Gratitude and Joy

My yoga instructor talked about the link between gratitude and joy today, very timely for me.  I have been thinking about starting a daily post where I simply listed events or posted photos of  gratitude.  I was going to start on my birthday, but why wait?

Specifically she talked about how feeling gratitude can bring us joy.  My life is not all sunshine and rainbows, but it feels like it most of the time!  I think that is due to my positive attitude and my recurring feelings of gratitude.  Sometimes my heart feels so full of joy that it just may burst out of my chest.

I bought this print a few years ago, it's done by an artist named Leigh Standley.  It says, "Funny thing about joy, is that you only really find it when you are too busy Having fun to go looking for it."  The text in the top corner reads, "she attended life with her accustomed zeal."  So many things about this print drew me in - the cute sundress, the orange boots, the bucket of happy, and of course, the feeling that I could relate to the quotes.

Today I am grateful for:

• a healthy body that can move easily and breathe evenly
• a loving home for my cat to stay for the summer
• friends with whom I can enjoy a tasty Indian dinner (Jess) and then a movie and who, when I ask if she can pick up some Tastycakes for a movie snack, the only question is, "What flavor?"  Thanks Karen!