Sunday, October 20, 2013

...Being Grateful...


It's Thanksgiving and, although I am very thankful today, I've been reflecting on what I'm grateful for a lot lately.

In the chaos of life and uncontrollable circumstances, I find myself getting mixed up in a mess of troubling thoughts. Troubling in the way that they prevent me from keeping things in perspective sometimes. I need to remember to take a deep breath and realize it will all be okay. Feelings of frustration, anxiety, anticipation, worry.....yada yada yada, seem to be the primary invaders of my everyday thoughts. It's cumbersome and takes over who I am sometimes. I don't like it and I have to make it stop.

Luckily, things are a-changin'!

Whether it's recognizing what I have and what other's don't, appreciating this wonderful opportunity I've been presented to write (which truly means so much to me), or being able to spend time with the people I love, I've come to terms with the fact that life is great! I am still laughing and enjoying the small things. I am truly so thankful for all I have, and I understand how lucky I am. I'm learning to stop, say "Life, you will NOT get the best of me," and succumb to the warmth I gain from the fact I have everything I could ever need or really want.

The trick to my new-found self-assertiveness?

I ask myself this question and if I don't like the answer, do something about it.

If the world ended tomorrow or next year, would I be happy with how I spent my life?

While it may be an obvious question, it truly is the ultimate question. It provides me the space to look at the last six months of my life and say, "No, I worried too much about the small stuff, got worked up over nothing, and I didn't spend enough time with my friends and family." Problem identified....

I am grateful for the freedom I have to make those decisions for myself and the freedom I have to act on them.

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