Tag: Spotify

Happy To Be Here (#230)

I do well with structure and organization. Having a work schedule keeps me busy and keeps me moving. I love the work I do here at UMass and I’m surrounded be intentional and caring humans. I’m excited for staff to move in so we can get started.

08.09.18

Today I’m Grateful For…

  1. Team building
  2. Shared laughter
  3. A good first impression
  4. The feeling of being unpacked
  5. My mom’s cooking
  6. Fruit smoothies
  7. The New England Patriots are BACK
  8. Banana bread
  9. Feeling organized
  10. Being back at work
  11. CLEAN WATER! Check out my project and see how you can get involved!
  12. Walks through campus
  13. Seeing Jess and Carley
  14. The coolness of the wind
  15. Local bagels and pizza
  16. The warmth of the sunshine
  17. Teaching CORE again
  18. Days at the beach
  19. Safe travels
  20. Trains to Liverpool
  21. Board games with the family
  22. The smell of fresh flowers
  23. Friendly competition
  24. Good teachers
  25. This very moment

  • As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image from my balcony. I plan to spend a lot of nights out here.

    My Definition Of Gratitude (#219)

    My definition of gratitude isn’t so much defined in words as it is in feeling.

    There’s a quote from one of my favorite coaches, John Wooden, that’s appropriate…

    Gratitude is both simultaneously a little thing and a big thing. Gratitude doesn’t have to be a long list every night. Gratitude can be the warm embrace shared with someone you missed or a sincere thank you after finishing a collaborative project. Gratitude starts in the simplest form and can evolve into a larger sensation. There’s something powerful when we can share a mutual appreciation of one another. It’s all about how we can demonstrate love and positivity because of people or events in our life, in both little and big ways.

    07.29.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. Texts from Home
    2. My Peer Mentor staff
    3. Sand between my toes
    4. Change
    5. Good advice
    6. Train rides to Liverpool
    7. Supportive people
    8. Grad school
    9. Home cooked meals
    10. Tattoo stories
    11. Classic movies
    12. No traffic coming home
    13. People who inspire me
    14. Sharing gratitude
    15. When I’m sitting outside and you can hear the train pass by my house at night
    16. Rainy days with my cat
    17. Saturday morning reffing
    18. Friends from home
    19. Teachers and mentors
    20. An empty email inbox
    21. Chipotle trips
    22. Sitting around the Bridgewater Lake
    23. A good series on Netflix
    24. Safe travels
    25. The here and now

  • As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image is not my own but I’m always a sucker for a good sunset.

  • When It Rains It Pours (#217)

    It rained today!! Not sure how closely you follow weather in the UK but it’s been uncharacteristically dry.

    I’ve written it many times before but I’m someone who LOVES the rain. I love the smell of water seeping into the ground. I relax listening to the rain fall against my window sill. I feel refreshed when the droplets land on my skin, as if like a plant, giving me new life.

    I couldn’t help but smile when I got caught in the storm. It seemed all too fitting as I watched a plane fly across the last piece of clear sky before the rain fell. It felt like the Universe was giving me one last push to make it home. Reminding me I’m a week away from being on that flight myself. I can’t wait to see my family, to pet my cat, and to eat some decent peanut butter.

    07.27.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. Tattoo stories
    2. CLEAN WATER! Check out my project and see how you can get involved!
    3. Monopoly night
    4. Soccer in the backyard with my brother
    5. Walks around the park with my mom
    6. New music Friday on Spotify
    7. A helpful hand
    8. A clean apartment
    9. Weekend hikes
    10. Movies on the projector
    11. Catching the sunset
    12. Wednesday nights after Chapter
    13. Crimson memories
    14. New Years resolutions
    15. My BSU friends
    16. Gratitude and people who share it
    17. The World Cup this summer
    18. My family
    19. Change of all kinds
    20. Eggs in the morning
    21. Time at the gym
    22. Constructive feedback and learning
    23. My peer mentor staff
    24. The dream team with Jess and Carley
    25. This very moment

  • As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image from my hike at Arthur’s Seat in Scotland. What a beautiful morning overlooking and an incredible city.

    An Incredible Adventure (#213)

    Every list I post, #25 on my list of gratitude is an acknowledgment of the present moment. Thoughts and fears can take me away from being present. Anxiety and uncertainty for the future meshed with a disappointment in failure from the past, remove me from the here and now. Being mindful and being present is a practice. What I’ve learned is this search for meaning, my expedition for happiness and understanding doesn’t have to span the globe. My adventure starts right here, in this moment.

    “You don’t have to wait until tomorrow to find peace and joy. Breathing in, I feel alive. Breathing out, I feel at home.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

    Gratitude grounds me in the here and now. Each breath that fills my lungs brings the miracle of life into my body. I’m learning I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and the meaning to life I’ve been seeking, is what I define it to be. What a blessing it is to live another day, to see another sunrise, and to share love with the people and animals we care the most for. Our adventure starts here and you don’t have to wait for any kind of special permission to start again.

