Unusual Gratitude

[Michael Neill]

Dear all -

This week's tip is a request for you to explore at least ten unusual things you are grateful for in your life - i.e. things that are unlikely to turn up on too many other people's lists...

Here's the list I submitted to the magazine - I look forward to reading all of yours! 

I'm grateful for...

[1] ...the fact that Johann Sebastian Bach's uncle was unsuccessful in his attempts to discourage Bach from pursuing a career in music.

[2] ...Archimedes, for running naked through the streets of Greece yelling "Eureka, Eureka, I've found it, I've found it!"

[3] ...Lady Godiva, because fair is fair

[4] ...the big metal cup that the rest of the milk shake comes in.

[5] ...endorphins, without which even gratitude wouldn't feel good

[6] ...buoyancy, which allows us to float and to boat

[7] ...melanin, which converts light to create beautiful shades of dark

[8] ...carbon dioxide, which ensures that even the person you dislike the most is doing some good by feeding the plants each time they exhale

[9] ...gravity, without which none of us would be here (though we might be somewhere equally cool)

[10]...belly buttons - proof if ever it was needed that we are all interdependent

With love,
michael

[pearlydean]

Hi Michael,

my list is:

Funny messages left on my answerphone by my teenage children

The start of the football season in England UK

Radiohead

Running in the early morning haze in the countryside

My ability to talk to old people and share some happiness with them

The affection of jack and Eric (our two cats)

Sunlight glinting off the sea

Robert De Niro

My wife and I led in bed reading before we go to sleep

Exciting holidays abroad

Kindest regards
Keith Dean

[thecat131]

Hi there
My 10 unusual things to be grateful for:

1.   The duck sitting in the road outside my house (no I don?t live in the country)
2.   Not having everything I want
3.   The weeds in my garden (at least there are some flowers!)
4.   The occasional last minute cancellation by a client
5.   Not knowing everything about anything
6.   Truth
7.   Not working full time as a massage therapist
8.   Not working full time in an office
9.   Vegemite
10.   Not being perfect

Cat

[echidna-oz]

1 a smile to give and a smile to receive
2 the roof over my head even the holes
3 where i live
4 my friends and family even the ones who i dont see
5 the chooks that make me eggs
6 our dog
7 the internet and brainy people
8 our forefathers and the sacrifice they made
9this web site
10 blessings and bless you all 

[Donstar]

Love this post!  Here's my lsit:
1  'I'm not ok' by My Chemical Romance - the best PMT song ever (I'm sure that wasn't their intention!)
2  Puddles to jump in
3  That moment when guests leave ( )
4  An unexpected hour to myself when a client didn't show up
5  My bad temper - it tells me to get some sleep/peace/self care!
6  The dissatisfaction i always had when I worked for other people...it prompted me to stop doing that
7  Weekends with nothing to do but potter about
8  My hips - I take no notice at all when they are working perfectly, but I appreciate very much that they don't hurt
9  Random things that just make me laugh
10 For 'I'm increasing my prices' conversations that always go far better than I expect!

Love

Donna.x

[Jay Budzynski]

1: Rain on sunny days- shows the big guy say a sense of humour
2: free evening and weekend phone service
3: my locale duck pond
4: rainbows
5: parliament TV it?s funny at times
6:  The long waited reopening of our locale pizza shop- as they do some of the best tasting food
7: Thunder storms
8:  Green Jelly- one of the most inspirational substances on the planet-
9:  Big Jars of coffee- No reason other than wanted to use the words BIG AND JARS in a sentence- 
10:  External hard drives- 

[aniinl]

1.   April - July 07
2.   Magic Moments - i.e. when I suddenly feel my dad's here (who passed away) and I'm not sure if I even believe in those things...
3.   Being healthy and able to do whatever I want
4.   Internet
5.   Bruce Willis
6.   Michael (who is a real person but still a phantasy and who I will marry one day even though I?ve never spoken a word with him in my life
7.   Bath tubs
8.   My beautiful feet
9.   Thoughts, ideas, daydreams
10. Hugs

Nice post. Nice to stop and think about those things

[potplant]

Now this could be interesting - My first post so bear with me

 I would like to show gratitude to the following

1) My partner - for sticking with me through my recent bout of depression when a lot of "friends" ran away.

