My parents have given me a lot in my life, and today, being my 29th birthday, it is an apt time to think about them with gratitude, for without them, I wouldn’t exist nor be the type of person that I am today. 29 years ago today, my parents gave me life and love, yet when I think of the greatest things that they have ever bestowed upon me, there is something else that makes the list. That something else is gratitude. Somewhere along the way in my youth, a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation grew within me with roots so deep set that this gratitude now drives practically everything I do.
Gratitude is transformational.
One of the most common things I hear at the gym is a lack of gratitude from those who are frustrated on their fitness journey. Impatient with themselves, whether they are losing weight, gaining muscle, or increasing athletic speed, they dwell on where they are currently plateaued instead of on how amazing their body actually is as is. Flipping gratitude for your body around can flip your health and fitness journey around entirely. Knowing that who and how you are today is enough gives you power and perspective to create the very best version of yourself possible.
You are enough. See yourself through eyes of gratitude and see your place in life with those same eyes. As for me, I am indebted to the gratitude I learned from my parents, for it has allowed me to see the negatives in my life as transformational blessings in disguise. The valleys of my ten-year long eating disorder, the rape I survived, the accidents I lived through and the battle for really knowing who I was after a broken heart are all things for which I am incredibly grateful for; they have enabled me to live life with deep, passionate joy that I would not otherwise have. Sometimes it is only when you know just how dark life can be that you are able to rejoice in the light with unshakable confidence. Life is good, so give thanks, no matter your circumstances.
As for me, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the start of a new year of life and learning. Happy birthday to me!