Category: Life

A Month of Gratitude 2024: Day 5

Well. It’s 23:30 as I write this so I am definitely cutting it close today. I just didn’t want to break the chain.

I have to admit that I am super tired as I have only just finished the urgent and important stuff on my plate. The good news is that tomorrow is a team get together day so it will be a bit of downtime for a change.

I guess the thing I am most grateful for today is that I can afford the technology that I have. It is liberating. Yesterday afternoon, I took my son to play soccer with his friends, and I needed to wait at the venue. I also had a meeting that I needed to dial into. So there I was, multitasking to the max, and all I needed was my cellphone and AirPods. I even found myself dashing into Starbucks in the middle of the meeting because I really needed a coffee. None of this was possible 10 – 15 years ago, and in South Africa, this level of convenience is still out of reach for at least a third of the population.

For my son, this is all the norm, but for me, it is utterly mindblowing that my whole world is on that cellphone. I don’t even need a purse anymore! I am really grateful that I am able to afford and use the tech that is now available to us. It’s amazing!

I am going to keep it short and sweet tonight. Thanks for popping by!

Bye for now!

A Month of Gratitude 2024: Day 3

Hello Hello! Three days into December already! Before we know it, it will be Christmas. One good thing about reaching December is that I don’t have to see another Black Friday ad until next year. For that, I am definitely grateful! 😅. Let’s see what else is on today’s gratitude list.

Two Things I Am Grateful For

  1. As I was putting the finishing touches on a quantitative test questionnaire today, I felt very grateful that I still get to do the things I love for a living. About twenty years ago, I sat across from our Consumer Insights Manager at the time and was in awe. I decided there and then that I wanted to do what she did. It sounded fascinating, and I wanted to be as good at it as she sounded. I then attended my first focus group and later prepared for my first product quantitative test, and I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to be a Consumer Insights Manager, which is exactly what I am today. I was a product formulator at the time of making the decision. God is good!
  2. If you have been following my blog for the last two years, you will know all about the feral cat family that has adopted my son and me. One of my favourites is the youngest. I think she thinks my house is a thoroughfare as part of a game she seems to play. Every night, she cries at the window. I let her in. She runs straight to the front door for me to let her out. About 5 minutes later, there she will be… crying at the window once again. She is such a character. I am so grateful that her mother chose to trust us with her kittens. They bring a lot of joy into our home.

One Source of Joy

My simple pleasure for the day was savouring an ice cream at work. It was an Ola Choc Pie. It used to be my favourite as a kid. And yes, I should not be eating ice cream but life is for the living so why not spoil myself ever so often.

    I will leave you with a quote from Brené Brown as a reminder to appreciate the moment you find yourself in.

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    Thanks for stopping by. Let me know in the comments what you are grateful for today.

    Bye for now!

    A Month of Gratitude 2024: Day 2

    Hello there! Another Monday done and dusted. Only four more in the year to go. That means there is still time to knock any outstanding 2024 goals out of the park or you have to reflect on what was and plan for what will be in 2025. So what put a smile on my face today?

    Two Things I Am Grateful For and One Source of Joy

    1. Today, I am grateful for the teams I work with. No matter what the day brings, there is always time and space for a joke or a bit of silliness. A number of my colleagues have moved to the UK over the past year or two, and one of the most difficult adjustments they have faced has been the lack of connection with people at work. Some people don’t even know the name of the person sitting opposite them. So yes, I am very grateful for the teams I work with. They know my name and a little something about me and vice versa.
    2. I love starting the work week at home. We work hybrid, so I work from home two days a week. It means that as an introvert, I can enjoy the people I work with and have pockets of alone time to regenerate my energy throughout the day.
    3. One source of joy today was enjoying a cup of coffee in my little garden in the middle of the day. Although it was overcast, it didn’t stop the birds and insects from doing their thing. I love those moments. There is a whole world going on in my garden, and I am in awe of it.

    On that note, I will leave you with a short quote from Karl Barth about the connection between gratitude and joy. They are inseparable.

    Image created on Canva

    Thanks for popping by. Let me know what made your day today in the comments or drop me a link to your gratitude post.

    Bye for now!🌼