Giving Thanks

It's the Holiday season again, my favorite time of the year. As family and friends get together to enjoy the most important things in life. Love, laughter, and the company of each other. It's the season of thanks, birthdays, sharing, caring, and loving. A whole month and a half of celebrating!

There are a lot of things in life to be thankful for. Just the simple present moment is a miracle in itself and I thank God everyday for the blessing to be here right now.

I am thankful for all of my supportive family and friends that help me to stay grounded, make me laugh, give me perspective, cheer me on at races. Their guidance is the biggest thing that keeps me going.

I am thankful for the ability to get out of bed every morning. To have fresh air to breath, legs that work, a brain that functions. This gives me the ability to train and train hard. Pushing my body to it's limits in triathlon. Which is one of my biggest passions, and has brought me on an amazing journey so far, but that is only beginning.

But what does being thankful really mean?

In my opinion being truly thankful is being open to love, and everything around you. To see the beauty in every person, every plant, animal, in the skies, and on the earth. To be present in the moment and conscious of all your surroundings. By doing this you can see how much we truly have to be thankful for. The world, and life is full of beauty and wonders that we can be more than thankful for. So let go of the need of material things, as that can only make us happy and thankful on a shallow level. Dive far beyond the shallows for the deep meaning of gratitude.

Thankful:
conscious of benefit received <for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful>

Dalia Lama
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it, I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

Tony Robins
"Trade your expectations for appreciation and the world changes instantly"

Deepak Chopra
"Gratitude opens the door to... The power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude."

Be excellent to yourself, and be excellent to others.  -yoga instructor from class today