Gratitude List – February 2018

Posted on by Parul Thakur

28 days of the month of February are now behind us. Here I was thinking that we just stepped into a brand new year and now it is already two months old. I am not going to complain about time flying. Really. What is the point there? Isn’t it more important that we live every single day and enjoy what we get?

I know you will say yes. Isn’t it?

But don’t just say that. Practice it!

Talking about February, all that comes to my mind is work. Long calls at night and less sleep. This is one month of the year my workload goes up exponentially and because I know there will be a silver lining, I sail through.  It’s done and I am hoping that things will get under control. This month was also about funny things that you will read more below.

My friends celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this month. I loved sneaking out after calls for a quick celebration and putting the focus back on life and people who make my life better.

But Bangalore is also getting hot so I am worried about summers and that soon Bangalore won’t be as pleasant as I would like it to be.

Let’s leave all that aside and talk about what made me happy this month. Things that I am grateful for:

♥ Oxfam. As much as this 100 kilometers walk scares me, I love the energy it brings. February started with this event and VT along with this team (75%) was able to walk 100 kilometers in around 35 hours. I am glad that with practice and determination he was able to achieve what he had set his mind at. I also walked around ~30 kilometers over these 35 hours which I thought was not-so-bad. With SK around, I was comfortable as we went through the check points. He ensured I eat and stay safe.

♥ There were two days this month when I gorged on Akki roti (flat breads made of rice flour). South Indian cuisine offers many dishes that are healthy. High on protein and carbohydrates, this is food that I have developed a taste for. Like you can imagine, this is also not the food that I make at home. So any chance to have a home cooked vegetarian meal is a blessing. Thank you JK and AK for having us over for a lunch. It was the best food I have had in a long time.

♥ Cheese is the best thing ever invented.  Add it to dosa, pasta, omelette or toast, it just makes any food better. Did you know cheese is good for skin? This is what I tell myself every time, I eat a cheesy dish. And then I go to Cult for my work out to stay true to what the body needs.

♥ Staying on the topic of food, tender coconut is another thing that I love. While on Oxfam, it was better than any juices or vitamin shots that were on the table. Nature is the best.

♥ I love mornings that are not rushed.  When possible, I love to do all that I do at my own pace. Yoga, newspaper, checking in on work emails and then getting ready to leave for work. Have you realized that there is a certain calmness in doing things at a slower pace? I find it therapeutic.

♥  Photography. It’s a big word but my intent is to share how much I love clicking shots that let me see things with another lens. Sometimes I am happy with how different a scene looks from different angles. Not a big deal I know, but I am grateful that photography lets me extrapolate this learning to life.

♥  Saree run was fun and I learnt a big thing that day. Running is about practice and not about the dress you wear. While my apprehensions were about how will I, it turned into if only I had practiced.  Funny thing, I reached on Saturday when the run was on Sunday.

♥  Gift for self. I do this often sometimes. If I like something, I don’t buy it. I mull over it so that I want it more and then one day, I buy it. I bought a pendant that reads ‘Khwabida”. It is an Urdu word written in Hindi. The word means ‘dream-like’ or ‘dreamer’. The days I wear it, I feel it I am wearing my personality.

♥  Blogging wasn’t great this month. I wasn’t able to write but I did realized how important it is to plan my time and schedule in advance. In the coming months, it is the one thing that I want to work on.

♥  Sleeping after breakfast on weekends is an activity at the Srivastava & Thakur household. It helps me unwind after the full week’s work and I am grateful for my uninterrupted sleep time.

♥  AZ got notebooks for all of us on the team and mine says, “It’s a beautiful day”. The note along with it, made my month and much more. The last one “Anything is possible” is already my gratitude notebook and I am still thinking what good stuff shall I write on the new one. #lovestationery is what comes to my mind.

♥  With long calls, there were many days, VT and I did not eat together. What I loved was that he ensured that I ate on time and exactly what I needed. I am grateful to have a partner who understands that there are times when work is the first priority.

 At work, I encounter life situations that ground me. When I talk to people and try to help solve things, I learn what life is all about and what really matters. I am grateful for life and that it was made the best possible with its own share of flaws. I may not have a lot of things but it’s okay as long as we are happy and healthy. That my loved ones are safe. That there are people who encourage and support.

Counting my blessings every single day is keeping me closer to my own self. I did not expect this change to be rewarding and I am grateful that I tried to change the status quo.

Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.

                                                                        ~ John Barrymore

What is that one thing that made you happy this month?

Linking with Vidya’s Gratitude Circle for February 2018 and Friday Reflections. 

Gratitude List - February 2018
Gratitude List – February 2018

42 thoughts on “Gratitude List – February 2018”

  1. The highlight of this month, according to me, is your run. I loved the whole concept and the energy and enthusiasm with which you took part. And when it comes to food, yes akki roti is something I love too. remember a trip to Coorg when I gorged on this for all the three days I stayed there. A good month and wishing you yet another great month ahead.

