Appreciation Magic

I Appreciate Singing! – Day 5

Bird on Cow from PDPhoto dot org — Photo Courtesy of PHPhoto.org

What do cows have to do with singing? For me, they were probably my first real “audience” as a singer (aside from my parents). When I was a little girl, I used to sit on a fence at the end of my dead-end street in my small town in Iowa and sing to the cows that were in the field there. They were a very captive audience! They would gather round and listen to me very intently. I can still see their faces but most of all, I can still remember that feeling of singing to them and how it lit up my soul inside.

I love to sing and appreciate that I have vocal chords that still work to do an “ok” job of it now. There were times in my life when I was singing daily. Singing fills my heart with joy and makes me feel alive. I would say that singing is one of my passions: something that I would be happy doing as a career. But I didn’t follow that path and I appreciate that it’s really never too late to pursue it now, if I decided just that. I also appreciate that I don’t have to be in a singing career in order to sing. Singing doesn’t require any instrument, except our own voice. While I play several instruments, I love singing most of all.

I appreciate really good singers like Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Cristina Aguillera and Kelly Clarkson. I love singers that give me chills when I listen to them and I love to experience that feeling when I sing, too. I appreciate singers of all musical genres. I also really, really love singing shows on TV! My fave show is The Voice! I appreciate how there are no age limits on that show, and that the initial “judging” is done entirely by listening to the contestants’ voices.

I love to sing anywhere – but lately have been singing more privately in my home, my car and yes, in the shower! I feel inspired by singing. What inspires you?

I Appreciate Unexpected Money in the Mail! – Day 4

Woo hoo! I really appreciate abundance in my life, and how it shows up in unexpected ways. Abundance isn’t just about money but this rampage of appreciation is all about that!

I love how I receive unexpected money when I align myself to a better feeling vibe. I’ve been shifting my vibe lately, making time for myself and deliberately slowing down to experience the “now.” I came home yesterday to find two unexpected checks in the mail!

One was part of a class action lawsuit against a bank I used to frequent. It felt really good since I had no idea I was part of the group and I didn’t have to do any fighting to get it. Easy! The other was another rebate of an insurance premium because they had “a very good year.” This is the 3rd time that this has happened to me with this insurance company (which just happens to be located in my home state of Iowa) and I have to say each time it’s a joyful surprise.

The amount of money isn’t the issue for my excitement – it’s the excitement and fun of getting the surprise abundance in ways that I was not focusing on! l absolutely LOVE when that happens! So since I’m appreciating joyful surprises of abundance, that means there’s a lot more on the way. YAY! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

I’m convinced that refocusing myself on writing down my rampages of appreciation daily is a key reason why I’m creating fun and easy joyful surprises. If you’re just reading my blog now, I invite you to join in on my Facebook group called 41 Days of Appreciating Rampages and appreciate away!

I Love My Cat – Day 3

After Hurricane Sandy, I rescued a cat from a shelter. You might also say that she rescued me! Of course, we chose each other. Her previous owners had named her Lindsay, but after two days of thinking I’d call her Daisy, my youngest daughter came up with the name Zelda, and the name stuck. This photo is the one from the shelter website, before we met in person, but I knew when I saw her online that she’d be mine. I love my cat, Zelda!

A 3 year old and tiny, she is obsessed with this little cardboard box that was within a much larger package. It has become one of her favorite places to hang out!

She makes me laugh because she would only go into the comfy cat bed I got for her when the cardboard was there! lol

Animals bring such joy to one’s life and Zelda is no exception. I love how she is so gentle, loving and talkative! She talks a lot, albeit quietly, and I love all the sounds she makes. She comes when called upon, never scratches (even when she wants to be let go from a human’s arms), and loves to play.

While she’s a little one, she has a big heart. She’d make an excellent therapy cat, as she immediately senses when humans are sad or distressed and talks while jumping on a lap. She soothes the soul. Her gentle, loving spirit has been such a blessing to me these past 7 months.

She is beautiful, inside and out! Patient- extremely patient- she often tests the human who is playing with her, in a game of who can have the most patience! You’ll often find the human waiting and waiting to see when she’ll jump and catch one of her toys. (The only exceptions are her Da Bird toy, which she is really crazy about and a cute purple fuzzy thing that I got her on the first day home.)

She won the praise at the vet clinic for being the best behaved animal of the day! She really is patient and calm, even in circumstances that aren’t that much fun (like a shot at the vet’s office, and having people poke around her body and in her ears).

She sometimes watches TV. This photo is one I took when she was on my lap (one of her favorite places) and was looking toward the TV. The reflection in her eyes made them appear blue.

