Many thanks

After reading SweetiePie’s hub on Big Love and kerryg’s hub on Supernatural, I thought about writing a hub about my favorite show: Battlestar Galactica. The more I thought about how much I love that show, and all the reasons why, the happier I became, so then I started thinking about more things I’m grateful for, inspired in part by a hub written by Kind Regards called The Gift of Gratitude. So, first and foremost, I’m grateful for...

I remember thinking my boyfriend was a total geek when he started raving about this show. He insisted it was great and I averted my eyes. He eventually piqued my curiosity by sharing nuggets of the story line, and I agreed to watch the first episode. Needless to say, I was hooked.

If you’re a fan of the show, I hope you’re enjoying these final few episodes as much as I am. If you’re among the uninitiated, I hope you’ll give it a try. I’ve discovered that my Battlestar Galactica elevator pitch isn’t enough to make some people overcome their preconceived notions, and I’ve definitely lost a few cool points for bringing it up in mixed company, but I think it’s such a brilliant show that I just can’t help myself.

To give a very brief plotline without spoiling anything, the show revolves around a cast of characters living aboard the Battlestar Galactica and their much feared and hated enemies, the Cylons (a.k.a fraking toasters). War has been waged between them and Galactica watches over the surviving members of the human race, who are scattered throughout the ships in their fleet. Galactica and the fleet continually jump through space to avoid nasty run-ins with the Cylons, while they race each other in a search for their prophesized homeland; a place called “Earth.”

This clash of civilizations is intensified by clashing ideologies. The Cylons believe in one true God while the humans believe in a group of gods akin to those revered in ancient Greece. Certain characteristics of the Cylons, such as their striking resemblance to humans and ability to download into another version of themselves in the case of death (as long as they’re in range of a Resurrection ship), enable the writers to explore fundamental concepts related to life, death, and personal identity. There is also a healthy dose of romance, eye candy, deception, politics, and discussions about fate versus predestiny.

The writing is brilliant, the acting is phenomenal, the production is nearly flawless, and the show always keeps you guessing. That’s why I’m grateful for all four action-packed, philosophical, and all around wonderful seasons of Battlestar Galactica.

I started practicing yoga about five or six years ago. A coworker was raving about her practice, so I bought a DVD she recommended that was filmed outdoors in Sedona. At first, I loved it, but then I went to extremes (as I often do), forcing myself to practice every morning, sometimes throwing a three-day fast into the mix to see how far I could push my body and mind. Eventually, the very sight of my yoga mat became sickening and I shoved all my props into the corner, where they gathered dust for many years.

In January, my friend Robin started teaching a restorative yoga class on Sunday mornings at a new yoga studio about 2 miles from where I live. Stripped of my favorite excuse that her classes were just too far away, I begrudgingly fetched my mat out of the closet to attend her first class.

It was heavenly. The poses were gentle, opening, and strengthening, with a focus on meditation and breath work. Robin channels an amazing healing, nurturing energy and after the hour and a half flew by, I felt like I was walking on sunshine. I haven’t missed a class since, and I’ve been inspired to make a lot of positive changes in my life as a result. I started craving fruit smoothies every morning, for example, after years of writing them off as cold, boring, and unsatisfying. I resumed work on my thesis, I’ve been drinking less alcohol, and I feel generally more organized, driven, and enthusiastic about life.

If you’ve been thinking about trying out a yoga class, I highly recommend it! It’s been changing my life for the better, and that’s why I’m grateful for yoga and wonderful teachers like Robin.

I was 17 or 18 when I first heard Alanis’s edgy, angry, and poetic ballad about love gone awry: You Oughta Know. I was experiencing my first heartbreak at the time, and her music helped transform my depression into rage. More importantly, I took comfort in knowing that someone else knew exactly how I felt and was able to capture that emotion so beautifully in a song. Another track on the Jagged Little Pill album, Hand In My Pocket, helped bring some bounce into my step during a time of much inner turmoil and confusion.

I was beginning to explore my spirituality when she released a more introspective album about seeking, reflection, and gratitude: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, and when I starting thinking about what I hoped to find in a mate, she released a perfect exploration of the theme in Under Rug Swept. I wasn’t a huge fan of her next two albums, but recently, she released what I believe is her finest album yet: Flavors of Entanglement, a metaphysical blend of love, letting go, and self discovery.

Alanis strikes me as a wise, authentic, and spiritual person, and I’m grateful for the wisdom and beauty of her music.

I started listing out all the people I’m grateful for that I’ve met through this community, but the list was getting very long and I had a crippling fear that I would forget someone, along with the realization that you all know who you are. Suffice it to say that I’m really enjoying the experience of interacting with the kindred spirits I’ve been meeting; refining my view of the world based on your insights, and recognizing aspects of myself in each of you. I’ve discovered that I can be very limited in my thinking in areas where I previously thought I was open minded, and I crave external validation more than I’d like to admit.

I’ve also discovered that I become very disappointed when I join someone’s fan club and they don’t reciprocate. Do I automatically become a fan of everyone who joins my fan club? No, but if someone seems to sincerely appreciate my writing and I enjoy theirs, I'm happy to be their fan. I realize I can be very childish about this, which has led to a great deal of inner exploration about what a “fan” is and why this matters so much. I’ve also come to recognize that in pining for the attention of others, I sometimes overlook what a strong and loving community of support I’ve had the fortune of discovering here. This has been a great opportunity for greater understanding and development, and learning to let go.

These are some of the many reasons why I’m so thankful for HubPages. I’m also grateful for...

It’s so easy to get caught up in thoughts about the past or the future, judging our experiences and wishing for things to be other than how they are. In every moment, we have another choice, which is to let go, trust, and simply be. My yoga practice has helped me discover that I spend a lot of time being angry about work, worrying about the ones I love, regretting decisions I made in the past, and stressing out about the future. I’m learning to catch myself during obsessive and disagreeable modes of thinking, to recognize when I’m being unreasonable or impatient, to focus on the good rather than the not quite good enough, and to be mindful of the present.

This moment is all there is and all that ever will be. Mindfulness of this moment offers a path to freedom from fears, illusions, and limiting thinking. In the now, we rediscover the beauty of simply being. I am grateful for books by Eckhart Tolle, Scott Morrison, and Leonard Jacobson, that helped me discover the beauty and freedom of present moment awareness. I am also grateful for every blissful, beautiful, and perfect moment on this planet.

Thanks for reading and for being.