Live Grateful

What changes in your life are you most grateful for? Rupi Kaur’s Gratitude Writing Prompts

I am most grateful for the following:

The birth of my children in my 20s. Discovering my codependency and how to change that in my 20s. Finding recovery from drugs and alcohol abuse in my mid 20s.

Learning to deal with anxiety, panic and depression in my late 20s and early 30s. Finding golfing, skiing, the BWCA and a 12-year-old son in my 30s. My education and career was rewarding starting in my 20s and 30s.

Learning and practicing reiki in my 40s. Getting my 3 children through their teens in my 40s. Buying and riding my motorcycle when my baby turned 21, in my 40s. Finding husband three, my charm in my late 40s.

Camping and 4 wheeling, and riding motorcycle in my 40s and 50s. 4 more children, and grandchildren in my 40s and 50s. My career in full swing. Making a difference in my 50s.

Getting to retirement age in my 60s. Fighting cancer and winning in my 60s. Working part-time in my mid 60s and at 70. Great-granchildren are such a gift in my 60s and at 70. The family and friends throughout my life. The relationship with my culture and Creator in recovery.

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I feel appreciated when ______________________ Rupi Kaur’s Gratitude Writing Prompts

I feel appreciated when:

Someone will repeat something I told them or said to them or showed them. My children and grandchildren hug me and say they love me. When I am thanked for something, I have done. i.e. cooking, cleaning, shopping, sewing, crafting. When I am thanked for the perfect gift.

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What is your greatest failure, and what lessons can you thank it for teaching you? Rupi Kaur’s Gratitude Writing Prompts

What is my greatest failure:

My greatest failure I haven’t had yet! I have had many setbacks in life. I think that is a part of life. I asked my husband, and he couldn’t answer this. I asked a couple others and got no response. This is a tough one. I think every set back teaches lessons though.

My friend said it had to be friendships that she doesn’t know what she did wrong and where she couldn’t make amends or even know what she did. She had a couple of those. I know that friendships change over time, and I have been lucky to have some friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

Setbacks — I didn’t finish my doctoral program. Now, I am considered an ABD or all but dissertation. What I learned was that I was going for the doctorate for the wrong reasons.

My mother was a cheerleader for me to get my doctorate. Getting a doctorate for her didn’t work was a lesson I learned. I also did it because others encouraged me to get one. It really wasn’t for me.

It was very expensive. There is forgiveness for working for non-profits, or the government and paying for 10 years. I only made 8 years of payments before I retired. So I still have a student loan at age 70.

Then just yesterday on the news I heard how there is a new program for seniors in my state. For $10. a credit you can attend college. My friend Peggy and I are talking about doing that just for fun.

I believe in being a lifelong learner. Her goal is to get her doctorate before she dies. Not mine but for fun, yes, so I said let’s do it! It could still turn out to be my biggest failure.

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First published in Mercury Press on medium.com