I love how she loves to look at herself in the mirror, too! After all, she is a beauty!

Zelda has brightened up my life since she came into my family. Even family members who are not known to be cat lovers remark about how great of a cat she is. I love my Zelda and am so appreciative that she’s now a part of my family.

She likes one of my silk pillows from China as a bed these days – so fitting for Princess Zelda!

P.S. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice: Zelda is a Hawkeye, too! 🙂

I Appreciate This Present Moment – Day 2

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle writes, “It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” I truly appreciate that I understand this power of now: the empowerment that comes with knowing that I can choose to spend my life rehashing the past or concerning myself about what could be – either way, I am doing so in a moment of NOW. Whether we are thinking about the past, present or future, we are doing it NOW. That truly is all there is. And as I write this, I realize that with each letter I type, it’s no longer “now.” 🙂

I appreciate now. Just NOW. This present moment. That is all there is.

I appreciate that I know the power of this present moment. I appreciate knowing that I can make each moment meaningful. I can make each moment count. I appreciate knowing that when life feels like it’s rolling too fast, I can center myself back to the NOW. I appreciate the present moment to slow down, take a breath and feel the NOW. I appreciate the meditative vibration of NOW, the prayers of NOW, the smiles of NOW, the observation of NOW, the joys of NOW, and the unwanted contrast of NOW. I appreciate that by focusing on now, I can move myself into a state of acceptance and observation and find appreciation- no matter what is happening. I appreciate the blessings for myself and others when I am fully present in this moment of now.

Right here, right NOW. I appreciate this moment of serenity as I write this rampage of appreciation for each moment of now that I’m experiencing. I appreciate this moment of now- as you read this appreciation rampage. I appreciate you for being here. I appreciate this present moment. NOW is all there is.

Appreciating Photography Tools – Day 1

I am finally back to blogging, after almost 8 months away! I appreciate the experiences and people and places I’ve seen in these past months and right now I’m really appreciating getting back to some of my regular routine habits. This blog is all about appreciation and gratitude and while I haven’t been posting much, I do appreciate everyday. In the past few months, I’ve done less appreciating by writing it down, however, and I’m feeling the pull to get back to what I know for sure: writing it down makes it more powerful. So, in that spirit, I am committing to my Facebook group of 41 Days of Appreciating Rampages once again. You are all welcome to join! Today will be Day 1. I’ve decided to use this blog as my post there, so expect content here for the next 40 days. 🙂

Today I am appreciating the wonders of all the photography tools, and especially the free ones! I spent the past few days playing around with PicMonkey. The images on this blog post are some of my photos “enhanced and expanded” with PicMonkey. I love the ease of playing with the features, the ease in downloading the work to my computer, the amazing options that are absolutely free, and the FUN stuff they have on there!

I have always loved photography and remember the days when I used a simple Kodak camera to document my experience studying abroad in Argentina. That little thing captured some pretty good photos. But what was really exciting was my first 35 mm camera – a Pentax K1000 and I love that I still have it, use it occasionally and it still very much delivers!

While I love the the “old school” world of photography, I am really appreciating the digital world, too. I get amazing photos from my Nikon, and even my iPhone, and instant gratification in “seeing” the work right away. Oh, and I can’t forget the “panoramic” tool on the iPhone5 – it’s just so cool to create with! Tools like Instagram are addicting, fun and creative, too! I really appreciate the convenience of digital photography with social media. Everyone becomes an instant photographer and we can “see” the world through their eyes.

I love how all of these tools allow people to create and share with the world. There is something magical about looking at beautiful photos and I love getting caught up in it. It’s as if the photograph takes me there. I can visualize about beautiful places I’ve been to or intend to visit, or remember how beautiful a simple little creature is through the macro photos of nature. This digital expansion of creative art is exhilarating!

I Love The Summer – Day 31

I love the summer! Whether I’m at a beach or just outside enjoying the longer days, I love the feeling of summer. I don’t have one of those jobs where I get the summers off, but I do get seven weeks of 4-day work weeks in the summer, so the 3-day weekends in the summer feel like mini-summer breaks.

I can remember the feeling of summer as a kid: the excitement of having the time to go out and play all day, take family vacations, ride my bicycle everywhere, walk barefoot in the grass or just sleep in. Yet I wasn’t sad when summer ended and I went back to school because that meant seeing my friends who lived in the country.

Summers mean play, vacations, wearing shorts, being casual, sun, heat, water-related activities, and a thriving vegetable garden. The summer feels free to me. I just love that feeling and wonder how it might be living in a place where one doesn’t experience the contrast of the seasons as much. I prefer the four seasons as they provide a change in my environment: some of which I love and other parts not so much! Either way, the contrast of these seasonal changes help me to appreciate each new season. And right now I’m in the middle of the summer and I love it!

