Day 223: Studying + Kitties

Today I learned…

…that I am better at studying for the licensure exam than I thought!

Today I am thankful for…

…time to snuggle and talk to my kitties.

Day 129: Grocery Shopping + TV Time

Today I learned...

...that grocery shopping on a Thursday night is much, much calmer than grocery shopping on a Saturday.

Today I am thankful for...

...my tv time with my kitties. Tumbler is purring on my lap and my guilty pleasure The Vampire Diaries is playing on the TV. :-)

Day 116: Actions + Friday

Today I learned...
...that sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to the way people act.

Today I am thankful for...
...A REAL FRIDAY. I don't have to work tomorrow. Friday finally feels like a Friday!!!!

Day 76: Deviation + Down Time

Today I learned...
...that deviating from normal routine can be a very, very good thing!

Today I am thankful for...
...some down time, however fleeting. Cat cuddling, husband snuggling, ice cream, tea, and Project Runway - clearly not simultaneous...because Rick would never watch Project Runway. ;-)

Day 72: Simplicity + Elimination of Work

Today I learned...
...that some things are as simple as we make them...including things for classes.

Today I am thankful for...
...our instructor eliminating a paper from our upcoming assignments. Thank God! I didn't know where I was going to find the time.

Day 63: Lack of Food + Extras

Today I learned...
...of someone who has to stand in a food pantry line for hours once a week just to feed her children. It really broke my heart. I wanted to take her to the store straightaway and buy her groceries...but I remembered my professional boundaries. Well, I never forgot my professional boundaries... but part of me wanted to help her in a more direct way than I was.

Today I am thankful for...
...extra time with Rick due to no class tonight, extra time to email my friend, and the rest of the massive piece of chocolate cake from yesterday's lunch. ;-)

Day 58: Sharing + Spring Break

Today I learned...
...(or re-learned?) that sharing good experiences with people is part of what makes them so good! "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" has always been one of my favorite proverbs. 

Today I am thankful for...
...spring break from grad school officially beginning! I have no class for a week. YAY! I need the down time. Work and hospice will continue...but no classes at night until March 11th!

Day 53: Helping + Day Off

Today I learned...
...that people are often more willing to help you than you think they are. I have a lot of work at my job. A LOT. My caseload is out of control for the number of hours I am employed. My co-worker told me she would help me and sternly told me not to argue with her, but to leave any work I didn't get to for her to do, since I am going to be in NYC tomorrow for a day off. Her logic is: "You'd do it for me."

Today I am thankful for...
...my day off tomorrow...because it means I can visit NYC!

Day 49: Classmates + Alone Time

Today I learned...
...that some of my classmates think what I do in my "free" time is amazing. I am so flattered by that, but also so encouraged to keep doing the things I do. I love doing all the things I do and hope my classmates know that they inspire me too. :-)

Today I am thankful for...
...some time alone without distractions. Since it's Presidents' Day, I had class tonight, but no work today. So I spent the afternoon at Wegmans in the upstairs cafe...and though I people-watched, bogged briefly, and of course left my Monday letter for a stranger, I also worked on a paper I desperately need to finish. When it's just me and my laptop, I feel more productive.

Day 28: Communication + Cancellations

Today I learned...
...that learning how to talk to someone about something difficult and receive the outcome you desire is a true accomplishment. Today I was told, "Good for you" regarding a conversation I had with someone I love. I got the outcome I wanted and I was happy, but I didn't consider that I had played a part in contributing to the outcome. I had placed all the power with the other person. Only when I was told, "Good for you," did I realize that had I approached the situation and the conversation differently, would a very different outcome have transpired.

Today I am thankful for...
...grad school classes being cancelled for the evening. I now have more time to relax and to prepare for tomorrow without getting home at 10 pm.

Day 25: Respect + A Shortened Work Day

Today I learned...
...that treating someone like a human DOES get noticed. Most of the time, people (myself included) tend to think that the regular, simple things they do don't get noticed - that no one will care if they are nice, so they don't go out of their way to be. They just do their job without any "extras." Today, I was not overly kind (at least I don't think so - though I did make a little more conversation than necessary and I did smile instead of not smiling, even though nothing pleasant was happening)...I did not do anything special...but today a client said to her mother in front of me, about me: "See - her attitude is so nice. THAT is what you call good customer service." She turned to me. "THANK YOU," she said with real emphasis. It made me realize that they are used to be treated badly. All I had done was tell them I was sorry they had to come a long way in the freezing cold. All I had done was apologize for the wait. All I had done was smile and talk to the little girl that accompanied them. There were several things about the situation that could have led me to be annoyed, or even just unresponsive. I could have gone through the motions, since my day was busy and they weren't in good moods. But I treated them like humans, because they are humans. I gave respect, without the expectation that I would get it back. And to my surprise, I was THANKED just for being normal and nice.

Today I am thankful for...
...getting to leave work one hour early. My evening therefore started earlier, which means it can end earlier! That means more sleep for me tonight, which is very appreciated. It also means I didn't have to drive in the snow we got after 4:00 pm.

Day 15: Awareness + Glasses

Today I learned...
...that being more aware, alert, and conscious has amazing results in so many aspects of life. I've been working on my consciousness. I have been trying to see the meaning in things I may have overlooked before. I have been looking out for messages, good news, purpose. It's all coming together. My awareness of the world around me has become heightened over the last 4 weeks and I feel really good. And today I have really recognized the culmination of my energy, my awareness, my desire to see the world deeply. Everything feels more connected. It also feels stronger. The benefits are endless and they pop up everywhere: in my workplace, in my marriage, in my friendships...(dare I say it?) even with my cats. :-)

Today I am thankful for...
...getting out early from my hospice field placement so that I could go get some new glasses. I wear contacts mostly, but my glasses prescription was old enough that I was getting headaches from wearing my glasses too long, so I decided to rectify that. The new glasses should be in next week and they're pretty hip. I hope to wear them more often (especially since I got transition lenses!) and try to look both older and smarter. ;-) Ha. Point is though, that I was struggling to find the time to go get new glasses, because the place is only open weekdays and Saturdays. I work all of those days, so it was a bit of a dilemma. Not anymore! Free time was gifted to me today and I am grateful for that!