The Big Three: BFFs!

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. I’m making it a habit each week to list three blessings. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, December 1-6.

What I’m grateful for:

—Ch-ch-changes! In his laboratory in New Jersey on December 6, 1877, Thomas Edison recorded the children’s nursery rhyme “Mary had a Little Lamb” on his newly invented phonograph. The device recorded sound vibrations onto a tinfoil cylinder and was a groundbreaking invention. A report in the Scientific American described the machine’s ability to speak with the inflections and led to widespread excitement. However, it remained a novelty for several years because of limitations with the tinfoil recording surface.

And to think that streaming — the process of transmitting digital audio and video content in real-time over an internet connection — has largely replaced physical media like vinyl records and CDs, making a vast amount of music instantly accessible.

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy. Here’s to growing.

David Bowie – Changes

—Did we just become best friends? Hitting it off with someone new.

—Signs, signs, everywhere there are signs. Thank goodness for the signs in our lives that keep us out of trouble. Keep us from getting run over by golf carts. Let us know when we’re getting near the edge. Getting bitten by crazy bees or simply falling in the sand.

Thank goodness for the signs letting us know where to get the best candy and even a cold beer.

Here’s to the signs we come across on our journey.

What gave me a smile?

Staying in the moment. Being present. Focusing on the present experience instead of getting caught up in the past or future. Taking it one step at a time. Not worrying about the past or the future. Putting down my phone. Pausing before acting. Giving myself grace.