    07.23.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. My breath
    2. Lessons from Happiness by Thich Nhat Hanh
    3. Home cooked meals
    4. Gym sessions with Peter
    5. A clear sky full of stars
    6. The sound of train outside my window
    7. Rain, falling on my skin
    8. My friends, the people who helped me get to be exactly where I am
    9. My cat Ned, my best friend
    10. Old vinyl records
    11. Getting a good sweat at the gym
    12. CLEAN WATER! Check out my project and see how you can get involved
    13. Thunder storms
    14. Mindful eating
    15. Shared laughter
    16. A full moon and a quiet night
    17. The warmth of the sun
    18. New music from my discover weekly from Spotify
    19. Second chances
    20. Love through understanding
    21. Patience
    22. A good night’s rest
    23. Summer jijutsu lessons and learning new things
    24. My family
    25. Every moment from today, but especially this one

    As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image from an old hike with my friend Lucas. So many moments in this lifetime to celebrate, how lucky am I to get to share them with people I love.

    Right Before Bed (#207)

    Today I was asked how I manage to make time to keep up with my daily blog. In truth, the routine has been cemented into my brain. I do my best to be consistent but there are times the blog gets posted an hour (or more) later than when I usually post. I don’t always write a huge blurb about the importance of gratitude or a life lesson that’s been on my mind, but the process still takes some time.

    Writing my blog right before I fall asleep works for a couple reasons. The easy explanation is my blog gets to include every ounce of gratitude I can squeeze out from the past 24 hours. That made the most sense before I started. What I didn’t anticipate was how it would make me feel as I ended my day and as I start the next one. Regardless of what may have been bothering me from work, an anxious thought, or something with my friends, I have gratitude to clear my mind. It’s helped me let go of any negativity I was holding on to and start my next day with a positive outlook. Each new sunrise brings change and gratitude has helped me embrace that fact.

    07.17.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. Old home movies
    2. The warmth of the sun
    3. My siblings
    4. Positive influences
    5. Good teachers
    6. Talks about space and our existence
    7. New audiobooks
    8. Time at my Grammy’s for holidays
    9. A good album all from front to back
    10. The rain
    11. My time in Cambodia. Check out my CLEAN WATER project to see how you can help too.
    12. New friends
    13. A bed long enough for me to fit on
    14. The change of seasons
    15. Carpools with Carley
    16. New ways to stay informed with the news
    17. Sharing music
    18. Gratitude
    19. Buffalo chicken dip and Pats games
    20. FaceTimes with my cat
    21. Understanding from others
    22. Patient people
    23. Quotes that make you think
    24. Safe travels
    25. The here and now

  • As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image of the fog resting over the lake in Scotland we stopped at. A peaceful place I got a lot of great pictures from. Grateful I have a place where I can share my photography.

    My Power Within (#206)

    There are a lot of people I look up to. They’re strong, self motivated, and have this innate confidence I often wish to emulate.

    I’m grateful. I didn’t always believe I had it. I didn’t always feel capable but I know over time that’s changed. My heart ache, my moments of learning, it’s helped me recognize my own power within. My power comes from my breath and is sustained with each moment of gratitude and appreciation for this life and my place within an ever changing universe.

    07.16.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. One step at a time
    2. Orientation dance parties
    3. A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park. Check out my CLEAN WATER project and see how you can get involved!
    4. Punk music with Riley
    5. Time at the gym
    6. Naps after work
    7. A few deep breaths when I’m anxious
    8. The sound and smell of rain
    9. Runs through campus
    10. College football season and PAC 12 after dark
    11. My brother hearing out my crazy dreams
    12. Honesty
    13. Reclining seats at the movies
    14. My friends who encourage and support me
    15. Embracing change
    16. PC Gaming with my dad
    17. Neighborhood wiffleball games
    18. The smell of seaweed
    19. My grandparents
    20. Real instruments
    21. Spotify music and my favorite albums
    22. My fraternity
    23. Love songs and feel good music
    24. Phone calls Home
    25. The present moment

    As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Featured image of Loch Ness in Scotland. The day was perfect as the ferry did a small loop in the massive lake. The sun was out and the breeze felt good. The sky was blue and it was the perfect day to spot an underwater sea monster.

    Starting Off On The Right Foot (#185)

    It’s always important to go into new situations with an open mind. Be kind to others, be grateful you made it this far, and think positive!

    06.25.18

    Today I’m Grateful For…

    1. My brother
    2. Understanding and patience
    3. Movies before bed
    4. The sunshine
    5. Games in the yard
    6. Liverpool games on Saturday morning
    7. Clean water
    8. Having a plan
    9. Catching up
    10. The sound of the ocean
    11. Safety
    12. Being at UMass
    13. Texts from my family
    14. Talking game of thrones with my sister
    15. Eggs in the morning
    16. Signs from the Universe
    17. Shared laughter
    18. Oldies on the radio
    19. A friendly face
    20. Getting stuff done
    21. A clean apartment
    22. Getting back on track
    23. Summer months
    24. Dessert, always
    25. The present moment

    As always, check out my first blog, 25 Things I’m Grateful For (#1) to know why I’m writing this list and why I want you to start yours.

    Beyond grateful for my brother and sister and all the moments we share together. They truly are my best friends and incredibly important people in my life.