The sun shines through my bedroom window blinds.
For the three thousandth, three hundred and twenty second time in my sixty-one plus years on the planet . . . I opened my eyes.
Another day has been gifted to me.
First thought? “Awesome, I’m still here.”
My second thought? “What shall I do with this day?”
And then the narrative begins to unfold for yet another page in the ongoing saga of my life. For some reason my story gravitates towards gratitude.
“Thank you for another day to enjoy the beauty of nature, to feel the deep hugs of my husband, to laugh, to talk to my kids, to love . . . and so on.”
Then like clockwork, the daily disruption of my gratitude list occurs with a seismic shift of thought and emotion towards those who don’t have all these wonderful blessings. “How can I give back today, what can I do to make the world a little sweeter, brighter and better?”
I feel my heartstrings vibrate as my thoughts go to helping the less fortunate. During a pandemic which has encompassed the entire world, while there is great need there is also great trepidation with exposing oneself to the virus. So I tell myself . . . “look for ways to make a total stranger’s day . . . open a door, allow someone to go in front of you in the grocery line . . . smile with your eyes and give a thumbs up to an essential worker . . . little things, small things . . . just be aware, open and available.”
No doubt the pandemic has exposed a lot about who we are. We have all witnessed the extreme outbursts of uncanny selfishness juxtaposed against the selfless heroic efforts of healthcare workers giving their utmost to save lives. Fortunately, I believe most of us gravitate towards caring for each other than those who only think of themselves.
We are in the season of giving, of light, of love and celebrating traditions with family and friends. We each have our own story of what that means, an inner narrative which is ours alone.
As I just shared, my story begins every time I open my eyes and just like all of you, we get another opportunity to write a new chapter. May we all embrace and embody the spirit of the season with a heart of gratitude and intention to give back in small ways.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
