great! Do multitasking meditation any day.

Photo I took driving through the Austrian or German Alps