TGIF: Happy

Fox's birth day on the left, Delilah's birthday on the right

Happy Friday and last day of July! I know it's trite, but I can't believe how this month has flown by. One month ago I was anxiously anticipating the birth of my niece, and now she's been around for a few weeks. Times flies when life is good. 

To share with you just how life has been good for me this month, here is my TGIF:

Trusting:

I'm currently trusting that I need to trust. Trust that my gut instincts are correct, as those are the gut instincts that got me my job. Trust that Portland is currently my home, and despite rising costs of living and threats of natural disaster, God put me here for a reason. Trust that great things can happen more than once in a lifetime. Trust that the ones I love are going to be okay.

Grateful:

I'm so grateful that my niece made her entrance into the world, and is a happy, healthy baby who is loved so much by my whole family. I'm also grateful that I was able to be at my sister's side, holding her hand as she gave birth. I was there when her first child was born, holding her leg up as she gave birth, through a process that she made look so easy. This time around managed to be somehow even more effortless. My sister is made for birthing babies, and I am grateful for that, because I love those babies so much. I am also grateful for the way that my sister and I have bonded through these times. I love my niece and nephew dearly, but nothing can ever replace a sister.

Inspired:

Lately, I've been inspired by the concepts of minimalism and capsule wardrobes. Separate, but related. Honestly, I've been interested in minimalism ever since moving into my micro studio last October. In the winter, my bf and I discussed the possibility of living in a tiny house someday, given how much we enjoy sharing 279 square feet of living space. I mean, seriously, a deep clean generally takes no more than an hour.  As much as I love to shop, I also enjoy purging, and I really enjoy knowing that everything I own has a purpose or is cherished (not always both, because my toothbrush is kind of lame, and feminine hygiene products are annoying). I'm considering doing this minimalist challenge before I go on vacation in September. Has anyone tried minimalism?

Faith:

I've been practicing my faith lately by saying little prayers. Prayer doesn't have to be a big fuss, and we don't all have to pray to the same higher power (yep, I said that). But I do believe in the power of prayer. I believe in putting my trust in something greater than myself, something that has the collective best interest at heart. And when that prayer gets me that only perfect parking spot? Priceless. But really, sometimes prayer is just setting an intention or asking for grace. 

Now that I've shared my TGIF, what are yours? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. 

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TGIF: Heat Wave

Hello my friends, and happy Friday! We're having a heat wave here in Portland, and it's tough to stay cool in my non-air-conditioned apartment. Summer came early to Oregon, which is funny, because we always joke about Summer not starting until July 5. Climate change is real, folks.

Anyway, I'm going to get straight to my TGIF for the week.

Trusting:

I am here because some people loved one another. Thursday night, as I lay in savasana in my yoga class, I thought about how much my paternal grandmother and grandfather loved one another, and how much my maternal grandparents also loved one another. I remembered reading my Grandma Louise's story about how excited she was to have my grandfather's baby- their only son. I also thought of how long my parents tried to have a child together until I was ready to come into the world. I am here because of love. This week, I am trusting love.

Grateful:

 I am incredibly grateful to my sister and her husband for giving me and my bf a fan for our tiny, un-airconditioned studio. Given the intense heatwave that Portland is currently experiencing, and which appears to have no end, having this additional powerful fan has upped the comfort level in our apartment, even if only a tiny bit. But boy, are all three of us (me, bf, and Lucy) grateful for that tiny bit.

Inspired:

This week at work, one of the chefs from our San Francisco office was visiting, and treated our office to a delicious afternoon snack of chocolate avocado pudding. I was reluctant at first, but after taking one bite, my mind was blown. This stuff is insanely delicious. I loooooooove pudding, but hate that pudding usually involves cornstarch (I am allergic to corn). The fact that there is a healthy, dairy-free, corn-free version of my favorite treat delights me to no end. This treat has inspired me to be more adventurous with healthy sweet treats. 

 Faith:

This week, I practiced my faith by responding to a comment on a Facebook post, of all things. Instead of getting into details, I will simply share something I shared there- my favorite quote from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: “There are some upon this earth of yours who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name; who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.” "Us" in this case refers to the spirits, and in my reading, I took it to mean God (the Trinity). This quote, though written in the 1800s, is still relevant today. So many lay claim to a faith in God, but that faith is only by their spoken claim- not by any of their words or actions. I hope that my words and actions demonstrate the love in which I put my faith.

I wish everyone a happy holiday weekend, and please, feel free to share your TGIF in the comments below! 

 

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TGIF: Ordinary Joy

Today I am bringing you what I hope to be the first of a new series here at Tossing the Script. I've been reading Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection and took great inspiration from Guidepost #4: Cultivating Gratitude and Joy. In this section, Brown talks about a series she writes on her blog called TGIF. These posts are focused on gratitude, and Brown shares what she's trusting, what she's grateful for, what inspires her, and how she practices her faith. In an effort to practice gratitude on a regular basis, and in order to hold myself accountable. today I will share my very own TGIF.

Before I do that, however, I want to share you some of my thoughts about this particular chapter in Brown's book. This particular Guidepost struck a vein with me because it rings very true for me. Brown discusses the difference between happiness (which is caused by outer circumstances) and joy (which is found within oneself). Brown says:

"Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments--often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we're too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we're so afraid of the dark that we don't dare let ourselves enjoy the light. 

A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable.

I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith."

What I took from this is that joy is found in the ordinary parts of life. Seeking the extraordinary means seeking happiness, which is all well and good, but should not be our sole mission in life. Seeking joy means being grateful for the everyday things. Joy can be found in the daily cup of coffee, the smell of freshly-shampooed hair, and in singing along to our favorite songs. Joy is accessible to each one of us as long as we take a moment to recognize and savor it.

So, without further ado, here is my inaugural TGIF:

Trusting: 

This week, I am trusting that whatever happens is for the best, and that when things don't work out, they open me up to better opportunities. I tend to get very attached to ideas and things that I want, but in the end, there are always things beyond my control. Letting go of my desire opens me up to new possibilities.

Grateful:

This week, I am grateful for my team at work. By luck or by design, I have the fortune of working with a group of sensitive, thoughtful, introverted and passionate individuals. This week we had a wellness session where we shared some common frustrations with our working environment, and it felt good to hear everyone's perspective and see how comfortable we all were with sharing our thoughts with one another. We might not always agree, but we value and respect one another's opinions and feelings, and for that, I'm grateful.

Inspired:

This week I have obviously been inspired by Brene Brown's work. I read her book Daring Greatly a couple years ago, and it is one of the few books that I can honestly say has changed the way I think. Brown's work is humanizing and real, and inspires me to be true to myself.

Faith:

This week I have practiced my faith by praying/holding people in my thoughts. I'm not one for telling people that I'm thinking of them or praying for them, as I much prefer to simply do those things. By telling someone that I wish blessings upon them, I feel it draws attention to myself, which is not what I want at all. I simply want that person to feel a moment of peace. Faith, to me, is not something we talk about doing, it's something we do. So this week I practiced my faith the best way I know how: silently, on my own.

Thank you for reading today. I hope that you feel inspired to take a moment and reflect on your own TGIF, and if you'd like, you can share them in the comments below.

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