In Gratitude for everything is how I've learned to live my life!

After all I have had to get done in the past few days I told myself I would not turn on the computer today. I would just lay around in bed. Something I never do as most mornings consist of me logging in very early and heading out to hike by 7am. I love to start my morning with a hike as I get in touch with everything I believe in up there. Some people go to church, I go hike. However today I was going to do things differently. Okay so it didn't quite work out that way but when you are inspired to write you just have to. I did skip the hike but here I am typing away...in my pjs. ;-)

I woke up in Gratitude not only because of the day it is but because it is the way I have come to live my life. About almost four years ago all the work I had done in therapy became organic and that meant awareness became a part of my life. From that moment on I have lived in gratitude for everything with awareness. Not that I didn't have gratitude before but I hadn't truly learned how to be grateful for the challenges. The other day I posted on my facebook a thought I woke up with that morning, "Adriana Garza woke up thinking about how every challenge brings me closer to my friends and family and allows me to grow in LOVE. So for every road block or detour I say thank you for it has brought me closer to you!" That pretty much sums up how I view life these days.

I could sit here and go on on about everything on my plate and how hard things can be or I can adapt an attitude of gratitude, which I do only because organically I have come to see how beautiful each moment in life is and what it brings me usually outweighs the challenge. Gratitude my friends can not be faked. It comes from truly understanding what a gift it is to have been able to wake this morning take a breath and head over here to share Thanksgiving with you even if its through cyberspace. One of the things I am incredibly grateful for and I never thought I would be.

I used to think technology was distancing people. I mean with my friends growing more and more comfortable with texting and emailing I was beginning to be saddened by the fact that they used that as their main form of communication. What happened to getting together for face to face time? I got over that as soon as my play hit the road in 2007 and we used the internet as our main tool of promotion. I can not tell you how many AMAZING beautiful people I met because of it. People like Jen Marie and Darice who are my friends until this day. Most recently I met Eric Schwartz and Jason Mraz because of the internet. Because of Jason's kindness I went on to meet Sarah, Kim, Rosie, Michelle, Leah, Andi, Danielle, and many other beautiful souls. Let's not forget the amazing journey that was born because of the internet, The Experimental Witch
. I have come to see what a huge advantage it is to be able to log on and connect to someone on the other side of the world. It is also how I met my friend Maggie in London and how I am able to keep in touch with my beautiful friend Silke in Germany. So today I am very grateful for the internet!

My list of gratitude is endless! I am grateful for my breath, my sight, my legs, existence, love, compassion, the challenges, the fun times, this computer even if it keeps giving me problems, ;-) my life, my car, my friends, my family, my lovers past and present. Well actually present would currently only consist of Juan who makes appearances with me in my we are what we do videos. Meet him here!

I really could go on forever! However today I will focus on the present moment. Right now I am being given the opportunity to LIVE some serious and fun journeys. I am grateful for both. GLAMOUR has asked me to host The GLAMOUR Magazine Canon Ball Holiday Party
in LA. They contacted me Monday wanting me to put it all together by December 4th. By Monday evening I had one musical act and a venue. By Tuesday I had another musical act and then Eric agreed to co host with me! It all came together pretty quickly. I felt a bit of pressure to put on a great event with such short notice but I agreed and immediately became grateful that not only did GLAMOUR trust me with it I was also being given the opportunity to give voice to that which I love. GREAT music and the holidays!! I was able to get Gaby Moreno
who just opened up for Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman to grace us with her BEAUTIFUL voice! Her singing is truly effortless! Then I got The Makepeace Brothers!
I am in love with their music and undeniable talent! All topped off by Eric aka SMOOTHE
agreeing to Co Host with me.




This lead to me having immense gratitude for the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with my friends in a very fun way courtesy of GLAMOUR and Canon even if I already have my acting career, producing duties, UNICEF duties, and gratitude birthday dinner to tend to. As mother Teresa says, "I know God doesn't give me anything I can't handle I just wish he didn't trust me so much!" ;-) So for this and my current UNICEF duties I am grateful!

I am in the middle of securing talent for our UNICEF fundraiser and I have no idea how this will unfold. I am the head of the fundraiser but there are five of us who have to agree on line up and the UNICEF headquarters in NY has to do background checks and approve the talent. I am going after one particular person as headliner because they have shown me in many ways that their beliefs actually line up with UNICEF's and for me that is HUGE! I don't want anyone who thinks it would look good for their image or for publicity purposes. I want someone who is being the change they wish to see in the world. Jason is doing just that and I'd be honored if he agreed. I haven't given up hope because if life has taught me one thing it's that MIRACLES ARE BORN OF FAITH AND THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! I can't control how this will unfold but I can sure as heck try, by doing the footwork, to ensure a human being of value, integrity, and talent is attached and that is in the end what I am fighting for as I try to attach Jason. So for the ability to do so, as tiring as it can get, I am GRATEFUL! The venue is coming along very well and I think when headquarters arrives in LA Monday to tour everything with us they will be pleased to see how much we have accomplished since our training in NY never forgetting that what we are fighting for are the children and the UNICEF Tap Project!

As you can see I have a lot to be grateful for! The life I get to live truly is beautiful but I have a hand in doing so by being able to accept that without seeing the beauty in the challenges and being grateful for them I wouldn't be here today. The other day I received this in my Daily God affirmation, "On this day, God wants you to know that today you have a cause for celebration. Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise yourself." Amen to that.

I don't want to keep you here forever so I will part with expressing Gratitude for those who sometimes feel it the least, my family. It has been said that we hurt those we love the most. I think the hurt has been felt on both sides. One conclusion I have come to is that neither they or I are wrong in wanting what we want. I want to be me and be loved unconditionally while I make my own choices, live my own life, and learn my lessons that ultimately shape me and build my character. Some of my family wants me to be in less pain, and have their idea of a life well lived. Like I said neither one of us is wrong we just want different things. I struggle because what I like the least in life is hurting others! Trust me I always try to avoid that at all costs and anyone who knows me knows that about me but when the cost of not hurting others is hurting me than I can't do it. So to my family I say I mean no disrespect I am just honoring myself and being me! If you for one second think I am not grateful for you think again! Mom thank you for putting me in ballet at such a young age and helping me build my passion for the arts. To my brothers and sisters thank you for being you! In return you have shown me I have the right to be me! To my step dad thank you for putting up with my mom and her SEVEN kids! WOW! And lastly to my real dad wherever you are thanks for being a huge part of why I came into existence. You know I am grateful for your paths crossing for that gave way to Mercedes and I coming into existence! If you look at life through God's eyes and with LOVE I am sure you too will have lots to be grateful for.

Meet the people I am honored to call family and now go hug yours and tell them you love them. Mine is in Monterrey, Mexico baptizing the latest addition to our ever expanding clan and for missing it I am so bummed but for Joaquin's existence I am so grateful! I have my own celebrating to do soon, my 33rd birthday gratitude dinner with my Los Angeles family is Sunday and for them I am ETERNALLY grateful!

All seven kids in order from oldest to youngest.

With my sister and parents back home in Austin.

This is too funny! Like father like daughter. I sit just like my step dad!

Once upon a time we were great together and for that I am grateful!!


"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Cicero HAPPY GRATITUDE DAY and may this day lead by example and to being in gratitude year round!