Grateful

What’s up everybody? How are you all doing today? Today it is a Wednesday evening with beautiful weather. It is a little chilly out, but the sky is clear, and the wind is almost nonexistent. We had gotten a swinging bench set up which was my fiancés grandparents and she has been asking me FOREVER to get this thing set up. I finally had found the chains needed to make it happen and although it is not perfect yet (got to repaint the frame and find some s hooks) it is perfect for sitting outside and enjoying this weather. Its about 9pm currently and I just started a fire in our firepit that sits about 5 feet in front of the swing. Fun fact about me is that I really enjoy being outdoors and sitting by a fire, it's one of my favorite things to do to relax. That’s what leads to this post today.

            Today I am embracing gratitude. Every day comes with its own struggles from all different sources but one thing that I can do to combat that is reflect and be grateful for the joys in my life. There are many people out there that say you should start your day by making a list of things that you are grateful for. I have tried this, and it does affect the way that you tackle the day but you have to be really committed to doing this if you are going to try to do this every day. I am guilty of giving up after a couple days because let’s face it, sometimes I just want to sleep for another 10 minutes in the morning before I have to get up. Although I may not practice this on a daily basis as I should it is important to me to take time and just stop. Stop the surrounding noises and really just FEEL a moment. That’s what I am doing right now. Glance at the fire and watch the way that it dances off the wood. Look to my left and watch our dog chew on yet another tennis ball that only lasts a day if we are lucky. Listen to the birds sing to each other in the distant trees. Take a deep breath and get that mix of fresh air and that sweet smell of bonfire. This is a moment that I love and that I am grateful to be able to have. People are struggling all over the world and I am fortunate enough to not be down to my last dollar. By no means am I swimming in money, but I am able to go to bed and wake up tomorrow knowing that we are going to be okay.

            I try to find moments like this when I can take that step back and soak it up and really enjoy it. I have heard people refer to it as taking a mental snapshot. Although my memory sucks and my fiancé can attest to that on the daily, I try to really capture moments when I catch myself feeling euphoric. These are moments that I cherish. A few specific ones come to mind anytime that I think about moments where I am truly happy and have not the slightest worry in the world. One of which is a moment when I was up north with some friends riding my atv through the trails near Indian river. There was a stretch of trial that I remember just standing up as I rode and looking from side to side and just taking in the scenery. To my left the woods sloped up a 50-foot hill with the trees just reaching for the sky. It was a beautiful blue-sky day and the trees seemed extra green. I look forward and just see nothing but empty trial and the sun shining through. This is one of those moments where I forget about everything and just am THERE.

            Another moment that stands out happened when I was driving. Me and my fiancé were headed east on 696 with the windows down, the sun shining, and the weather was warm. This moment happened just a few months after I bought my first truck which is my dream vehicle as it is. Anyway, as were driving, my fiancé was sitting crisscross on the seat and had her big sunglasses on. The music was on and man was she singing every word. I caught myself staring at her in awe and just thinking that I have everything that I want right here. I finally have a truck that I have been wanting since I first was able to drive. I have the love of my life next to me. And in this moment, everything felt perfect. I am forever grateful for that.

            When trying to write or think about things that you are grateful for, it can be big life things, or it could be as little as you found matching socks in less that 5 minutes. The important thing is that you take that time to appreciate and acknowledge the things that you are grateful for and be thankful that they are possible. Try to do this every day if you can but if not just try to do it a couple times a week. Especially do this if there is a lot of stress going on in your life and you feel like everything is against you. Taking the time to realize the things that are going good can completely change your mood and day.

           

 

            Much love and God bless