One Year of Gratitude — Day 24

At some point in my life I developed a pretty sketchy relationship with sleep. As soon as I hit the bed, I become a problem solver. It’s just something I’ve come to accept over the years. Recently, it started catching up with me. Lack of sleep was one of my initial motivators to start a new life journey several months ago. My quest started with finding ways to improve my sleep. I got a little more than I bargained for.
A couple of months ago I read Thrive by Arianna Huffington. After a sudden fainting episode, due to lack of sleep, she made a significant lifestyle change. She began putting more emphasis on sleep and meditation and has seen profound results. More sleep yielded more happiness. More happiness yielded more success in her career. How much does she believe in it? She has a sleep station in her office. She naps. She meditates. She also encourages her employees to take naps and meditate during the day. She’s even constructed sleep stations at the office for them. She’s serious about this sleep business.
Arianna Huffington also introduced me to the idea of daily gratitude. I tinkered with the idea on Facebook for a while. Each day I would share a list of 5 things that brought me joy and satisfaction. Then I moved over to Medium.com where I felt I could express that gratitude in greater detail. This article suggests I’ve been doing the daily gratitude for 24 days. In actuality, I’ve been at this for couple of months. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to remind myself to be grateful for a year. Hence the title of these articles.
Giving of one’s self. This is another big idea in this book. And again, she inspired me to take action. She introduced me to a service that aligns professionals with non profits seeking help. There are nonprofit associations all over the world who are trying to make a difference. I was able to meet up with a group in Zambia Africa. They needed help redesigning and redeveloping their website. I’m a web developer with a design background. I have some extra time on my hands. We met via Skype. We talked about what they needed and how I could help. Rather than tinker on web stuff in my spare time, I get to do something meaningful. They get the help they need. I learn new things and get the satisfaction of knowing I helped them. It’s a win-win.
I could go on an on about the things I learned in her book. Wonderment. Stoicism. Wisdom. Health Improvement. Granted, none of this stuff is groundbreaking. She’s not suggesting anything I’ve never heard. But, she motivated me. Her words continue to motivate me. She’s inspired me in ways that no other author has. She’s helped me find a path to a better version of myself. Is my insomnia cured? No. But it’s getting better. Is my gratitude the model of perfection? No. But it’s improving. Am I completely altruistic in my thoughts and actions? Nope. But, I’m at least becoming more empathetic. For these things, I am grateful. Thank you, Arianna!
And that’s your gratitude for today…
