Tag Archives: Sleep

Gratitude

A Good Cup of Coffee

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gratitude for coffee
One of my favorite coffee stops was Tim Horton’s, now they are gone from the area but I am grateful for them still.

Day 2 of Gratitude project-  When I look back on my gratitude journals for the past year, I am continually grateful for the delicious cup of coffee I am usually enjoying at the time I am contemplating all that I am feeling grateful for.  Yet I think it is more than that.

Coffee is one of my favorite beverages and I can enjoy it at any time of day.  It doesn’t affect the way I sleep at all.  It seems like that no matter what is going wrong in the world, a hot cup of coffee can make it all seem better.  If things are going great, what better way to celebrate than to enjoy a tasty cup of Joe?  There isn’t one.

I am also often quite grateful for the people I am sharing the coffee with.  Even if they don’t drink coffee themselves, there is a conversation that coffee inspires all the time.  It brings people together, helps to build understanding, and allows for many problems to be solved.

Since most coffee is consumed in the morning, I think that when you drink it, for the most part you have high hopes about what the new day is going to bring.  Will that problem be solved?  Will that person call?  Could you get that new job or raise?  Whatever is on your mind can be pulled out, discussed and contemplated in a way that can only help you.  All because of a delicious cup of a hot beverage full of caffeine and deliciousness.  Tea I am sure works the same way as well.

According to Sheldon Cooper of the Big Bang Theory you should always offer someone a hot beverage when they are upset about something. Coffee works for me and I am sure for most people. The truth of this practice has some psychology behind it. What will make you feel more nourished and cared for? A hot beverage in your hands, that warm feeling might even be mistaken for love. No matter what it will make you feel better and that is the point.

So Today I am grateful for the thousands of cups of coffee that I have been fortunate to enjoy in my life and for all of the many wonderful people I have shared them with.  I am grateful for the problems that were solved, the issues that were brought to light and the fact that no matter what happened, life was just a bit easier to live after enjoying this wonderful drink.

I am grateful for all of the many coffees I have enjoyed in my life, the people that have shared them and the solutions we found.    

My Top Five Coffee Stops EVER:  1. Panera Bread 2. Dunkin Donuts  3. Tim Horton’s   4. Breton’s Store  5. Starbucks

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Some Things Worth Remembering

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 Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

21809682_have_you_done_anything_lately_worth_remembering_xlargeby Jon Hilton  – Day 16

Every day there are events that take place in our lives that we experience. Some are things we have to do, like work or eating.  Some are things we choose to do, like exercise or hobbies.

All of these activities combine to provide us with the experiences of our lives. There are some that you will remember always and some that you will forget almost as they occur.

 This is my attempt  to become more mindful of what happens each and every day and to make it so that each day is an event to remember and cherish.

The Power and Problems of Routines

Sometimes a routine can turn you into a sleep walker! Change.
Sometimes a routine can turn you into a sleep-walker! Change.

One of my major weaknesses as a human being is that I always try to put things into a routine. Organizing events in time so that they can be completed in the most efficient manner.

I have noticed the patterns I established in my life to do this.  From the time I wake up, to where I stop on the way to work, routines are good for making you feel secure.

 A routine will allow you to feel like you are in control and make you feel like you have some power, but in reality a routine can really be detrimental to your mindfulness of an experience.

 This is because once you march through life doing the same thing over and over, you start to do it without even thinking about it.  You are thinking about something else and just performing whatever task you are doing.

 People even get into a routine of interaction with others where the same people meet and have the same conversation every day.  You will know if this applies to you if you have a hard time remembering which day was which.

Change it Up and Live

New things can be powerful, but you have to try them.
New things can be powerful, but you have to try them.

Simple changes in your routine can allow you to appreciate the little things that you encounter each and every day.

I pretty much followed the same routine for about ten years at one point in my life. I could not tell you how any day was any different from another, except for the days where something happened to get me out of the normal existence.

Each of these moments I can recall with exact clarity, years later and it is because I was outside of the routine.

Focus on doing things Differently

Doing-Things-DifferentlyI am not able to do it every day but there are some days when I focus on doing things differently.  If I have fallen into a routine I try to do something different.  Wake up early, wake up late, eat a different food for breakfast, take a different route to work or stop somewhere I did not plan on.

The reason that these things will become memorable is because as you experience something for the first time you are mindful of it.  You can’t just go through the motions of something that you are not sure of.  This causes excitement and builds interest in your every day life even if you are not doing anything Earth shattering.

Why Each Day is Special

For each of us there is a clock which starts running the day we are born and runs out when we pass away.  There is no way to know when this clock will stop, it could be any second!

