Can't Spell "Grattitude"

Glimmers of gratitude, ie. this week's joy list for when times were tough

I was going to title this “Can’t spell attitude without gratitude” but that would have been factually, contractually, and legally incorrect!

Ricky Bobby spent his whole life believing that “If you’re not first, you’re last” after that infamous Bring Your Parent to School Day. Only years later did he learn that his father was high the day he said that: “That doesn't make any sense at all, you can be second, third, fourth... hell you can even be fifth.”

You can spell both attitude without gratitude and gratitude without attitude, so instead I’m flipping the script and creating the portmanteau: “Grattitude”.

An attitude of gratitude for when times are tough, the light is dim, and the little glimmers feel like all you’ve got. When Big F*ckin’ Picture Mode does not exist, and the present has been blown out of proportion by a deluded mind. When the present feels like anything but a gift.

In these times, grasp (with non-attachment) at the glimmers and the things we do have.

That I do have.

Here is an excerpt from my journal this week, the morning following a particularly hard day. The moment arising where you let out a heavy sigh and think “Today is a new day” and let the ink and thoughts flow.

Square brackets are added for context, regular brackets (and hearts, and smilies, and “TM”s and music notes) were already there in the notebook…

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“~650 am I think ❤

I’ll make this one semi-shortish (lol) in that today is a Stupa Day™!

I could call it Stupa-endous, if I really felt Pollyanna but today is a Stupa Day™ nonetheless ❤ I’m in the meditation room and determined that I shan’t let these mf-ing delusion - No Mo’ Delolos - dictate my freaking life.

I have an extraordinary set of circumstances and marvellous DAs [dependent arisings] that manifest as wonderful conditions.

I have the loving-kindness of my beautiful parents of this life, Mama and Papa (all the leaves are brown ♪ ), Fran the AuDHD and ED specialist, like a dakini lady helping me with worldly activities and secular dharmic approaches, Courtney - an RD who acknowledges my Veganism and works with my taste and sensory preferences. And she looks like a normal person! I also have Brad and JobSeeker/YA, and James giving Kate and myself personal training last night at Karate. Amazing, so grateful :) I was so touched.

I also have the gym and awesome strength gains! I have my aunt and [other friends] with lived experience. I have Gabby and I will contact her. I have caring and compassionate doctors. I have a third - or technically second-place - in that I’m actually starting uni in two weeks! That’s wonderful ❤

I have the Holy Dharma ❤ I have GL [Geshe-la] and ZTR [Zasep Tulku Rinpoche] and I could call upon LY [Lama Yeshe] and LZR [Lama Zopa Rinpoche] in times of trouble too. I have faith. I need patience.

“What you lack is the capacity” ;) Anyway, today is a new day.

Then a whole heap of expository information about the remainder of that Tough Tuesday™, and a badass line running vertically up the page (as naturally, I had run out of room and did not want to start a new page with the time crunch that morning)…

Today is a new day and I am a Child of the Lionlike Conqueror ❤
A BodhiWarrior and Lioness ❤ ❤ ❤

I can always count on Shantideva. Much like Gene Belcher, he has the best one-liners. I gave it the gender-neutral touch, and the gentle reminder that we are all Children (or Heirs!) of the Lion-like Conqueror and Badass Bodhi-Warriors.

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Lotus, Moon and Sunday School of Rock

I am very excited for my course. Tomorrow is O-Week. Well, technically, O-Day, as there’s only one day on-campus prior to beginning the following week. They’ve very wisely jammed everything into one day.

Hey, speaking of jamming and teaching…

This one’s a shoutout to Jack Black as Dewey Finn/Ned Schneebly in School of Rock. Once again, last week I forgot to include a pivotal scene and the reason behind why I value Ned/Dewey as a teacher.

It’s the scene where Tomika (the absolute powerhouse vocalist) reveals to Mr. S that she is self-conscious about her body image. His response was such a pivotal moment in Little Me’s life, so wholesome and a rare case of Body Acceptance in a 2000s movie. (Because it was sorely lacking in most other cases.)

Feeling comfortable in your own skin sometimes feels like its own accomplishment. With Tomika vulnerable enough to share her fears, and Mr. Schneebly providing such reassurance that you don’t need to change, is how I seek to teach in future.

And to homage the “R-E-S-T-E-C-P” queen herself? This scene - nay, movie - is a national treasure.

For that very reason, it is tonight’s designated family movie. (Even if my dear parents have seen it a jillion times when I was growing up and would watch it on repeat. We can look at it through new Educator Eyes.)

Geshe Loden taught us to do everything with bodhichitta. Thus, may we watch School of Rock with bodhichitta, and may all beings have the precious opportunity to watch School of Rock. 😆

We roll tonight, to the Shunyata Bite.
And for those about to Realise, we salute you. 🤘

Happy Lotus, Moon and Sunday… Let’s get rockin’!