Category: Grateful Heart Monday

Welcome to another entry of Grateful Heart Monday, where gratitude always marks the occasion, which for today is for having a trait in my life now that I never used to have, one where I appreciate and hold onto things until they finally break, rather than always looking to acquire those “shiny new things” in life.

In all honesty, I’m actually amazed I’ve become this way in life. I truly do hold onto things now for as long as they will keep on working for me. My cell phone, computer, headphones, tv, necklaces, clothing, my car, you name it, each are considered so old by now that no one would question a decision to upgrade any of them.

My iPhone is from late 2015. My laptop is from early 2014 and my desktop is from 2016. My headphones are a 2017 pair from Bose. My television is a 55” Sony from 2014.  Most of my clothes and jewelry are many years old by now as well. And my vehicle is a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

People who’ve known me for many years can’t believe how long I hold onto things now. Because the person they remember is the one who was always getting the latest technological advancements on a constant basis. I once was that guy who would stand in line for hours for the latest iPhone. I was also that guy who sported a new wardrobe all the time. I was even that guy who kept trading out one car after another, always finding a reason to justify why I needed a new vehicle.

Believe me when I say the ego will always find a way to justify getting those shiny new things in life, even when the things they’re replacing are still working well enough. My present iPhone is the greatest example of that. My cell phone is almost considered obsolete by now, at least according to Apple standards. They plan on supporting it for one final year beginning with this month. Yet, it still works just fine for me. It makes calls. It sends and receives text messages. And it surfs the web perfectly fine. Sure, there are many cell phones that are blazingly faster these days with plenty of new features that often beckon my ego. I have friends who seem to fall for that sort of thing almost every year or every other year, constantly sporting the latest in mobile advancements. But I’m ok having my bulky and ancient cell phone from 2015 because it represents the new me, as the old me is someone I didn’t much like at all. The old me had to constantly have those new things all the time, because it was a status symbol, an ego booster, and a way to make myself feel better. But when you go down that path of consistently getting those new things, it becomes a never-ending cycle that leaves you always wanting more and never fully fulfills you from within.

There’s something to be said to hold onto older things that are still working but may just be a little slower and less technologically advanced. And there’s something to be said to even be wearing clothing that isn’t the latest fashion trend either. What is it? It’s that I know what is on the outside of me isn’t what matters. What does matter is the heart within me, the one that cares about people, and not things. The one that wants to be generous and kind, rather than selfish and always consumed with having those shiny new things.

My motto today is to keep holding onto things until they break, and if they can’t be fixed for an affordable amount, then it’s finally time to upgrade. When I recently thought it might finally be time to do that very thing with my iPhone 6s Plus because the charging port wasn’t working right anymore, I opted to take it to a shop called “UBREAKIFIX” in Perrysburg just to see what the problem was. Come to find out a piece of mulch from my gardens had lodged its way into the port itself, preventing it from charging correctly. Go figure. $30 later, my phone was back to working just fine, at least according to an ego-less standard.

So, I’m grateful to not be consumed anymore with having those shiny new things. And I’m grateful to not be coveting physical things like I once did. When I see my friends or anyone doing just that nowadays, I’m reminded they are simply a mirror of the person I once was, which always causes me to reflect on being grateful for being more concerned today for what’s on the inside of me, rather than what’s on the outside…

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Since it’s Monday, that means it’s time for another entry of gratitude in my blog, which for today is for all the baristas at the Starbucks locations I regularly go to in the Toledo vicinity, who have often made me feel not so invisible in this world.

While I know it’s part of the normal training of employees at Starbucks to greet customers when they walk in, I’ve been extremely thankful for the baristas who have gone beyond that by taking the time to learn my name, ask me about my life, and even remember some of the drinks I frequently order.

Why does any of that matter to me? Honestly, it’s because I often really do feel invisible in this world and have struggled feeling like I don’t matter. Having the long-standing health issues I do, my thinking hasn’t always been the most positive, especially as of late, so it’s most definitely been a blessing when I’ve walked into a Starbucks location on one of my down days when suddenly a barista greets me by my name with a huge smile, asks me how I’m doing, and whether I’m going to have one of my usual beverages or even food items.

I often say it’s the little things in life that make the most difference and sometimes it’s little things like this that do. Things like people remembering my name and my high maintenance coffee drinks, that truly end up touching my heart, usually when I most need it.

