Today was one of those grumpy days where I didn’t want to wake up, and my body was definitely not looking forward to old man Monday. So as I lay hidden beneath my covers I gave myself a good pep talk. Well more like my son motivated me by twitching my nose repeatedly, asking me if I was awake, and then reminding me I had volunteer work at his school. