Happy October

It's a misty, damp, rainy day in the Valley. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and it's one of those days when it just feels so amazing to be inside with pumpkin chai tea, a good book, and some choral music to memorize.

It's October, the month of Thanksgiving Day. As such, I've been thinking about some of my attitudes towards life. I'd say I'm a fairly good person; I try really hard to do right by the world and the people around me. But, like the rest of the human race, I have my flaws. Two of them, I'm finding, go hand in hand: I spend a lot of my thoughts and energy on the past and future, instead of enjoying the present moment. And I waste a lot of my imagination on worrying.

When push comes to shove, I think both of these things come down to a lack of gratitude; to the fact that sometimes I forget to be thankful to God/the universe/call it what you will for all the good, beautiful things that fill my life. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad." Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. THIS day; THIS moment!

When I look at each day, live in the moment as it comes, how could I not be grateful? I live in a nice apartment, in a beautiful part of the world., with awesome roommates who make me laugh and encourage me musically. I have a cupboard full of food I chose, a bureau full of clothes I like, and a pile of books I bought as a treat. I'm capable of reading for pleasure and for information. I get to spend most of my moments these days learning about music from incredible teachers, with a bunch of people who all love music as much as I do, and who believe in what I'm trying to accomplish. Who all genuinely seem to want to help me get there. Basically, it's my job right now to become the best musician and music scholar I'm capable of becoming. I don't think I could ask for something more amazing.

All that taken into consideration, what could I possibly have to worry about? How could I be anything BUT excited about the present moment?

I'm making it my personal mission to become a more grateful person this month. As part of that, every day in October, I'm going to post a picture on FaceBook of something I'm grateful for. You can find the album here.

Happy October, everyone!