Day 1: Water and Food

I am all over this idea.  You can’t be unhappy and grateful at the same time.  So, rather than slip into the “If I just had ___ I would be ___”-trap, why not focus on gratitude?  Let's face it, we didn't get here alone.  Among the "luck" there were people along the way that nudged us along, encouraged and inspired us; most importantly, believed in us.  It’s like everything else, in life; gratitude: use it or lose it (a list of my lifetime losses include, French, Spanish, Portuguese, guitar, flexibility, stamina, muscle tone, patience, relationships and self-control). This posting idea isn’t mine.  I got it from a fellow-blogger at  andthenibegan. After reading her posts, I felt invigorated, inspired and I felt full; of gratitude.  I have always been a believer that it’s always the right time to do the right thing, so without further adieu, here it is (in no order of importance) day one of "12 days of Gratitude."

Day 1: June 6, 2012

Today I am very thankful for water and food. 

I am extremely grateful for my access to clean H2O.

A person taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

Gavel slams down on wooden plate.  Finger points in my direction.  One of my guilty pleasures is taking long, hot showers.  I love the feeling of hot water caressing my body.  This is especially true when I am chilled or have come home from a long work out. 

884 million people lack access to clean water.

I will make a conscientious effort to take shorter showers.  I can invest in some natural oils to pamper my skin when my body complains of the cold. 

I can also make a better effort to have water on hand when I pass by a person living on the street.  I always think I wish I had a bottle of water for him/her. But as the saying goes, “

You can’t till a field by turning it over in your mind.”  As much as it’s true that thoughts make things; action is a necessity in cases such as these.  My brain sometimes overrides my amazingness with the thought I can’t make a difference in the world; I’m just me. Something that I need to constantly remind myself however is that I can influence change; there are 8 billion walking worlds, and they are changing all the time.

For more information on water, see: http://water.org

I eat when I am hungry. 

I don’t always choose the healthy food option but I do eat well.  I am aware that we are what we eat, and that my body functions better when I eat clean, that being said, I do enjoy a greasy burger and fries from time-to-time. I have experienced a few moments of not being able to buy groceries, and having to eat whatever was in the cupboards; moments where I had to pass on going for dinner because I was broke. These moments are few and far between, and at the end of the day, there has always been someone to throw me a bone.

In 2012, there are 925 million people who are malnourished.  The majority of the cases, due to a lack of adequate food. 

For more information on nutrition and a slew of other topics, visit the Unicef website at: http://www.unicef.org

Making a difference doesn’t necessarily mean millions of dollars and thousands of community service hours.  It might mean purchasing Unicef Christmas Cards (which are adorable), volunteering at a soup kitchen, or joining a community event for a cause or dedicating your athletic endeavors to a cause. 

In writing this post, I was able to tap into a few sites that are up to amazing things.  It makes me realize that there is an overwhelming amount of care and compassion in the world.  It makes me look at the carrot cake that I just finished baking differently; and I don’t know if I like it.  Is carrot cake a luxury that I should deprive myself of in the name of world hunger?  No.

I will give some to the kids on the street tomorrow.  Here is the recipe.