So from an early point in the morning today my mind was focused on how grateful I am for remembering that regardless of the situation there is always a choice. Then my shiny syndrome kicked in and I went in a completely different direction for a period of time. Becky picked up some treats for some folks and sent Gavin up to my office to deliver this beauty:

YES!!! Lemon bars are amongst my favorite desserts and are totally on my personal Mount Rushmore of sweets. When life hand me a lemon bar… I pause, enjoy every single delicious bite of lemony heaven, and take time to be grateful for such an awesome snack. Lemon bars, proof there is a God and He loves us. 😉

Time to wipe the drool off my face and move on to the deeper slice of gratitude today.

No matter what is happening or what the situation is there is always a choice to make. Sometimes I can get myself all worked up and bent out of shape about something. If I’m not careful and I stew on it too long I can keep going down the wrong path and start to feel trapped, stuck, forced, and out of control. Before long I catch myself thinking ridiculous thoughts like “that’s not fair” or “why does this have to be like this?” Instead of actually dealing with the present and reality my mind wanders off into “What If? World.” The only thing that happens there is more frustration, disappointment, and denial.

What helps hold me in the present instead of floating into too much frustration is remembering that I always have a choice. There is always something I can do. Maybe it’s changing the situation. Sometimes it might be remembering what I can learn from this and seeing it as a way to grow. There are other times when it reminds me that I could take action to fix the situation rather than sitting back and complaining about it. Regardless, I always have a choice to make. In pausing to remember that I am choosing a certain path I put the ownership of it back on me. I may not like the options, but I always have a choice to make.

Today was one of those days when I remembered that I have a choice and it helped bring calm to my day. Funny how a reminder of the little bit of control we always have puts everything in the right perspective.

Thanks!!!