 I have always thought that if we knew we had a few days to live wouldn’t that change the way you existed.  Would you ever eat a meal that was so unmemorable that you can’t recall it two days later?  Or would you cherish and savor every drop of delicious goodness.

If you have ever experienced your own mortality, then you know that each second becomes something wonderful to experience and hold on to.  The sun never felt warmer, you remember the wind on your face. You know that you are lucky to be here and each moment is a gift.

You Choose What to Remember

seeing things differentlyIn the end I think that if there is anything worth remembering it is up to you.  You will always have the choice to remember today as the best day you ever had.

Or if you do not feel that today was a great day, then you have the chance to make changes in what you experience that will greet you on the next day.

I think that all of the things that I have experienced that have been unique, from the moments I spent talking to someone I had never met before to new experiences.

Everything I have done lately is worth remembering to me.

 Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

I Remember YOU!  Yes I am talking to YOU!

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Snow Day!

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2013-02-07_1708by Jonathan Hilton

It is difficult to explain to someone who lives in a warm climate the power and majesty of a snow day.  Sometimes they are a surprise, and sometimes they are expected, but they are always awesome. It is like having extra holidays in your life and you never really know when they are going to hit.

Definition of a Snow Day

blizzard of 1978What is a snow day? I guess that some explanation is needed. When mother nature decides to pour down many inches of the white stuff, the entire area that is covered generally shuts down and there is no work, no school, no NOTHING!! All there is to do is hope the power doesn’t go out, watch the snow fall or play in it.  I personally can drive well in the snow, but it is the other people who can’t I fear. I would just as soon wait.

Being a Kid Praying for Snow

kids snow dayThere were many nights when I was growing up that I would gamble that the snow would come and I would not have to have my homework done. In the town I grew up in they had a fire whistle that you could hear everywhere. (very small rural town in Maine) They would blare out a special signal, three short blasts for no school.  As I got older and moved, I relied on the radio for this vital information. (no internet then).

It was so comforting to be able to fall back asleep, somehow the blankets were warmer, and the pillow more comforting.   Finally you would inevitably get up, dressing in 42 layers of clothing and going outside to play until you got frostbite or hungry which ever came first.  I was fortunate enough to have two brothers and about 40 neighbors to throw snowballs at and go sliding with .Then finally after a long day of play with your friends, you had to do the homework you put off. Snow days were a free day, probably the best thing about dealing with winter.

A Snow Day for Adults

adult snow dayFor much of my adult life I was a teacher, and the snow day magic persisted. It was even more intense and fun. I would wait to get the call, school was cancelled. Then happily sleep until I felt like getting up. A lot of days, I would go meet some fellow teachers for breakfast, because it is never too snowy for that.  The great thing was, no work, no rules, nothing to do but have fun. Snow days as a teacher were 100 times better than snow days as a kid.

For other “normal” people, it takes a lot but they occasionally get a snow day too. When there is just too much snow, then everything closes. The mood is usually set by the state government, if they call off work, most everyone else does as well. Businesses might as well close, because nobody is coming to buy anything. Snow day is here.

The Hype of the Snow Storm

empty shelves
This picture is from the blizzard of 1978.

Now with the news and social media there are no shortage of the impending storm.  What will happen is that it will snow like crazy tomorrow, Friday February 8, everyone will stay home, on Saturday the roads will be clear and it will be business as usual.

People are strange because they will stock up like there will never be another trip to the store, in the near future. The stores run low on food.  The warning of a snow storm is great for business. Everywhere you go, people talk about the storm. Strangers conversing about the impending doom that is on its way. This is the biggest storm since 1978.  I heard the following nonfactual statements this morning:

*This is the biggest storm since 1978

*It is going to snow for two days. (That never happens)

*The world is most likely going to end anyway, so let it snow.

People get all hyped up about the storm, probably from latent feelings of loving snow days in their youths, and then the event is usually quite a let down. It only snows 18 inches instead of 24.  If you live in a snowy area then you know what I mean.

Reality of A Snow Day

no school tomorrowTomorrow has already been cancelled in Maine. Schools are going to be closed, stores are going to be closed, roads are going to be slippery, the state is going to shut down and it is going to snow a lot.  I am not going to have to go to work. I will get to sleep in until 6:30, the latest I am capable of sleeping.  I will be able to spend the day doing stuff like reading, writing, and learning. It is going to be awesome.

So if you live in a warm climate, enjoy the heat and enjoy your normal day at work. I will be busy doing whatever I want and can do with snow up to my rump.