2) My depression - for forcing me out of a well paid, stressful job that I hated and into a lower paid job that I love.

3) My computer - that seems to have the knack of knowing when I have been working to hard and crashing at the right time

4) My debts - for the realisation that even when the chips are down and companies are threatening me left, right and centre that I am person who deserves respect and not to be treated like dirt.

5) My age - for finally being old enough to appreciate that life is to short for regrets.

6) The wrinkles on my face - at least it's proof that I have lived and have never used a plastic surgeon.

7) Stonehenge - The place where I feel most at peace.

My cats - for teaching me that if I want to keep goldfish I need to put netting on the pond.

9) Cross stitching  - which gives so much joy to others when I stitch them a card.

10) Science Fiction - For all the joy it has given me when ever I read or watch something in this genre.

[Marussia]

1. Marco Polo for bringing back noodles from China to Italy - thanks for which we enjoy glorious PASTA
2. My 8th English teacher who taught us never to start a sentence with "But..."
3. Having a sense of rythm for getting down with James Brown
4. Chopping onions for giving a reason to cry without anyone finding me out
5. Places where I haven't been yet for letting me dream
6. Reincarnation for endless chances to get it right
7. Quick-drying nailpolish
8. Douglas Adams for the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" trilogy
9. My issues for leading me to look up Hay House
10. Google Search

[landerson56]

My list:
1.  All the people in my life who make me laugh (even those I don't like very much)
2.  Pay-at-the-pump gas station technology
3.  The black spot fungus my newest rose bush developed this summer -- it is literally making me stop and smell the roses every day while I'm inspecting it and removing diseased leaves
4.  People who dig working with spreadsheets, tax regs, employee benefit rules, etc. (so I don't have to)
5.  People who tell me to my face when they disagree with me
6.  Google
7.  15-year-olds (if they would only be available EVERY time you need to reset your digital watch/phone/microwave clock/DVD player, etc.)
8.  Silence
9.  My squooshy down pillow
10.  Lightweight canoes and camping equipment

[aniinl]

It's so inspiring and fun to read all these posts!! I guess I'm experiencing gratitude for all this displayed gratitude here...

I forgot one!! (Was reminded this morning on my way to the office.)

11. Marcel - the doorman of the Hotel next to my office who imitates my grumpy face every morning and then shouts "You look good AGAIN!" and shakes his head in amazement. He manages everyday to make me enter my office with a smile, no matter how grumpy I was before

Oh, and it occured to me that my number 6 up there might be misunderstood. "Michael" is a guy who used to live in the house opposite mine, when I grew up. We now live in different time zones, but one day...

Anja

[jeni]

things that I am grateful for

the feeling of crisp clean bed sheets
seeing poppies waving in a field
finding Hay House radio
clouds, and making time to lay back and watch them drift past
the wonderful feeling of being completely lost in a book
TV shows that make me laugh out loud
coffee shops that let you just sit around all day and read while you drink coffee
puddles and wellies
the magic of the internet
the fact that my mum taught me how to cook and bake from scratch

Jeni

[Michael Neill]

Oh, and it occured to me that my number 6 up there might be misunderstood. "Michael" is a guy who used to live in the house opposite mine, when I grew up. We now live in different time zones, but one day...

My wife will be relieved... 

