“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~Brother David Steindl-Rast
Although I missed a few days, this daily gratitude practice continues to bring joy to my life. I feel like someone gave me a golden ticket when I learned about daily gratitude. I offer this golden ticket to you.
August 2013
Thank you for seat turtles again; a family reunion with my Kauai family; the generosity of my Aunty Shirley; Koa wood; Jaina’s home-made desserts.
Thank you for a beautiful home to come home to; Waialae Country Club Kale Salad; documentary on Hawaiian Medicine I saw on the plane; the excitement I feel to get back to work; the Sheraton Waikiki.
Thank you for sleeping together in one room; Imahara’s fruit stand; double meditation days; inspiration from so many sources; the parasympathetic nervous system.
Thank you for Obon Festivals; Misoyaki Salmon; fake tattoos; kokua; the Zen saying, “Nothing left out.”
Thank you for the variety of fresh fruit available in California; how my sons pee together at the toilet; mattress covers to catch the mistakes of my 3 year old; vitamix shakes; Victoria sharing the wonderful Milton quote.
Thank you for my six year old’s love of water after coming back from Hawaii; patience with myself; coconut water; Rarasaur’s post on Black Box Warnings; my wife’s positive attitude.
Thank you for the letter from a pilot who flew with my father in Vietnam; the wonderful music being posted for the Monthly Peace Challenge; wholeheartedness; my counseling seminar tomorrow; my brother’s video expertise.
Thank you for the wonderful counseling seminar I had today; the message to love all my clients unconditionally; for Quiche and soup; for how my sons eat Kale; so many resources for counseling/spirituality/meditation/neuroscience/compassion in Northern California.
Thank you for high school friends who know me so well; Capitola Beach; the joy I get from watching my sons in the ocean; a day with my wife and sons; an early bedtime.
Thank you for my brother sharing his wisdom and recipes with me; learning that a strong belief lived can be inspirational; the Ranch GC; my son holding his breath underwater for 10 seconds; my wife deciding to do a week-long meditation retreat.
Thank you for my cousin giving me his honest opinion about my career path; how my sons wake up like marsupials who need a little pouch time before facing the day; finishing taxes; cherry tomatoes; 9 hours of sleep.
Thank you for napping with my son; my older son’s artistic passion; Kate Courageous agreeing to an interview; all my sensitive readers; healing myself to heal my children.
Thank you for refuge; being enough; face painting; the Grant Study; a productive day.
Thank you for music; Rohan’s new book; oatmeal with macadamia nuts and home-made lilikoi butter; soon-to-be-closed Azuma Japanese Restaurant; mix tapes.
Thank you for Adyashanti‘s Satsang; Pre-meditation meditation; peaceful conversations with my wife; my son loving Kung Fu again; Arugula.
Thank you for automatic dishwashers; back-to-school excitement; dim sum; pencils and erasers; the way my 3 year old always says “I’m sorry” when he does something wrong.
Thank you for my brother’s generosity; accepting my business timeline; my wife’s encouragement; giving up resistance; letting go of the need for others approval.
Thank you for friendly parents at my son’s school; Alison introducing me to Byron Katie; my wife lightening her schedule; the resources to do what I need to do; time to finish Brene Brown’s book.
Thank you for Ortega Park; time to create; crazy hair days at my son’s school; my older son’s caring teacher; not being in a rush.
Thank you for my wife giving me the day to work; all the wonderful interviews I have lined up; Aweber; the way my 3 year old son talks in a high pitched whisper when he knows he is suppose to be asleep; the Institute of HeartMath.
Thank you for Search Inside Yourself Institute; Dr. James Doty and all he does for compassion; Soren Gordhamer; Wisdom 2.0.; my wife’s support of my meditation practice.
Thank you for compassionate role models: the wonderful interview with Elad Levinson; my wife joining my gratitude practice; a clean house; Rarasaur’s generosity and support.
Related articles
- Everyday Thanksgiving: July 2013 (everydaygurus.com)
everyday gurus 
I always love your gratitude posts. I love all the tiny ordinary things you find to be grateful for. I find these days the simplest things bring me pleasure.
(((((hugs)))))
Alison
I agree, Alison, the simple things are so wonderful. If you think about it, blogging is pretty simple, yet we find so much pleasure here. So grateful. {{{hugs]}} Kozo
(((HUGS))) I love the part of “being “enough”….I love it all Kozo.
Yes, Kimberly, we are enough just as we are. Unfortunately, we have to keep reminding ourselves by trying to overcompensate. 😦 {{{hugs]}} Kozo
Love all the photos and I feel your gratitude deeply. Thank you, for sharing so much of yourself.
Thanks for reading 1G4AW. Just the fact that you feel the gratitude makes my life and our world that much brighter. {{{hugs}} Kozo
Great as always, brilliant to see the pictures, so many smiles 🙂
Hugs!
Rohan.
Yes, Rohan, I am blessed with smiles everyday. So grateful to feel the joy in my sons’ hearts daily. {{{hugs}}} Kozo
Arugula!! Yes. It is definitely something to be grateful for. Great list.
Thanks, LE. Arugula has such a unique taste. It makes you take notice of the moment. Such a blessing. {{{hugs}}} kozo
i love to hear kids eating kale. okay. you are successful parent. job well done! 😆
I met my match with Dino-kale, Sunshine. My boys spit it out. I don’t blame them, because I was having at tough time eating it. All things in moderation. {{{Hugs}}} Kozo
hmm, Dino-kale? how do you eat kale? raw or cooked? it is good when chopped up fine and added to stir fries or just with olive oil, sea salt or soy sauce and of course, lots and lots and lots of garlic. 🙂 yum!
It does feel wonderful to have gratitude.. Kids are beautiful… God bless…
Thank you so much, Lumar1298. Love the title of your blog. {{{Hugs}}} Kozo
Reblogged this on Brainbrizzle's blog.
I’m grateful for summer vacation – which still lasts a few more weeks for me.
Yay, Georgia. Keep recharging. I hope to drop by one of your classes again in the fall. {{{Hugs]}} Kozo
These are always some of my favorite posts of yours to read, Kozo. Thank you for all the inspiration, your comments, the wonderful, caring, and compassionate parenting you do, for the gratitude you express, for reminding us humans that we are human and humane, for ushing in an evolution of peace, and for being on wordpress. 🙂
{{{hugs}}}
Niko
Yay, Niko a mini-gratitude list in the comments. What a wonderful gift. Thank you so much. {{{hugs}}} kozo
These are beautiful as usual. Your son’s adorable pictures are what really made me smile, though. So, so, cute!
Thanks, J. Still looking forward to a playdate with your son. {{{hugs]}} Kozo
That would be such an amazing gift for both of us. I hope I can make it happen before they all get too big!
Precious littles.
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