My Exercise for the day

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Shout out to my Canadian cousins!

One of the earliest memories I have of getting on a plane was when I was going to Toronto to visit my family as a young child.  I think it was on Eastern airlines. Anyone remember them?  I believe the flight was delayed, it was a long drawn out day, and I was really tired.  Thank goodness for modern day travel; where flights are always on time, the seats are comfortable, and the food is fantastic.  Right?  Not so much.  It’s kind of disappointing that we haven’t really made progress with travel in the comparison of going from the steam boat to flying.  I guess I’m asking for too much.  I am often guilty of asking for too much, but I feel like traveling is sometimes such a chore, it deters people from exploring the world.  Once you can get past the travel woes of TSA lines, luggage costs, and grumpy airport people, it is totally worth it.  Getting the TSA pre-check has helped immensely in eliminating long lines at the airport, and careful packing can curb being overweight and more importantly over packing.  I always seem to gravitate toward giving advice on organization and am stopping myself from doing so now (although, get these packing cubes, they are great!).  Ok, don’t worry, I am not going to get into the nitty gritty of packing in this post.

The reason I decided to write a post today was to share some of the thoughts running through my head as I pack and prep for my trip.  It would be easy to get caught up in the negative parts of traveling, and get grumpy about it, but that would be ridiculous.  It is ridiculous, because I should be nothing but appreciative for this unbelievable opportunity!  This is beyond a cup half full or half empty scenario.  It’s more like, I am lucky I even have a cup!  It’s ok to be a little grumpy about some of life’s inconveniences, but I try to use gratitude as my reminder to ‘kick me out’ of any grumpiness. I used to write in this 5 minute journal.  I finished it, and haven’t been diligent to get back into it, but I feel it is an exercise everyone can benefit from.  It’s a simple exercise, and you don’t have to buy the official journal to do it, any notebook will do.

  1. Write 3 things you are grateful for today.  It can be as simple as the sun is shining, or as meaningful as your health.
  2. What 3 things would make today great? Again, you can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.  There is no right or wrong.
  3. Daily affirmations. I am… (I am a tiger, climbing up a mountain… and why not?  Usually I write something like: I am healthy, happy, and will do my best to help others today.)
  4. At the end of the day, you write 3 amazing things that happened, and how could I have made today better? (I usually am patting myself on the back if I ate a good meal, got good sleep, or spent time with someone I care about.  How lucky am I? Every day in my life is amazing!)

It might take a little longer than 5 minutes, but I think it is a valuable exercise that helps me see beyond any of my excuses I make myself or petty inconveniences.  I believe gratitude can solve most of life’s problems.  Whenever I am feeling grumpy (more often than I like), I try to take a moment to think what I can be grateful for.  Today, I am grateful for all of you who are reading!  Thanks for supporting and taking a moment out of your day.  What do you do for daily exercise?

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