[Topcatkitten]

My top ten are:
1) Being able to see the infinite variety of clouds.
2) Learning from cats and their ability to always hold the strongest state.
3) The power of purple to engergise and motivate me
4) My husband for coffee in the morning
5) To NLP for giving me freedom from everything that went before
6) Very large paperclips
7) Uncle Ron
Pink pens
9) Pengiuns
10) Al Stewart for 'Year of the Cat'

[D - J]

1) My 4 year olds cute  grammer like - 'We have bones inside us, thats what makes us live- all days.'
2) The way my dreams incorporate the noises I hear from my surroundings and manages to make them part of the 'dream story' instantly- amazing.
3) When I Fly  in dreams (like Superman)
4)Time travel stories
5) Taking the lid of the 'new' coffee jar and wondering  which way this time how to break the paper foil stretched over it - mini fun!
6) Smelling the coffee once it's done
7) Liquid skin (instead of plasters) Not really for cuts, but when I was going hammer and tongs on my guitar recently I had some really nasty blisters, a coating of this over them - magic- lasts for hours.
8- My old trainers - I don't have to undo the shoe laces anymore
9) Foot oader eaters 
10) My wobbly eye trick - when I look at a wheel spinning or a helicopter blade(rotating)  it looks like -just for a split second -like it's still, also the first girl I had a crush on could do the same, we wobbled eyes together - it's also like having a mini super power.

[pbilzon]

I am grateful for:

? the smell of freshly brewed coffee on a sunny day.
? early morning birdsong on a Summer?s day.
? crisp frost and bright sunshine on an early Winter?s day.
? the rush of excitement felt at seeing a favourite singer/band live in concert.
? the smell of fresh bed linen especially when I?m feeling particularly tired.
? the wonderful surge of energy and well-being that runs through your body when your vision for the future shows no sense of weight or darkness.
? the invention of soccer.
? having a hearty and curious appetite that allows me to try lots of different foods.
? afternoon tea with McVitie?s Digestive biscuits/cookies.
? old black and white British films.
? red wine and Green & Black?s butterscotch chocolate.
? bicycles.
? going home on Fridays.
 

[Polly]

Some things I always feel grateful for:

Blue skies when I open my curtains in the morning
Hearing a piece of music I love by chance when I'm out and about, feels like such a treat
Public transport working perfectly
Lots of green traffic lights in a row
Unexpected calls from friends
Spontaneous smiles in the street
Small kindnesses from strangers
Sleeping well
Smell of freshly mown grass
Being reminded of other things I'm grateful for like fresh bed linen when I read what others had posted.......

I look forward to reading more

Polly

[aniinl]

My wife will be relieved...   

Ha ha, see, this excercise made me think so much that I was going through my answers all day in my head and tried to think of other ones, and then I suddenly went, ooops, maybe I should clarify something...   

[Helena Green]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your lists - here are some of mine:

1) Challenging conversations and feedback as it presents an opportunity to learn
2) The sunshine on my face as I walk by the river Thames close to where I live
3) The boundless energy and craziness of our neighbour's dog, and her beautiful ears
4) The rain as it helps things grow, and the distinctive smell of the earth afterwards
5) The light, bouncy feeling when I walk so full of energy and life, as it reminds me how privileged I am to have my health
6) Each precious moment spent with my 88 year old grandma and her perspectives on life
7) When people smile and say hello back to me in the street
Laughing so much my face aches with family and friends
9) That I love what my name means (light)
10) For 4 wonderful years with my darling husband, which we celebrate today

With love and blessings, Helena x

[Tim]

I'm unusually grateful for ......

1.   The rubber on the end of my pencil - always there when I need it!
2.   My dog - old, lame but still chases rabbits in his dreams
3.   Porridge - for being the world?s only grey food
4.   Thomas Edison for inventing the light bulb - how else would cartoonists show someone having an idea?
5.   The fact that bagpipes are largely confined to Scotland
6.   Caterpillars - for reminding us how much we can change.
7.   Clouds - the sky would get very boring without them
8.   The Government - for allowing us all to feel that we could do it better
9.   Chaos theory - it helps me justify my life
10.   The way that wire coat hangers manage to breed in the wardrobe

Take care,

Tim.

