Thanksrunning

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Today is all about one of my very favorite things: gratitude. I can't tell you how much gratitude means to me.  Life is hard and exhausting, but it is, more than anything, breathtakingly beautiful. Recognizing all that is good in this world is the key to overcoming all that isn't.  I have said it before, but it is with saying again, it is impossible for depression and gratitude to exist together. 

Let me expand on that.  There, literally, is not enough room in your head for depression and gratitude. You can have one emotion or the other, but not both. The beauty is, you get to choose which emotion exists in there. You can choose to be grateful.  I have to admit, this concept is much easier for me to grasp, than to put into actual practice. But I'm working on it. I recently started a gratitude journal to help me acknowledge all of the blessings I am given each and every day. 

A few of the things I was grateful for on my pre-turkey run today:

1.  Fall. Yes, I realize it's winter in most of the country, but it's looking like fall in Houston. And, fall isn't something Houston sees very often. Here the trees usually go from full green to immediately bare. It's wonderful seeing the trees with some color. 

2.  Running into girlfriends on the trail who you can scream, "happy Thanksgiving," to as you pass by. On a side note, Ashley and I must be on the exact same running schedule (which is to say, no schedule at all). I swear I see her every time I hit the trail. Now I just expect it and look forward to it. 

3.  Pandora One. No commercials!!  

 

 

On that note, 90's Pop Radio is NOT a good running station. Were we really that melancholy and whiny in the 90's?!?

4. Now that the weather is cold, Kleenex. You other runners will know what I'm talking about.  For the rest of you:

5. People who want to spread the good word. 

As you know, I come across all kinds of greats signs while I run, and I promise you, I never take one of them for granted. Every single time I come across something like this, it's not just the message displayed (in this case: "give thanks" and "enjoy family") that I appreciate, it's the person behind the message and their intention that really touches me. When I see that someone out there has taken their time to send a message to me, I can't help but think, "people are GOOD," and " the whole world is good."  Please know, I am so, so thankful for all of you word spreaders.