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  2. Hi Parul, admire both of your commitment to yourselves and to one another, nice to know about the walk, I am so impressed with your 30 k walk, its always inspiring to read your blog posts, the simplicity and the honesty with which you reflect about this month made me smile. Love all the pics you shared, wishing you a fantastic March:) for your information, there is a song which we sing in our church, Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings to see what God has done…. I have been listening to this song today..

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  4. You walked 30 kms!! As someone who is starting afresh on the fitness trip I am completely in awe Parul. And that sari run, that’s something to be proud of.
    Sleeping after breakfast sounds so lazy and relaxing – a perfect weekend thing to do.
    Feb has been pretty good to you. Hope March is just as wonderful.

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful month for you. All that running, the fun of running in a sari and all the tiny little things that you’ve shared are wonderful. Wish you a lovely March.

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  6. Yes, summers are getting hotter even in Bangalore now. I remember how cold it used to be in the mornings just a decade ago

    Man.. that OXfam thing. 100 kms?? Really!
    I love that pendant too… we do need to wear something showcases ‘us’

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  10. I love lists of gratitude. I’m due for another installment of my “Awesome Nuggets.” Which is something like a quarterly list of fun little nuggets that happened–things that opened my eyes to the wonder of life. Not exactly the things I’m grateful for (though I am) but the tiny blessings that take me out of myself for a moment to love the world a little better. I got hungry when I read about the roti and definitely relate to the value of solving work problems. It’s hard when you can’t spend as much time with loved ones when work intrudes, but as you point out, it’s a point in time, rather than all the time–and thus valuable to just get through and be happy when it’s done. Thanks for the reminder to see the good in the little things!

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    1. Thank you Angela! I would love to read your quarterly nuggets. I’m happy we met online. If I come to Minneapolis again, I will get you some Indian food to taste. Or something that comes closer 🙂

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  11. You seem to have a lot to be grateful for moreso your attitude to finding the silver lining ! I agree with you about practising for the run rather than dressing for the run. My mother in law used to play Squash Raquets in the early ‘50’s and WIN wearing a regular sari ,playing against all the officers in her husband’s regiment !

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  12. I remember your 100 km update… It was so wonderful to read about how you two completed the walk in your own way. And 30 km isn’t just not-so-good. It’s absolutely amazing. I might have to be airlifted if I ever try that 😅
    Oh the saree run was pretty cool to. You do so many things that are unique. I love reading about it.
    I had Akki roti just once, but now I have forgotten what it was like. Same with Apalam and Puttu. Sometimes it makes me sad that I don’t remember the taste of a lot of these traditional dishes.
    Khwabida is such a beautiful word. Did have it customised?
    Hope you have an exciting March too. Take care.

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    1. Ha ha! You are funny. With all the yoga you do, your body is fully capable of a 100 km. Trust me!
      Thank you, Raji!
      I did not get it customized but bought it. If I were to customize, I have another word in mind!
      I know what you mean about food. Back home, we take all that Indian food for granted but I can understand when you say you miss that. Hugs!

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  13. Oh, I remember your saree run. It was so inspiring, Parul. So glad you had a fantastic month. February is my favorite too, for almost all the birthdays and anniversaries in the family runs through the month, and now I have Muffy too who came into our lives in Feb. Have a fantastic March and thanks for linking up with Friday Reflections ❤

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  14. Glad that you had a good February. Gratitude makes everything better, right? Makes the heart warm and fuzzy and I like that feeling.
    For me, February was about family time. And I loved it. Simple and sweet is how I would like to describe my February despite some things that did disappoint me 🙂

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  15. One thing I’m grateful for? Oh my . . . that I am still up to date on my Thankful Thursday challenge (2018 thank you’s posted by the end of the year.) Have a wonderful March!

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  16. Despite the rush of the work month, looks like you made time to work out, run, eat well and spend time with family. Your saree run was my favourite bit 🙂

    I agree that there’s a joy to doing things slowly, Parul. It calms me down too 🙂

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  18. Such a lovely month February has been for you, Parul! The Oxfam is on my to do list and I am super impressed that VT finished it and you were part of it!
    Loved the pics you shared and reading this post left me with a smile on my face. Wishing you a Marvelous March, Parul!

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  19. I am doing some major changes in my lifestyle too so this post is really inspiring for me. Hopefully, in around 6 months I will write a post on my success in turning my life towards the right direction. Wishing you luck and some for me too 😀

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  21. Sounds like a lovely month! I’m impressed you did part of Oxfam and even more so that you ran in a sari! I’d wanted to do Oxfam some years ago but my knees started playing up and I never did {old age!} So glad VT makes sure you eat. And that pendant sounds beautiful! Hope you have an awesome March!

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