I was riding my bike through some of the farm lands North of Grand Junction, Colorado yesterday morning with one of my triathlete friends.  This time of year it is so beautiful – green pastures, beautiful horses, fresh air and the Colorado National Monument as the backdrop.  This particular morning the air was a bit crisp, but the temperature was perfect as we warmed our legs and got to our cruising speed.

My friends asked me “aren’t we lucky”?  Yes, yes, I responded, absentmindedly, as I focused my mind on my spinning legs and burning lungs. 

About 30 miles later, near the end of our ride, she said again, “we are so lucky”!  This time, I paused to take in the attitude that she was projecting and really think about the words she said.  That is when I realized “we ARE lucky…oh my goodness, we are SO lucky”!

I write about the things that I notice in my life and how they relate to the bigger picture.  I continually feel a sense of gratitude toward my life and the events that unfold, but sometimes I forget to really stop and appreciate my immediate circumstances as much as I could.

What would happen if we all paused in our daily lives to appreciate the small things in life?  What if we really took a moment to be thankful for each blessing as they unfolded?  What would happen if each of us felt that sense of luck as we lived our daily lives?  If we think about it, nothing is too small or too insignificant to appreciate!  Start right now.

“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer