How lucky are we?
I guess its easier to complain than talk about being grateful. Someone very close to me called me this morning and had so many complaints about how hard life is and he's completely not wrong, life is hard. Gas prices are expensive, trips are difficult to afford… etc. But I also was watching a surf film about an upcoming pro surfer prospect from 2003 that broke his neck while surfing and became a quadriplegic (Jesse Billauer, Step Into Liquid, 2003) who is still charging 23 years later (https://jessebillauer.com/) and I had to literally lower the volume of the conversation because I couldn’t listen to any more negativity or complaining because it just disagrees with my mindset and way of life, especially about politics.
But while this was happening I thought about how lucky I am to be literally holding my coffee in my left hand and my phone in my right to have this conversation, and then I realized I had to get off the phone. Not for any other reason but to pause and be grateful.
WE are SO lucky.
We have so much that we can be thankful for. Our blessings are endless, truly.
Everyone, every single day has a laundry list that could be hundreds if not thousands of items long to be grateful, humble, and thankful for.
And as I sit down to write this, I can still think of hundreds of more things to be grateful for. I have both of my wonderful parents, friends and family that are healthy, my beautiful wife, and two amazing happy and healthy children, with one on the way, very soon and that alone… is everything.
I truly need nothing else.
Not a bigger house (although it would help), Not a bigger, faster, or newer car (although it would be nice), not more money, not more of anything.
I don’t even want more time, I just want to pause and have more moments like this, that allow me to appreciate the time that I have.
Right now, today.
My father says regularly "These are the best years of your life" and he couldn’t be more accurate.
Every single day with small children in your life is an unbelievable blessing. The days are filled with surfing, jiu-jitsu, little league, soccer, friends, beach waterslide parties, skateboarding, birthdays, pre-k graduations, etc. and it's amazing.
Every single second of it.
How blessed are we, or am I to have what I have, and everything that I have.
I just want to stay here forever. And, not literally… but metaphysically. I want to stay in this mindset of being grateful and humble and thankful forever. Because every single day we get 84,600 seconds to do with what we will, and every day we can spend 100% (or close) to being happy. Choose yours, and thanks for listening.
Much Love,
Chris
P.S. The book and journal are getting dangerously close to being finished. Feel free to check it out so far at www.strictlypositivity.com if you’re interested.