Am I Appreciative?

I decided to look it up:

ap·pre·ci·a·tion [uh-pree-shee-ey-shuhn] –noun

1. gratitude; thankful recognition: They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.
2. the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.
3. clear perception or recognition, esp. of aesthetic quality: a course in art appreciation.
4. an increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.
5. critical notice; evaluation; opinion, as of a situation, person, etc.
6. a critique or written evaluation, esp. when favorable.

I was surpised to find all of the materialistic references in the definitions of appreciation (as bolded above).

I guess I'm a little angry with myself, that I appreciate things after they have already taken place, and after I have not "lived in the moment" so to speak. Why is that? How come I can't stop to be thankful that my son can walk and has two feet to put his shoes on, rather than getting upset that I can't find his shoes. How come I get down on myself about my work situation, rather than being thankful that I have a good-paying job that allows me to see my kids more than the average working mother. How come I worry so much about money, rather than being appreciative at the fact that my husband and I are healthy enough to work and enjoy what we do?

How do I ingrain that into my head to where it becomes second-nature, rather than just wishing I could be that way?

Cozumel

Last week I had a rare and exciting vacation experience. It was where I could not access my daily reality - I was on a cruise...to Mexico...with friends!!

It was great. Five whole days of girl talk, drinks, sleeping and no scale in site. I still don't know how much weight I gained, but it sure was worth it.

We went swimming, got dressed up, slept, went to shows, went to clubs, swam with the dolphins, met new people and talked about anything and everything. Not once did I think of the workload sitting at my desk, or how I should be working out, or that I need to make bottles.

Now that's vacation.

What Is A Life-Changing Event

Today is my first day back from my second trip ever to Seattle. I left on Sunday to attend the Web Design World Conference that lasted until Wednesday, and Keith joined me on Tuesday. I had a great experience professionally, and enjoyed the personal time away. It's always nice and much needed to stop and re-discover the reason you do what you do everyday and what you are passionate about.

During my stay, I had a hard hit of reality that I wasn't expecting, and it has come to haunt me ever since. It's one of those things that forces you to look at all areas of your life, realize the things you take for granted and think about how you can make a difference. Maybe this blog can be my start.
As I come to express things more and more, I will eventually share what I saw, but for now, I will search for ways to change my thinking....