365 Days of Gratitude: Day 7

I’m back!

Today was a lovely day, and it’s also Friday in Tokyo. Hello weekend. Here I come! Let’s get into the couple of things I’m grateful for today.

1. I’m grateful to be happy, right now. 

I’ve been trying to feel grateful everyday. But that doesn’t mean, I feel happy every day. Sometimes, I want to curl up in a ball and sleep all day or disappear into the fantasy world of Karen Chance.

But not today.

Today even when I was frustrated, I felt happy which is unusual for me. I guess I’m just happy with where I am right now. It’s fun teaching. It’s fun trying out all sorts of new coffee. And it’s fun to blog.

Life is pretty great.  And I’m grateful for it.

2. I’m grateful that I get to relax on Saturday. 

I was reminded the other day of how hard it was to work six days in a week. Constantly losing my voice, the sixth day of the week made any sort of relaxing really difficult. Now, that I’ve moved up in my job, this isn’t an issue. And I’m exceedingly grateful for it.

3. I’m grateful that I have time to learn new things during my commute. 

So, I spend about 2 and half hours a day in the process of commuting. It’s my choice and really a result of wanting a cheap apartment. And sometimes, it feels like a hassle.

But today, I was on my train commuting, and I was able to read a bunch of articles on skincare, happiness, and teaching. In that moment, I realized it was kind of awesome to be on public transport and be able use that time to look through things or read.

I drove for many years, and I’ve always thought driving takes a lot of focus. You don’t really do anything other than drive.

But when you commute on a train even in the standing position I usually commute in, it can be a wonderful opportunity to learn more!

I’ve just got to watch that data limit. Haha. 

4. I’m grateful that it’s firework season.

Fireworks are not the greatest thing for the environment. But I love them.

They’re beautiful and remind me of holidays, friends, and family. One of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen are still the Akita fireworks that I went to alone.

I went because I’d heard it was an inspiring experience. And I then after the event ended I met up with some friends and stayed out until 6AM. I still remember that night fondly.

What I’m trying to say is, I can’t help but feel happy seeing the fireworks tonight. And the kids playing in the streets with sparklers. What a wonderful world!

5. I’m grateful that I was able to cheer others up.

One of the reasons I started this challenge was because I had been on a negative downturn lately. This was due to many factors both external and internal, but it resulted in me being…well… a terrible friend and coworker.

Today, I actually was able to help a lot of people! I was not enthusiastic all the time, but I talked to others and listened to their issues. And I tried to express my gratitude to them.

I’m really grateful that I was able to be that nicer person today as a result of starting this and the kindness challenge.