Gratitude Journal no. 3
/If you’re new here
I decided to challenge myself to publish my personal writing more. From pausing to deliberately reflect to getting more disciplined about creating for myself, I jumped into this goal. For a little more on this journey, check out my first public Gratitude Journal entry.
January 7, 2024
I am thankful for…
1. walking outside on “warm” AND sunny winter days. I am a bit of a broken record when it comes to being appreciative of outdoor time, even better when it’s in nature and not just outside. Someone taught me that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate attire. With the right gear, many more days of the winter are available for walks. The last two days were amazingly sunny. Today, we’re back to day 16 of 18 days of the “gray blanket” covering Chicago. It’s dark and it’s a bummer, so I’m thankful I took advantage of the sun while it was here.
2. friendships that are the duration of youth. While, it can feel scary to say that you’ve been friends with someone for 14, 18, 25, or even 35 years, it’s definitely rewarding. As much as I love meeting and connecting with new people, it’s grounding to have chosen people be around for multiple decades. It’s different than family, which is why it’s almost more special.
3. the capacity to view life as a game/ride/adventure/challenge. If you want to do great things, you have to take great risks. sometimes the great risk is in the domain of relationships other times. It’s financial other times. It’s about pride and confidence. There are lots of ways to take risks and they’re always scary. But rides literally are not fun if there is not an element of scare. I’m grateful that I have embraced living a life that has ups and downs so it’s a more exciting and memorable journey.