Whiparound #3 - Gratitude

[Candace Burckhardt]

Hello!

My apologies for the delay in getting the Whiparound out. I have been in the field a lot the past two weeks in preparation of leaving to D.C., and I haven't been near a computer. 

I'd like to tag Jane for next week's whiparound. 

I am going to keep it simple this week as I know we all have a million things going on with some of us traveling for work, in graduate school, going to D.C. for the Reality Reboot, and our phone call tomorrow. I was really inspired by Abby's share at our Reboot regarding her daily gratitude texts with a partner. I love this idea, and I thought this week we could share something we are grateful for today. For the ambitious, feel free to send something more than once this week. 

Today I am grateful for the wonderful coffee shop I found this morning on my way to work. I had been meaning to stop over the last few weeks, but I kept talking myself out of it and even made some terrible assumptions about what the quality would be like. I finally stopped and had three amazing experiences: 1) An awesome chat with the owner who is in her 20s and seems like she could be a new friend, 2) a high quality latte that would rival any Bay Area coffee shop, and 3) a delicious homemade strawberry/cream cheese muffin. I have attached a picture of it all. :-)

Also - Does anyone want to do the gratitude texts with me? I'd love to find someone to partner with on this. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday! Researchers say it is the most productive day of the week. 

Candace

[Aaron Burgess]

Hey Everyone! I am grateful for a chance to test myself today. I am not one for having difficult conversations, it is not something I seek out. But My girlfriend, Sheila gave me a ride to the airport last friday and we borrowed a friends car because the windshield wipers werent working on mine. She dropped me off, drove all the way home and parked with no problems, but bumped the curb and one of the tires went flat. She and a friend put on the spare drove it to a tire shop who said  all the tires needed to be replaced.. for 580! He also mentioned that the tires were pretty old. ANyway, when time came around to pay Sheila and our friend Craig were both at the counter and Craig watched as Sheila paid for ALL of it. He didnt offer to pitch in. 

TOday, I've invited craig to play tennis, which we usually do, and I am going to ask him to pay for most of the tires. It boils down to a car maintenance issue not something sheila did. Bumping into a curb in any car should not cause a tire to go flat it was her bad luck to be in the car at the time. This is going to be a difficult chat, and one which may end up with losing a friend, but it is for what is right. I am grateful that she is safe and it didnt happen when we were moving! And I am grateful for a chance to push me out of my comfort zone.

I'll let you know the conclusion!

[Amy Berkhoudt]

Candace, great Whiparound idea!!! 

Aaron, good luck! That is not a fun situation (except for the tennis part. Tennis is fun.). 

I am grateful for my "problems." The things that have been eating away at my brain (juggling a busy grad school/full time director schedule, budgeting my monthly income by shaving off the amount of times I eat out so I can pay for a gym membership, building a professional community within Detroit, when in the year I can fly home to Hawaii) are really GOOD problems to have. 

This, in a roundabout way, is my way of saying that I am grateful for how comfortable my life is. My grandparent on both sides lived through horribly gruesome civil wars (the Korean War and the Indonesian War of Independence), my parents lived as new immigrants in America (battling the language barrier, low-paying jobs, and racism), and I am what they all worked so hard for: I am a first-generation American with first-world problems. 

I am beyond grateful for all of the people in my life that put in the incredibly hard work for me to be living the life I live today. 

See (most of) you this weekend! 

amy

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Amy Berkhoudt

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Program Co-Director

Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Detroit-Youth-Food-Brigade

http://detroityouthfoodbrigade.com

[Jesse Fetbroth]

Hey everyone,

Happy Tuesday!

I'm grateful for my boyfriend.  Together we've built a beautiful relationship, a beautiful home, and a beautiful life, and every day I am truly grateful for the person I am sharing my life with.  It's pretty darn cool, if I do say so myself.

I'm so excited to see all of you tomorrow night, and the rest of you in just a few days!  So much REALITY love coming our way.

Best,

Jesse

Jesse Fetbroth

781.696.8402

[Jess Marker]

Yes- LOVE this whiparound!

I am grateful that I get to engage in the sacred work of educating our youngest citizens every day.  That I am granted the privilege of being in schools and classrooms often, that I get to see teachers in their most intimate moments - perfecting their craft, and students trusting me with their work and words.  How joyful it feels to engage in work that is meaningful, sacred and profound.

[Jane Keir]

Dear Friends,

This is the perfect time for me to reflect on the topic of what makes
me feel grateful because the last 3 weeks have been terrible and I
need to focus on the positive! A quick summary of my series of
unfortunate events:

-- My dog died
-- I got norovirus (severe stomach flu) and was sick and out of work for 2 weeks
-- I accidently severed my finger and had to go to the emergency room
for stitches
-- I am still weak from my virus and had to cancel my trip to Reality Reboot
-- Two co-workers tried to sabatoge me at work by lying about me to my
administration, so I had to confront them and straighten everything
out with my bosses. Luckily, I think my bosses believe me over
them...but it's hard to anyone at work these days)
-- Then last night, I was very distracted and upset from the horrible
happenings at work and when I pulled out of the school I accidently
ran my car into a a cement poll, (my brand new car). I had to take my
car to the shop and pay for repairs which is a pain since money is
tight at the moment (just bought a house and just filed taxes -- have
to pay instead of getting a refund).

I am grateful for my friends like Taya, Michelle, and Sam who have
been very sweet supportive during my recent bought of bad luck. I am
grateful for my father who lives with me and has been a great roomate,
friend, parent, and caregiver. I am grateful to my other dog Cosette,
for being so snuggly and cute lately. I am grateful for my mother's
support -- she says, that bad things happen to good people, and
there's nothing I can really do about it. I just need to wait out the
storm. This has been helpful because I'm starting to get paranoid. I
am grateful for my life decisions -- I know that I don't have to stay
in this terrible job and that I can find a new one soon. I have the
education, skills, and experience to change my situation.

All the best,
Jane

[Nicole Wellman]

Hi all!

I am grateful for the opportunity to be a learner in graduate school. Grateful for financial aid and the wonderful roof over my head. And, especially for all of my loved ones--family and friends--on Valentine's Day tomorrow, and everyday.

Thanks for sharing everyone. Looking forward to seeing a lot of you this weekend!! I have a redeye flight Friday, so I'll see ya Saturday morning.
Jane, I hope that this weekend you can take time to rest and recover--hoping that things are better for you starting this moment!

Nicole Wellman
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wellman...@gmail.com
(602) 377-2910