Joy and Gratitude

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Here is your challenge for today:
Sit back. Close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Or perhaps you'd prefer to stand up. Open your eyes, look around you, and take a deep breathe. Isn't is wonderful to be alive? The air rushing in and out of your lungs, the thoughts spiraling in your head, the emotions swirling in your heart; all of it is truly phenomenal. Think about all the people in your life. How lucky you are to have them. What you love about them. Recall everything you've done: the adventures you've had, the stories you will one day tell your grandchildren, and the tears you've shed. Your hopes, dreams, and greatest fears.
Sometimes, we get stuck inside our heads, and forget to appreciate how lucky we are. We forget to admire the beauty all around us. I, for one, do this on a daily basis. But the world in your mind is really an illusion, if you think about it; your thoughts are merely your interpretation of everything around you. Every now and then, it's really refreshing to take a nice deep breath. Slow down. Take in the joy all around us. 
I had one of these moments the other evening as I was lying in bed, waiting to fall asleep. You see, next year I am transferring to a different school. My excitement and anxiety are in fierce combat at the mo - I'm not quite sure which to feel. The other night, with my quilt pulled up to my chin, I began to ponder the prospect of my new adventure. It'll be fantastic, I'm sure. Nerve racking, but equally fun. On the other hand, I am so fortunate to have some amazing friends at my current school. Goodbye isn't something I can even imagine saying to them. Thinking about all of the splendid times we have had, the awkward silences and the arguments and the laughter filled my eyes with tears.


And I laughed out loud.

Because, in the words of Winnie the Pooh, "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
So here is my challenge for you today. Stop for a moment just to breathe and to smile. Appreciate everything around you. Pet the dog a little extra, give a friend a big huge, or challenge yourself with a new exercise. Listen to the bluebird sing or treasure the sound of silence. You only get today once. So I entreat you to smile, to be joyful, to be grateful; and above all, remember how spectacular it is that we are alive.

Carpe Diem,
Maya


Photo by Aravind Kumar on Unsplash
Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash 

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