Today I am appreciating that I can appreciate so many things, people and circumstances. It’s not always easy to find appreciation when stressed or through some unexpected, unwanted event, but I have done this practice for so long that it truly has become a habit. I can always find my way back to finding SOMETHING – anything – that’s positive in what may appear quite negative. And I really appreciate that!
Appreciation creates joy and joy is a great place to be!
One of my fun things to play around with is my iMac computer. And I absolutely love Photo Booth! It’s so much fun! I appreciate creative innovations that allow us to create fun photos with just a few clicks. I just love to laugh and playing around with Photo Booth makes me laugh! Here are a few of my crazy creations! I appreciate that I can laugh with myself on Photo Booth! hee hee
Being from Iowa, I have traveled many a country road. I learned to drive on dirt, gravel, blacktops and highways but I love country roads the best. I really appreciate country roads for the feeling of freedom they invoke with their wide open spaces and less traveled paths. There’s not much traffic on them and there’s a lot of landscape to see. When there is traffic, the “stranger” usually waves! They’re not really a “stranger” after all, but a sign of friendliness from the people I encounter in more rural places. There’s a feeling of connectedness that comes from being out in the country and on a country road.
I appreciate country roads for the views along the way, in the ditches, fields, or in the sky. I appreciate the wonders of nature that are evident from traveling down a country road. I appreciate the wildlife that I see along a country road. I really enjoy the sky from a country road and some of the most beautiful sunsets, shining stars, unusual cloud formations and spectacular lightning storms have been seen from a country road. Living in New York, I don’t see a lot of country roads these days. But whenever I do, it feels like home.
With that, I’m reminded of John Denver’s song, Country Roads. Take me home, country roads! 🙂
There is always beauty everywhere. Since they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I’m sure that we can all find beauty everywhere. My “beautiful” doesn’t have to be yours and vice-versa. The greatest gift we can give to ourselves is to see the beauty inside ourselves and practice the art of self-love. In doing so, we are able to give our love and beauty to others.
I appreciate my ability to “see” the beauty inside of me and in others. God’s light shines within and outwardly when we see ourselves as God sees us. God sees the beauty in all things. I appreciate my inner and outer beauty, the beauty in everyday things, the beauty of others and particularly the beauty and magical quality of nature.
I love 3-day weekends! I’m loving and appreciating them so much that I am not going to blog anymore for today. 🙂
I just love and appreciate beautiful beaches! Here’s one in Jamaica I took a photo of a few years ago. The colors are so vibrant and the setting so charming. There are so many beautiful beaches I’ve visited in my life and I really loved this one. I especially appreciate the beach on a hot, humid day like yesterday….except for the fact I’m in New York! lol 
I love New York! Why? Here’s a short list! Central Park, Times Square, Soho, The Village, Riverside Park, Union Square, Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botannical Garden, Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, Broadway shows, off-Broadway shows, off-off Broadway shows, the Staten Island ferry, Statue of Liberty, pizza, cheesecake, bagels, delis, the tourists, 4th of July fireworks, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, Rockefeller Center, Christmas tree lighting, public transportation, taxis, ferries, bridges galore, JFK airport, Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, museums, museums, museums, art, art, art, film, Tribeca, Tribeca Film Festival, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Garment district, Chelsea Market, Chelsea Piers, bike lanes, Wall street, Chinatown, Chinatown shopping, Chinese noodles at Wo Hop in Chinatown, the opera, Lincoln Center, Shakespeare in the Park, Public Theater, the Greenbelt, fashion, department stores, Grand Central Station, the Northeast Corridor line connecting cities, boardwalks, fishing piers, harbor cruises, Brooklyn bridge, the Verrazano bridge, so many bridges!, St. John The Divine, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the snow removal system, the NYC Parks and Recreation Department, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, online grocery delivery, order delivery or takeout all hours of the night, Century 21, the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, tradition, ethnic foods, the many varieties of Chinese food mixed with other ethnic spices and flavors (like Chinese Jamaican Spanish food!), delicious Italian food, US Open, Knicks or Nets?, Jets or Giants?, Mets or Yankees?,cheap places, expensive places, free concerts, baseball games, diversity at the grocery store, friendly New Yorkers who willingly give directions with a recommendation on what’s good to eat at the destination, and the whole world is represented here!
I always was fascinated with the idea of the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. As a young child, I could find treasures in anything I found outside: a dandelion, a piece of shiny rock, a robin’s egg that fell from a nest, a fossil carved into a rock, or a beach shell. Items like these felt like real treasures to me because they were shiny, colorful, fun, and exciting.
I appreciate today that wonder that I felt as a child for all the treasures I would find. I appreciate that I still find treasures today, when I choose to be more observant and present. I appreciate living in the present moment for the treasures that it reveals all around me. I appreciate the treasures of family, friends, and colleagues who shine up my life with joy. I appreciate that anything and anyone can be seen as a treasure in life, if I appreciate!
Monday, Monday! What feeling do you get when you think of Mondays? A lot of people don’t like Mondays because it means they have to go to work after the weekend off. But a little appreciation can go a long ways in making Mondays marvelous!
I appreciate Mondays for the beginning of my work week as a symbol of the abundance in my life. I have a job that I appreciate very much, so waking up on Monday mornings to get ready for work is a blessing!
I also appreciate Mondays because it reminds me of an old Mamas and Papas song that I like. So this Monday morning, I’m singing along to it!
I also appreciate Mondays because I got back to my Weight Watchers meetings and my favorite leader is there on Monday nights. She’s an inspiration with her 100 pounds lighter body and her inspirational attitude.
I also appreciate that if I look for and expect great things today, I will have a Marvelous Monday!
Life presents us with choices in life and there are many! Society, family, friends and “experts” may tell us what we “should” do. Decisions are made: some with regret, but living a life of regret serves no real purpose than to make yourself unhappy. While others may mean well, these influences can guide us, but if we don’t follow what lights our fire, life won’t be a lot of fun. I don’t know about you, but I believe that life is supposed to be fun! If we’re not having much fun, then it’s time to follow a different path.
I haven’t always followed my own gut instincts, but when I do, I get a confirmation every time that this is the way that makes me happy. I appreciate today that I am following my own path. I appreciate my “knowing” that when I’m feeling passionate and “on fire” about something, that it’s a Divine message that I’m following my purpose in life.
I have to say that I am getting really good at this. Perhaps I am just listening more as I grow older, or perhaps it’s part of life’s cycle of maturity in that I don’t give a hoot what others think! 😉 I don’t really care to analyze it – just appreciate it!
I appreciate that my way is my way and most likely different from yours. It would get too crowded if we all went the same way! (hee hee). So go your own way and appreciate yourself for the wisdom in knowing that this way is the path of your purpose. If you’re not feeling it, then turn around and try a new way. You won’t get lost if you follow your passion in life.
Appreciation Magic 