I am Grateful, I am Grateful,

"I am grateful"
"I am grateful".
"I am grateful for my alarm clock".

Remember when you had to write lines because of bad behaviour? It was meant to change your attitude and your behaviour, for the better.

This past week I have been rudely awakened by my alarm clock at 4:30 a.m. every day. In my stupor I shut it off but did not disengage it, so day after day, same wake up call.  Sometimes I wish for 'the good ole days' when turning clocks and televisions off and on was a simple task.  Modern technology is wonderful if you grasp it and very frustrating and annoying if you don't.

My alarm clock was only doing what I had asked it to, a few weeks ago.  I needed to be up at 4:30 in order to catch an early flight to a conference.  But now, back home, my mornings are to be relaxed, no alarm clocks, rising when I'm done sleeping.  Eventually I got the message that I needed to disengage the alarm setting in order to stop the torture.  I considered a hammer but thought better of it because I like the large illuminated numbers in the dark, reminding me I can turn over and sleep for another few hours.  Waking myself sufficiently to figure out how to disengage the alarm has finally allowed me the joy of a wake up on my terms, slow, relaxed, meditative.

I've been reminded that repetition, like writing those lines in grade school, can help to change our attitudes for the better if we focus on what we are grateful for in any good, bad, or indifferent circumstance. 

I am grateful my alarm clock is reliable.