As many probably already know, I Iove to reach out to a few community members at the start of every season and ask if they would like to contribute an anti pet peeve about it - something small that brings them joy during that particular time of year. So the spring responses are compiled below, and they are all wonderfully different. I also discovered that Reed loves the anti pet peeve ask so much that he was compelled to write an entire little list, as you'll also see at the bottom!
Read MoreI think about a month into winter I start counting down the days til spring. But there's definitely some things I appreciate about this season specifically, and I decided to write a few of them down in my gratitude journal. And then I reached out to a handful of community members asking if they may have a winter-themed anti pet peeve to share too. I wanted to hear the moments of gratitude they experience too. I compiled the responses into a list below.
Read MoreI LOVE this time of year - it's definitely my favorite season. For relatively small things that truly bring me great joy, here are a few:
Water bottle filling stations! Our office just had one installed and I couldn't be happier!
Fall hikes! Just begin out in nature, away from the rest of the world, on a crisp day surrounded by beautiful foliage! Maybe that's not small enough because it just gives me life!
Butternut squash & ginger soup. A chef friend makes a version of this that I have ineptly tried to replicate, but either way is SO AMAZING!
And lastly, at this particular time, the "small" thing that is truly rocking my world and has me overflowing with joy is the pending birth of my daughter - due on Halloween! Her imminent arrival is why I'll miss the gathering on 10/20.
- Richard Uniacke
Making Christmas plans with extended family brings me great joy, and I only start after the air turns cool and crisp. Of course, these plans are exceedingly complex now that there are multiple jobs, children, dietary restrictions, and in-laws to account for, but it's all part of the fun.
- Fay Sardjono
Our cat always prefers to spend the evening on my side of the bed, until I get into bed myself. While it drives me nuts during the summer months, his presence in the winter means that I get into bed with one area nicely heated.
- Ryan Oakes
Read MoreFor me, autumn is fire pit season. Marshmallows and/or a few drinks. Friends and family. We used to have it in our backyard, but a few years ago, we wondered if moving it to the front yard might not be a better idea. It’s created a not-so-beautiful circle on our front lawn where the grass doesn’t grow…but now, it’s 10 feet from the sidewalk. Neighbors walking together stop and chat. Kids on the block stop in for a marshmallow. We are certain we are depreciating the home value with the spectacle of it all, but the value added to our lives and block is worth the tradeoff.
-Tim Vogt
Read MoreWhen I'm able to, I love attending any performance at the Hollywood Bowl (open during the summer) in Los Angeles, my hometown. The first Sound of Music sing-along I attended there was one of the best days of my life to date (before I got married or had either of my children :)).
- Fay Sardjono
This happened twice over the past few days, so here’s my anti-pet peeve for the summer: getting mistakenly squirted with a water gun by a child on a hot day. At first you think “wait, who did that” but it immediately changes to “ah, that felt great” :)
- Ryan Oakes
Read MoreMy anti pet peeve: Looking at buildings and knowing that they can be carbon neutral … just with the right effort … seeing a city that is in tune with nature and not abusing nature. Or when a mosquito bites.. knowing that this is just part of nature… and not to be taken personal.:-)
- Matthias Hollwich
Read MoreWe have always cherished having dinner together as a family and now we try to make dinner something special every night by cooking something we have never done before or ordering out from a restaurant that we’d never tried before, or from a place that we all really love. So every evening at home is now something special!!! - Michiel Plakman
Read MoreWaking up and realizing your spouse let you sleep in and has the kids
Going through the mail and seeing one from a friend
Work emails that go into gif mode
Trying out a new flavor of ice cream
- Suzi Chun-Turley
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When I need a break from work and I can simply walk into the next room, plug in my electric guitar, and mangle blues standards to my heart's content
My dog lying on her back and snoring her way through my video calls
Enjoying the first coffee of the day with my wife before the working day begins.
- Oliver Davies
Read MoreIn my four-year old's words, it's been really nice to not have to "rush rush rush! in the mornings." (This was also a wakeup call for me to calm down in the mornings when I'm trying to get us out the door...) - Fay Sardjono
Right now I'm really appreciating cooking with my fiance more frequently. It brings me such joy to partner with her in the kitchen as we take turns being the sous chef. She normally travels for work and since she's been home we've had such a great time preparing meals together. That and Wii Tennis! We've been having such fun playing! Some day I'll consistently beat her. LOL! - Richard Uniacke
Read MoreTwelve years ago this year, Coburn Ventures hosted our first Sundance gathering with a group of investors and ‘wildcards’ or uncorrelated thinkers from different industries. The 2020 Sundance gathering was held last week and it looked…a little different. We kept up a lot of traditions though - including a feature mini film from our friend Laton. Around the 5th or 6th Sundance, Pip started tasking Laton with making different video montages connected to different themes like disruption, change, or 'seeing what you can’t actually see.' This year, Pip asked Laton to make a video about anti-pet peeves - and it was too fun not to share with the whole Community for Change.
Read MoreThe hummingbirds in my neighborhood buzzing right past me to get to the feeder right after I've filled it, and the amazing sound their wings make up close. - Alex Knight
I love my soap (Sappo Hill, can be purchased on Amazon) and floss (Eco Dent, can be purchased on Amazon) that are packaged in paper without plastic. AND, ever since I read Joel Salatin’s book (I don’t remember if it was "Folks This Ain’t Normal" or "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal”), every time I flush a toilet, I think of his fantastical idea of using red wiggler worms to vermicompost human waste instead of flushing our waste down the drain with precious water and grin that he is so radical. - Ann Chung
Read MorePeople who take the time to gather scraps to compost. And the existence of community gardens in NYC. - Sandra Diaz
Sunrise, particularly the 20 minutes or so before the sun breaks the horizon when we get views like this (picture attached). - Barry Haimes
I have been struck by images of wildlife occupying spaces now emptied of humans: Kashmiri goats climbing the hedges of a Welsh town, penguins exploring the corridors of the Shedd Aquarium. Fauna and fowl have likewise become more abundant near my apartment in London. Wood pigeons congregate on the roof of the day nursery, a fox takes laps after nightfall, and mallards fly low down the street each morning. All this serves as a gentle reminder that we might yet be guests in the strange territory of others. - David Kim
Read MoreNo matter how crisis-ridden and unstable the world is, tulips are determined to bloom. - JC Herz
How it doesn’t take me any effort to motivate my son to go on a run (before corona, it was most difficult to get him off the couch) 😂 - Jorgen van der Sloot
Flying (Strange how quickly that changed). - Matthias Hollwich
Read MoreWhen people offer me a seat on the subway, especially when my backpack is heavy and I have an hour commute. - Sandra Diaz
My watch tells me the sunrise and sunset every day, and it makes me SO HAPPY to see the time the sun sets get a little later each day - I’m not the biggest fan of short winter days! -Lauren Culbertson
Getting gas the other day I had a really, REALLY friendly attendant. This gentleman was truly remarkable, such that I asked him if telling his manager how great he was would help in any way. He affirmed that it would be, so I did. I often encounter people who seem to be grudgingly doing their work in this world... I was really grateful to encounter someone who brought joy to his work. -Richard Uniacke
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