casual ultimate » 2009 » January

Gratitude is not just a concept; it’s a tool. It can change my attitude towards the world and my life. I’ve got some friends that swear by gratitude as a tool – particularly gratitude lists. What is that? Well, it’s a list of things you’re grateful for and why. A list of 5 things I’m grateful for are:

1) Jessica, my sister, because she is very generous and loves me more than anyone in the world. I love her.
2) High-release flicks because they fly so pretty, make me feel so good, and the disc wants it sometimes.
3) CarBomb (the beach ulty team) because they remind me of the idea that unapologetically having as much fun as possible is an option.
4) Sunshine because something about feeling it on my skin makes me feel calm.
5) Kix/Maddy because they are adorable and warm.
6) Humor because I’m flicking you off in this picture.

I woke up this morning with lots of worrying on my mind - about my career/school, about dating, about money. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I made an alphabetical gratitude list which is a gratitude list with something beginning with each letter of the alphabet in it. I felt better. It relieved me of the “bondage of self.” Sometimes my world can get so small and focused on just me and my wants. The world is bigger. Gratitude is bigger. I can’t stay small when I have gratitude. It’s like the Kool-Aid man breaking through the wall. OOOHHH YEAAAH!

I was chatting with a couple folks the other day about gratitude lists, and they offered their 5 things they’re grateful for:

Frosty’s 5:

1) My left brake light has been busted for
2 weeks and I haven’t been pulled over yet.
2) I get to play winter league tonight under the lights
3) I’m surrounded by hot LA girls pretty much wherever I go
4) I’m going to tahoe next week with new discounted pata snowboard gear
5) I have the dopest friends I could have ever hoped for

Kirch’s 5:

1) My parents, for encouraging me to go to college wherever I want and study whatever I like, regardless of practical implications.
2) My sister, for her unwavering support.
3) My friends, who’ve seen me at my worst, but still stand by me.
4) My company, for taking a chance on me as a post-grad with no practical skills but a desire to succeed.
5) All the truly talented musicians who have taken the time to play with me as I learn.

Now I’m going to go play some beach ultimate in sunny, 60-degree weather. Life is good.

I’m watching “Riding Giants” which is this great documentary of big wave surfing that came out a few years ago (Thanks, Henrik). I’m not a surfer, but I’m really feeling something they’re talking about in this video a lot. Gratitude. Life was really simple and really good back in the day. These guys, in the 50’s, in Hawaii, were just living their dream. They didn’t have any money, anything to do, any dates. They just were surfing every day and really enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful waves.

I really feel that way about Ultimate. Particularly beach ultimate. God, I just love being on the sand and playing and joking around and laughing and feeling that sand under my feet and getting it all in my hair and my ears and everywhere. I just feel good.

How lucky am I too that I go down to Santa Monica for the weekend, and I get to act like some celebrity? I played in the final, and I actually had fans. Who am I? I don’t deserve this. It’s so good though. It’s such a treat, and the community that I get to be a part of just because I love this sport so much is amazing. I get to not just go get exercise, but I get to play my fiddle, I get to meet dozens of people every tournament, I get to laugh really hard, I get to share the trials of competition with a bunch of different people, I get to learn how to lose with dignity (except for this weekend), I get to give and receive probably 50 hugs over a weekend, and I get to just feel loved by the land, the people, the sport. Life is so good. I mee t a lot of folks that are not Ultimate players, and they have good lives, but in many cases their lives are SOO small in comparison. There’s so much joy and abundance in our community. Thank God for that.

I didn’t have much abundance in my life 4 years ago. I didn’t give myself very much joy. I also didn’t allow myself to get close to people or let people get close to me. I think I owe a lot of who I am becoming to the example of people in the Frisbee community. Thank you.

Thanks for the photos, Shaun.