Woot! Already this is starting to feel easier! Maybe I’m just in the honeymoon stage of my relationship with my Gratefulness Challenge, but I feel like already I am looking at things just a little differently. It was hard to pick only three things to write about today. Get back to me around day 25 when I am racking my brain for things to be grateful for.

1. Having people I can count on: You know that person that you know you can call no matter the hour and if you really need their help they will drop everything in a second and be there for you? Aren’t they the best! It doesn’t matter how big the request is, if they are able to help they will. You can trust that they will never let you down. I feel really lucky that I have more than one person who I know I can ask for almost anything and they will either do it for me or help me find someone that can.

Ideally the reason they are so dependable is because they know that in turn they can call you in tears at 2am and you will jump a fence, trek through the snow and show up at their door step with chocolate cake and a bottle of wine. The request isn’t always that big, sometimes all you need is a few words of encouragement, but the idea still applies. There’s an unspoken agreement that you don’t owe each other anything and you are never seen as a burden. I hope that I am as much of a rock for the people I count on as they are for me because without them life would suddenly be a lot more challenging. It’s not that I can’t do it alone, it’s just that it’s so much easier when I have someone dependable on my side.

2. Time for myself: I love being around people. If I spend a day not talking to anyone by the end of it I start to go stir crazy. On the flip side of that though, sometimes constantly socializing can cause me to feel a little overstimulated. Since pretty much everything I do involves interacting with people (dancing, teaching, serving, creative projects ect.) there comes a point where all I want to do is to sit at home with a good book or movie and a cup of tea and enjoy my own company.

I know some people that hate to be alone. Often I’ve had people question me how I can handle living on my own and ask if I get lonely. Maybe it’s because I am an only child, but living alone is one of my favourite things. Having a chunk of time every once in a while where I can relax at home with no chance of interruptions is something I love. It gives me a chance to regroup and centre myself so that when I do emerge from my cave I can be fully invested with each person I spend time with. That time by myself makes me cherish the time I have with others even more.

3. A clean house: I know, in comparison to numbers 1 and 2 a clean house seems kind of silly. It’s not really about the actual cleanliness though, it’s about how a clean house impacts my ability to get other things done! I confess, I am a neat freak. I have been known to come home from a long day and then stay up late just to clean the bathroom. I’m not anal (ok maybe I’m on the verge) I just like having things tidy and accessible.

The fact that I am starting this week off with a clean house pretty much guarantees that I will be more productive. I won’t have to waste my time trying to find things in piles of clutter or washing dishes just so I can cook dinner. It’s almost as if by cleaning and organizing my house I am also cleaning and organizing my thoughts. I will sleep, eat and work better simply because my dishes were done before I went to bed. May sound crazy but if it works then that alone is something to be grateful for.