108 Ways to Be Grateful
This week let me suggest a little diversion. It has to do with the number 108, and the regular practice of gratitude.
First some fun context...
The number 108, you may already know, is significant symbolically in many traditions. In yoga, for example, 108 sun salutations are often practiced to honor change. There are 108 traditional Indian dance forms, and there are believed to be 108 different types of meditation. In Buddhism and Hinduism, 108 beads (plus one guiding bead) are strung together into a mala. And within the chakra system, there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra.
And then there are the bowls.
The 108 bowls, that is, which is a tradition in temples in Thailand. I recently read that, there, there are 108 bowls placed around the temple and visitors are given 108 coins. The idea is to walk around the temple and drop a coin into each bowl, thinking with each coin drop of something you are grateful for.
(Cool, right? Imagine how that sounds! All those coins dropping into all those bowls...)
I don't have 108 bowls but I do have pen and paper and a desire to be grateful for 108 things. So I gave it a try, and two things happened.
It didn't take long at all. There's natural momentum at the start, and it took me about 20 minutes to get to number 95, which is when the flow started to slow down a bit. Still, it only took two or three more minutes for the whole 108 items of gratitude.
The second thing I noticed was how many ways you could play with this. My first list was really general, and I included all sorts of things I'm grateful for. You could also orient the list around 108 reasons why you're grateful for specific things (like love, books and home) and also 108 reasons why you're grateful for specific people (like friends, lovers and children). You could also make a game of it. Maybe keep the list tagged to your refrigerator, where everyone in your family can add something each time they open the fridge. Maybe start a fresh gratitude list every day.
Why not give it a try?
The research about the benefits of gratitude goes way back; here's a classic article on how gratitude makes us happier. Who among us couldn't use a little more happiness right now?
Please let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear!
Namaste,
Cathy
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
4 Habits of Truly Self-Aware People - Nick Wignall on Medium.com
If you want to find happiness, find yourself first.
4 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Workday - Valentina Bojanini on Ideas.Ted.com
Here are four quick, effective exercises from TED speakers that can help you improve your time on the job.
6 Ways to Manage Coronavirus Depression - Jill Suttie for Greater Good Magazine
Knowing what depression looks like and how to manage it can help prevent you from slipping into dark moods.
Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger - Multiple authors, in Nature Neuroscience
The study finds that deprivation narrows and focuses the brain's motivational responses to the deprived target. Our results support the intuitive idea that acute isolation causes social craving, similar to the way fasting causes hunger.
What Attention Zone is Your Mind In? - Elisha Goldstein for Mindful.org
The Attention Zone model identifies four different modes of focus in which the mind functions. We can use this model to improve our attention and use our time more productively.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Todd Richman, National Sales Director for Overproof, Miami (USA)
Years in Industry
It will be 14 years in July. I've worked as a brand ambassador, portfolio educator, sales representative for a wholesaler, and now I work for a technology company that creates platforms to help the beverage and hospitality industry.
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness
Time management is one that I'm still constantly working on. It's something I can always improve and do better with. Work keeps me pretty busy, so I need to maintain vigilance on how I use my time.
Navigating my social relationships and dealing with FOMO. Our industry is a social one and I definitely miss out on events during the work week, but it's a choice that I accept. I'm rigid with my schedule from Sunday Night until Friday afternoon as I'm up anywhere between 4:15-4:30am and aim for at least 6.5-8 hours of sleep a night. This schedule can put a real damper in my plans during the week, but as I just turned 45, I find sleep to be incredibly necessary.
That inner voice that tells you to take the day off, to rest, or to hit the snooze button one more time. I know it sounds incredibly cliche and we've heard that before from so many people, but it's true. That voice is a pain in the ass and a morning doesn't go by when I have that argument with it. Injuries, illness are one thing, but other than that, I have to tell that voice to take a hike constantly. It's not always easy. if I can do something to better myself, I will as it makes my day better for it.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well.
Hands down the best thing to happen to me in recent years is Brazilian Jiujitsu. It has been a part of my life since April of 2019 and to say it's changed my life for the better is an understatement. I was around 238 pounds when I started and have lost as much as 40lbs from the training. It's physical chess at its finest and a really challenging workout. The mental benefits come from learning to solve problems under duress, and by duress, I mean someone is trying to choke or submit me with a joint lock. Jiujitsu forces me to focus on the immediate actions right in front of me, while preparing for the next moves my opponent may make. My class is at 6:30am and starts my day off right.
Running is one of those activities that has really helped. A lot of my colleagues and friends are runners and it was a great way to connect with people during the lockdown and it kind of grew into a habit. While I don't always love running, it's fun to run at sunrise, with no one around but me and my headphones. I'm lucky to be in Miami, where the weather is pretty ideal for a run most of the year.
Learning new activities that challenge me, be it new forms of meditation, speed reading training, cooking and more. It doesn't matter what they are. Learning a new subject or skill has been great for keeping me sharp. Myamoto Mushashi wasn't just a samurai and master swordsman. He was a gardener, a craftsman, poet and a calligrapher. He preached the importance of diversification in activities and this stuck with me.
Supplements and clean eating. I'm far from perfect, but the 80/20 rule on eating clean versus the occasional, albeit intentional cheat meal is a good one. If our stomach and gut biome acts as our second brain, then I'm making every effort to take better care of it based on what I put in my body. During the week I try to be as disciplined as possible. The weekends as well. Unless there's a cheese and charcuterie board in front of me. Or tacos. Or Grower Champagne. A little flexibility isn't a bad thing.
What Inspires Me:
I have been on a quest this past year to do more in terms of physical and mental growth. Be in through books, podcasts or jiujitsu. Through an industry lens, I'm inspired by my friends and colleagues who push themselves on a harder path to self-improvement and love to see it happening across our industry. Our industry is full of temptation and speaking from experience, it's easy to get caught up in the moment.
I'm seeing a lot more people choose those moments mindfully and in moderation. For books, it's Brene Brown, Jocko Willink and Ryan Holiday that have been inspiring me lately.
A Quote I Love:
"Discipline Equals Freedom" - Jocko Willink
You can connect with Todd on Instagram @trichman305
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Let's Get Connected!
Sharing Events from our Global ABG Community.
Lift Collective Virtual Conference(formerly Wonder Women of Wine)
March 23 and 24, 2021
Formerly Wonder Women of Wine, Lift Collective launches its second conference, committed to dismantling the status quo and rebuilding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry for all identities.
Engaging the Senses: An Exploration of Flavor and Sound
March 25, 2021 5pm PT | 8pm ET
Join wine pro Devin Parr and Toronto Symphony Orchestra musicians Clare Semes and Kelly Zimba -- AKA Sonority Sisters – online, as they pair beautiful wines with beautiful music. This 90-minute tasting and music session will invite you to indulge in a total sensory experience that is a feast for the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Tickets in link.
Have an event that our ABG community would love? Email to events@abalancedglass.com for consideration.
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