Gratitude List

So I mentioned Crazy Sexy Cancer the other day.  Well the creator of it made a website called Crazy Sexy Life that includes a blog.  Today's blog was was "Tips for a Better Life".  I loved all 20 tips but #3 really stuck with me.

3. Try to make a gratitude list each day. Include big things and little things. Invite your friends to make their own lists; you can all email one another each day, sharing your gratitude.

So here is my gratitude list for today.

1.My cat, Tess, who is always ready to cuddle with me.  She snores but I'm ok with that.
2.The color pink.  My bedroom is decorated in pink, kelly green, and brown.  Pink soothes me a lot.
3.Homework helps me take my mind off the pain.
4.Chocolate...who isn't grateful for chocolate?
5.The internet because it helps me connect with people.
6.Essential oils (Young Living): Panaway is like crack to me.
7.My mom cause she still lets me sit on her lap and rock.
8.Oxygen, weird I know.  Every time I take a deep breath I'm grateful.
9.Mr. O because he is so loving and thoughtful.
10.The love everyone has shown me because I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for all the people who have loved me.

Mr. O and Angelala

Lupie Days

Today (and yesterday) have been bad Lupus days.  I ended up staying home from school yesterday and came home early today.  Thankfully, I have understanding professors (one has fibromyalgia).  It always takes me forever to decide if staying home will bite me in the ass later.  I'm hoping that this isn't the start of a flare.

On the Daily Show last night, there was an author who Bright-Sided who basically said that having a positive attitude doesn't help.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer and was disgusted by people who, in the words of Dr. Cox from Scrubs, "vomits sunshine".  I have been living with illness for almost six years which is getting dangerously close to a third of my life.  The only way I have gotten through all of it is my positive attitude.  That's not to say I haven't had bad moments where I've had pity parties for myself.  I just don't think that it's going to help by feeling miserable and depressed all the time.

Also on last night, I watched the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer about a young woman documenting her battle with cancer.  It seems like I watch a lot of tv...doesn't it?  She used a lot of different alternative medicine like macrobiotics.  She said, "I just want to have a normal life."  Oh, honey if it were only that simple.

A is for Attitude

Today's post just hit me.
     Again, I am sitting at school and working away on my laptop, minding my own business.  All of a sudden, I hear a familiar voice from one of my classes.  This "boy" is in an educational technology class with me.  He was sitting at a table with a woman talking.  Personally, I hate eavesdropping and think it is a big no-no but he was talking so loudly I couldn't help but hear him.
    This gist of his conversation was a complaint about said technology class which consists of one day lecture and other day is in the computer lab.  I was sure that this class would be a waste of my time.  Seriously, what more could I know about technology?  I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I have learned already.  I'm not sure if any of you have had experience with Inspiration but it is amazing software along with delicious.  I would not have known about these wonderful tools if not for that class.
    The last thing I want to do is pass judgment on this person but how can someone be so negative?  He went on to complain about several other things from work to the amount of continuing education classes teachers have to take.  Finally, I had to get up and walk away because these comments were depressing me and I wasn't even part of the conversation. 

So, my lesson for all of you out in Lala Land today is to think of attitude like the letter 'A'.  A is first and a positive attitude should be first too.