What If Today, We Were Just Grateful for Everything?

As I started writing this, I found it going a completely different direction than I intended. Part of what I love most about being an entrepreneur is that I can explore different avenues with my readers and be open to where the page takes me. Today, I want to be grateful for everything.

I’m not sure where your heart is, friends, but today mine feels heavy. Is it just me or are you also finding it hard to get in the ‘holiday spirit’ this year?

I know for me, some of that spans from not being in our own place this holiday season. My family is currently displaced while we wait for the oil economy to recover (my other half’s bread and butter) as well as the housing prices in Houston to come down a notch from jaw-dropping.

We have said good-bye to cherished loved ones over the past year, watched many friends lose their jobs and then the news of tragedy strikes last week.

The attacks in Paris bring a whole new layer of burden on my heart as we all mourn the lives of so many innocents lost at the hands of evil.

Mix in the extra to-do’s, obligations and over-booked schedules and we’re left feeling less like Elf and more like Eeyore. (Which reminds me to watch Elf as soon as possible because I have a feeling Will Farrell would be a mood-booster.)

It’s easy to miss the joy of the season when we consider all these things but perhaps all the more reason to savor this precious time.

This is my daughter’s first Christmas and I know seeing the magic of the season through her eyes will spark that joy I so longingly yearn for.

Think about your favorite part of the holidays. Is it a favorite movie? (Mine is a hard tie between White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life) Or maybe the smell of fresh pies in the oven? (Yes to a slice of pecan a la mode!) When you are enjoying that special part, take a moment to remember everything about it – where you’re cuddled on the couch and with whom you’re cuddled (mine would be a furry friend for sure). Or the people sitting at the table with you enjoying that pie right out of the oven with a tub of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. Cherish those moments.

Remember also to have grace with yourself. Let go of expectations and know that the moment you are in right now is where you are supposed to be.

I read a quote today on a beautiful Instagram feed that really struck me – what if today we were just grateful for everything? Wow. That is something I needed to hear and I’m pretty sure will need to be framed on my wall in the near future. What if, just for today, right now, we truly saw the blessings that surround us – the breath in our lungs, the eyes reading this page, our full belly of food. Let’s do that, let’s start with just today.

“So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34

May you find your slice of joy this holiday season, 

Meggie