Here in the Toledo area, I’ve frequented the Starbucks Westgate location the most, especially during this pandemic. I’ve lost count of the number of days where I’ve felt more down than up through it all and actually looked forward to my daily visit to this location because typically there at least one barista has made it a point to help me feel more than welcomed. Most recently, I’ve been going quite a bit to the newest Starbucks location in my area which is out in Perrysburg at the intersection of Route 25 and Eckel Junction Road. There too I can absolutely attest to always feeling better as soon as I walk in their doors.

I know it may seem silly to some, for being grateful for Starbucks employees, when there is probably plenty of other things in this world to offer gratitude for at this time, but, to me it absolutely has made a difference in my life, especially over the past two years or so.

So, to all the baristas I’ve met at the Westgate and Eckel Junction locations, and the others I’ve met in a number of the other Starbucks stores as well, I just want to say thank you, as you really have made a difference in my life on so many-a-days, just to keep going, to keep believing that I do matter in this world, that I’m not invisible, and that the world isn’t always such a lonely place.

Thank you Alex, Audrey, Selena, Joe, Casey, Lizzy, Liz, Alyssa, Mickey, Katherine, Adrienne, Jake, Angie, Staci, Corey, Ciera, Jazz, Will, Haley, Laura, Molly, and all the others whose names are failing me at this moment, who have taken the time to get to know me, when you didn’t have to, you truly have been shining stars in a world that often feels far too dim to me on most days. I’m grateful to each of you and dedicating today’s Grateful Heart Monday to all of you.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Welcome to today’s Grateful Heart Monday, which for today I wanted to share my gratitude for the Mankind Project (MKP) men’s group I remain a part of here in Toledo, The Brothers Of The Black Swamp, a group that continues to both bring positive challenges and great blessings upon my spiritual journey in life.

When I joined MKP well over 20 years ago now after going through the New Warrior Training weekend, I delved into the group work that came afterwards, where a man had the option to continue going deeper into their life’s work by becoming involved in something called an I-Group. Ever since, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting amongst men in a number of these groups in each of the areas I’ve lived in, developing closer bonds to men, breaking through blockages within me, and rising to higher levels of strength, leadership, and loving connection in my life.

Presently, I am an active member of The Brothers Of The Black Swamp I-Group, which presently consists of eight individuals. We began this group almost four years ago now in Toledo because there weren’t any active I-Groups in this area for MKP brothers to be a part of. Our group has evolved quite a bit ever since, having several original members leave and some new ones arrive, having gone on two bonding retreats together, and having spent every other Tuesday utilizing the tools MKP taught us to better ourselves in life.

What I truly treasure the most about my present I-Group is the willingness of each man there to continue showing up, no matter what struggles they are facing within themselves and their lives. Far too often in life, I’ve seen people often make excuses to not show up for the I-groups they were a part of, which only ended up hurting both themselves, for the potential work they could have done on themselves, and the group itself, for any benefit they may have brought the group. While our group may be small compared to some others I’ve been a part of, we sure do have a big strength, like I witnessed in a recent Saturday occurrence of our meeting.

While tensions flared at times during that meeting, all of us worked together on some difficult issues we were facing, including cancelling what would have been our third annual retreat and re-declaring our commitment to the group itself. I’m so grateful to say that by the time the meeting ended, I felt nothing but love for each of the men there, something I haven’t always felt in many of the I-groups I’ve been a part of since I began my journey with MKP.

Indeed, each of the men in The Brothers Of The Black Swamp are uniquely different from each other, with varying belief systems, ideals, and the like. Yet the one thing I am thankful to say we all have in common, that I’ve witnessed time and time again, is our desire to deeper our brotherhood with each other, to work through our differences, and grow in connection as a result.

The fact is, every I-Group I’ve ever been a part of has become a blessings upon my life on some level, usually after working through a number of challenges to my ego in many of those meetings. The Brothers Of The Black Swamp continues to prove that to be true as well and is the very reason why I not only remain a part of this amazing group of men, but also with MKP in general.

Thank you, The Brothers Of The Black Swamp for continuing to work on not only your own journeys of spiritual growth, but help me with mine as well. I love you all for that and dedicate today’s Grateful Heart Monday entry to our amazing group of men! Aho!

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson