Sometimes I’ve got a blog in me all bottled up and ready to go and all I need to do is let it loose. Other times the act of sitting down to type my blog is exactly what my brain needs to process the events of the day. The writing itself becomes a combination of thinking, learning, reinforcement, and therapy. Tonight? Tonight is totally one of the nights when I’m looking forward to taking the time to pause, slow down, and think.

My morning started off with intentionality. I was sure to go to bed early last night to be well rested to jump right back into reality. It felt wonderful to get back into my normal routine of reading, thinking, and reviewing my goals before getting out of bed.

Last week I was grateful for the opportunity to let a thought sit and ferment over a long period of time before taking action. I utilized that process again today and it paid huge dividends. My initial train of thought would not have been nearly as effective as where my thoughts eventually led. At one point I paused and smiled and soaked in the joy of seeing something come together almost perfectly. Without intentionality I usually tend towards taking action. Pausing before taking action was exactly what led to success.

Today I’m thankful for not visiting Dad. Dominic learned a valuable life lesson about driving today. Meanwhile, I am pretty sure he shaved a year off of my life in the process. Everything is good, nothing was damaged and no one was hurt – excepting, of course, my heart. After the shock subsided and my blood pressure went back down I got a laugh out of knowing that I must have done the same to my parents way back in the day when I learned to drive.

I’m also thankful for perspective. In thinking about Dominic’s maneuver while driving I couldn’t help but think about how I would have reacted if I were in the other car. Would I have been frustrated and angry or calm, forgiving, and understanding of a novice driver? I know the answer, it wouldn’t be the right one, and that’s something I need to remember.

I’m grateful for open mindedness and seeing new metaphors to help me understand some of the deeper thoughts of life. There are so many things I’ll most likely never understand while I walk this earth, but I know that if I keep a closed mind I am certain to never see or understand them. By keeping an open mind I can provide an opportunity to possibly see something to help me truly see. When listening to a podcast on our trip there was a discussion about finding ways to see different types of energy in outer space. Before we learned how to see them we didn’t know they existed. Once we saw them we were able to better understand. What in life am I not seeing as I am not ready to see it yet or haven’t been looking for in the right way?

One of the other thoughts ringing through my head over the past day or so is the need to create space for creative time. There is a time and place for busy-ness and action, but there is also a time for quiet thought and creation. In many ways, that is exactly what this has become for me tonight. I am thankful for so many things today – some I’ve written about and others I’m holding in my heart – but taking the time to write and create this evening is what is providing me the opportunity to appreciate all of those blessings even more this evening.

There was more I’d like to write, but I have a LuLu to attend to. With being away from home she’s decided it’s time for me to stop writing. My focus should be on her – according to her. 😉

Thanks!!!