I am Thankful for You by blue bicicletta

With Spring’s first vlog post (on Gratitude!) premiering this week (today or tomorrow, we think!) &  Thanksgiving being celebrated in the States tomorrow, how can I escape thinking of all the things I’m grateful for? That was a hypothetical question. I can’t.

In that Spring vlog,  I only skimmed the surface by talking about my day job & my support network when asked what, as someone pursuing her passionate vocation, I was grateful for. There’s so much more! So, so much! It seems like, with the launch of When I Grow Up, there’s even more to be thankful for than usual. And yes, here is where I list them:

• My husband, who will be in this #1 spot each & every day. My biggest cheerleader, & the voice of reason – yet he still tells me to “go for it” & “we’ll make it work” & “I believe in you.” Knowing he has my back is my safety blanket.
• My Mom & my stepfather, who housed us & fed us when we were “homeless”, & only told me that they called me Scary Spice behind my back during that time after we moved into our new apartment. That they’re continuing to be such a help & offer their painting & renovation skills (& food!) means so much to us.
• My friends who are still here. I’ve purged the yes-suckers (you know, the ones that seem to want you to fail, & offer nothing but guilt & bitchery) & have tried to give as much of myself to those left over, but I know I still had to turn down many a Happy Hour invite to coach or attend a class. Knowing that there is a group of people who understand & support my goals – & some who send me words of encouragement fairly regularly! – is such a big thing to be grateful for. Like, huge. Like, I don’t know how anyone accomplishs anything without that.
• The view of Manhattan from all of our windows. Like-new parquet floors. 5 (5!) closets! We’re still working on it, & will be for quite a while, but we bought a home. We have a piece of the sky to call our own, & I still can’t quite believe it. A Big Fat Goal, realized.
• All of my clients. All of my referrers. All of my blog & newsletter readers. All of my Facebook fans & Twitter followers. Anyone that has crossed my path over email, or comments, or phone lines – & those I’ve been lucky enough to meet in person. If When I Grow Up has given me one blessing, it’s these connections. Even if it’s an epic fail & I’m not able to support myself coaching (which will not happen!), I will always always always be thankful for everyone I’ve “met” because of my business.
• International Coach Academy, for offering a great program & for certifying me as a professional coach in June. If it wasn’t for the flexibility of the classes & the way the program is structured, I might not be here now. It took two years, but oh the things I learned!
• My past success & failures. This feels so hippy dippy, but I am grateful for the things I endured & struggled with & that ultimately didn’t “work out”. I can see now that they all lead me here, where I should be.
• The girls of Spring. Carolyn, Jess & Jess, I know that we’ll have a Spring meet-up one of these days & that will just be the ultimate for me. You gals are my virtual soul sisters, & I’ve learned so much from you. What a worthwhile experiment that I know will add so much to so many (or at least for us!).
• Sara Carbaugh, my VA who kicks some major assisting ass. If you’re a creative that needs to take something off your plate, Sara will deliver & do it with a great, big, infectious laugh. She has a passion for learning new things, so even if she’s never done it before, she’s game.
• Bekky Pollock, who designed my new website (premiering January 2010!) . I know you haven’t seen it yet, but let’s just say I asked her to put her name on every page so I wouldn’t be overloaded with emails from people looking to hire her.
• Emma Alvarez Gibson, who’s writing copy for said website. If there’s anyone I trust to say what I want to say better than I can say it, it’s Emma. She ain’t lying – she’s a whip-smart marketing maven.
• Thekla Richter, my life coach who makes me feel like I just shed ten pounds (mostly in my brain, which is a good thing) at the end of each of our sessions. Yes, life coaches need life coaches!
• Danielle LaPorte, for coming to NYC & rocking my world, as well as intrducing me to others in the area looking to start some fires. Even though I live in a city with 7,999,999 other people, it’s been tough for me to find My Tribe right here in NYC. Now, I have one, & we’re being pyros each & every month.
• Everyone that’s featured me on their blog or radio show. I’d list ‘em all here, but I’ve spent some major time adding the links & images to my site, & there’s major spackling I gotta attend to. Head on over to the sidebar & take a read/listen. Every request I get to be featured somewhere is a vote of confidence in my, uh, confidence, & it means the world to think that someone (multiple someones!) wanna hear what I have to say. Mind-blowing, exciting, & totally what this actress needs to keep going.
• You. I know you mentioned before, either specifically or generally, but it’s worth saying personally. I am thankful, & grateful, & appreciative of you. Even if you come visit me here quietly, without communicating. Even if you’re silent, just being here is enough to bring me close to tears.  Yes, I know I’m a sap, but it still counts.

I’m sitting in a fairly empty living room (considering what’s usually around), in my big red/orange/purple/yellow armchair, looking at Manhattan at night, counting my blessings & shedding some tears.  Thank you all for making me cry. I don’t remember when I’ve had so much to be thankful for.

Related posts:

1. Stress, Tears, Gratitude & How I’m Really, Truly Doing
2. On My 32nd Birthday: Purpose, Gratitude, Happiness, & Sparks
3. Spring has Sprung!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 5:34 am and is filed under Carousing Celebration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.