Rampages of Appreciation on Facebook

Ten days ago, I got inspired to create a Facebook group on appreciation. This morning marked my tenth day of posting. The group now has over 50 people in it and seems to have taken a life of its own. I love and appreciate that today! And this is my open invitation to anyone that wants to join us there.

While I chose 41 days to appreciate there, I have this feeling that the group is here to stay. People can join at anytime so some are just starting their Day 1 posts. And there’s no pressure or rules if you don’t post daily, but I will say that energy of the group is contagious! We are making some wonderful connections there, reading each others’ posts and uplifting each other through the amazing power of appreciation.

I’m finding it easy to post everyday (unlike here- LOL).

So everyone is invited to join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/41days/

Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday and already I’m so appreciative of the people in my life who have taken a small moment of their time to send me happy energy through Facebook, e-cards, texting and phone calls. I also am feeling blessed by the delicious cake that a colleague at work made and how everyone gathers around to sing “happy birthday” – even if they don’t stay in tune (hee hee). The biggest surprise so far today has been this video message from ING DIRECT. What a great way to spread joy to their customers! Thank you so much.

Dogs Hanging Out of Car Windows

Today’s appreciation goes out to all dogs hanging out of car or truck windows. I’m actually on vacation and we are now dog sitting for a few days. Yesterday’s ride in the car with Stella reminded me how much dogs love hanging out of car windows, so I grabbed my phone and snapped a photo. With the hot summer air, bugs and all, most dogs just love this. (And I would add that some humans do, too). I appreciate that dogs don’t care if their fur gets messed up, or if the bugs fly in their face – they just love hanging out of those car windows.

While I don’t claim to be a dog whispererer or a Dr. Doolittle, I do bet if Stella were talking to me when I snapped this photo she’d say, ” It feels good and I feel free! Weeeeeee!” Ask any dog owner about their dog hanging out of car or truck windows and I bet they’ll all say that their dog loves it.

Seeing Stella yesterday in the car reminded me of an earlier Abraham-Hicks’ seminar where the guest asks “Why do dogs risk getting bugs in their eyes sticking their heads out of car windows?” And the answer was that the guest had just asked the most profound question to date: ” …because the contrast of the bugs in the eye is a small price to pay for the exhileration of that ride.”

We could all learn a lot from dogs hanging out of car windows : the key to being happy! BE in the moment, FEEL good, enJOY the ride (including the contrast) and don’t forget to say “Weeeeeee!” 🙂

An Apple A Day

You’ve probably heard that saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While the saying is a reminder for us to eat healthy foods and incorporate daily habits which promote our overall well-being, that’s not exactly what this post is about. I recently was watching Oprah Winfrey on her Life Class and she talked the importance of keeping an appreciation or gratitude journal. She says it’s the most important thing she has ever done. She’s been writing 5 things she’s grateful for everyday for 16 years! The show reminded me that I haven’t been as diligent at keeping my own journal, although I have done so off and on over time. (Here’s the link where Oprah talks about the importance of an appreciation/gratitude journal.)

Gratitude Journal from Oprah’s Life Class

Today I’m so grateful for the reminder of the importance of giving this gift to myself and to others when I take the time to write down what I appreciate. I say it’s a gift to others, because I know that the energy I give out is what I also attract. When we focus on appreciating, amazing things show up. Suddenly, there is “evidence” everywhere of the beauty in our lives. There IS something magical when you write your appreciations down. As I write this now, I can hear my inner voice saying that I have the perfect opportunity to do that on this blog. I am committing to renewing my habit of writing down my appreciations in a journal everyday. My intention is that this habit will stick with me – like eating an apple a day. And while I’m not intending to write on this blog daily, I do expect to be inspired to write a bit more frequently here.

Interestingly, 4 days ago I started my daily listing of 5 things I’m grateful for and since then, I’ve received a beautiful note from a Facebook friend, expressing her appreciation for connecting with me and where this led her; I made two big sales from an affiliate product I very passively list on another blog; an international student stopped by to give me a hug as she said “goodbye” to the United States and thanked me for everything; my boss approved my vacation request for the summer; and the weather report for today says that the sun will shine again in New York City! (It’s been raining all week.) Wow. That’s 5 things right there.

See how easy it is? There is “evidence” everywhere to appreciate. I’m taking Oprah’s advice and challenging myself to develop this habit of writing down 5 things I appreciate each day. I can’t wait to see what else shows up! Won’t you join me?