[Anyotherbusiness]

and it goes a little something like this

1.   Showers - like a mini rainstorm and yet incredibly refreshing.
2.   My mum's Rhubarb Crumble - what's not to like?
3.   Sunny frosty autumn / winter mornings - it's like the world has been cleaned and is new again
4.   Garden peas - is there a brighter, happier food on my plate? I mean I love broad beans but they're just not as happy!
5.   Catch 22, the book which provides the ultimate get out clause and heck we all need one of those once in a while.
6.   Music - not in an Abba "Thank you for the music" style but just how much different songs say / mean to me.
7.   A map and my compass - a gift from my dad, it gives me the freedom of the hills, any hills, in fact anywhere.
8.   Curry, shame we used an Empire just to nick the recipes!
9.   My bi-polarity. Would I have lived my life as such an adventure otherwise? Which leads me on to
10. NLP which has helped me keep on the adventure without the outlandish, ridiculous, manic, dispiriting, energy sapping, will to live losing phases which were my patterns before this.

[AnneW]

Oh, I love this posting! Here are some of the things I have unusual gratitude for...

• • Water hot & cold out of the taps every day!
    Clean sheets that have been dried outside in sunshine and a breeze
    That first cup of coffee in the morning...
    My husband bringing me tea and taking the clothes in from the line without me even asking...
    Susan Howatch's books
    Kate Bush's Arial
    The smell of incense in church
    Rita Connolly & Shaun Davey's music..
    My 11 year old son putting his arm around me and whispering "calm mum. Breathe in through your nose and out through the mouth" when I'm having a hard time...
    Consciousness shifting...the new methodology that I have just learned to help others and which brings me such joy..
  yeah, there's lots...
  

[anna]

1: Orchids, for there stunning beauty.
2: Hamsters, for having such small poo!
3: Marmite, for complimenting toast so well.
4: Snow, so I can watch my children make angles
5: Opera, as it fills parts inside me.
6: Sunshine, everyone seems happier when it?s out
7: Wood, because of all the wonderful things you can make.
8: Snuggle blankets, just because I like to snuggle.
9: Shooting starts.
10: Freshly cut grass.

Miles of smiles

Anna 

[Michelle Young]

better late then never !!

1, My two wonderful children, the most amazing humans in the world.
2, Curiousity, how life may be dull without it.
3, Having the courage to chase a dream which led me to move to a little bit of heaven.
4, Heaven, knowing that this is a place on earth, living as high as a mountain, head in the clouds with views on a clear day of over 100 miles of Scottish countryside.
5, Martin Luther King - for showing that one person can change the world when the odds are stacked against you.
6, The BumbleBee for showing us that the impossible is possible.
7, The Internet for making the world a smaller place.
8, E-Bay for being able to buy just about anything i want and get it delivered to my door.
9, Freckles, how i hate mine throughout my childhood, but now i see their beauty on my daughters face.
10, Mice, for giving my old cat her energy back and showing she is not dead yet, with her constant presents that she brings for me.


Wonderful thread 

[django7]

1. Grateful for being able to take the time to be Grateful.
2. Knowing that we all live in This wonderful time and no other.
3. Grateful for clever gadgets!
4. Grateful for having no boss but me
5. Grateful for the endless possibilties Im allowed to think up.
6. Grateful for that feeling of understanding.
7. My soft pillow!
8. For being hetrosexual
9. for never ever ever having to give birth!  )in this life anyway)
10. Grateful that I managed to real off Ten, when I just couldnt think of any right away. 


Love
Larry -

[astro4u]

spending 25 yrs looking for a soulmate
giving up on finding my soulmate
settling for a wonderfull man who is now my soulmate
realizing I have to be my soulmate...
sleeping on the couch because my soulmate snores
learning what love truely is
my bad days
my good days
watching my stepdaughter and my daughter laugh together dispite ther 8 yrs difference
hay house radio1