Since today is Thanksgiving, I thought it only fitting to post about some things for which I’m thankful. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude has vastly improved my life and I could write many posts about what I’m grateful to have. These, though, are what most easily came to my mind when I started thinking about this, so without further ado, here’s my list:
- Amazing friends. There are a handful of people with whom I’ve shared some aspects of my shadow and they’ve still loved me and accepted me as I am. Their encouragement and support have gotten me through some incredibly hard times and I’m so grateful for their friendship.
- Books. I’ve always loved to read, whether for fun or to learn more about any number of subjects. Books have introduced me to so many things that have made my life better than I ever imagined it could be and it seems to get even better as I continue to read.
- Life hacks. I have trouble remembering all the life hacks I’ve learned at this point but there are a few such as meditation, floating, and breath work that I use every day (or every week in the case of floating). All the life hacks that I remember to use make it much easier for me to handle life and overcome my struggles, so I’m definitely thankful for them.
- Skills that I’ve developed. Although I have some natural talent for a few things, I have more fun juggling, unicycling, and enjoying the other skills that I’ve spent countless hours learning and improving. They serve as permanent reminders to me that my biggest limitation is my mindset, which I’m sure will be important for me to remember as I tackle some of my big life goals.
- Wonderful memories from so many experiences. I love to travel and, as I’ve said in previous posts, I’d rather have a heart full of memories than a shelf full of trinkets. Fortunately, I have plenty of memories from the many trips I’ve taken. Everything from juggling events to swing dance workshops to simple road trips and all the meaningful connections I’ve made during each one of those excursions are going to stay with me for the rest of my days.
- The progress I’ve made. I’m more patient, understanding, caring, optimistic, practical, and determined than ever before. It took a lot of work, learning, and pain for me to get to this point. Although this journey has often been difficult, it’s been worth the struggle and I’m glad I decided to undertake it.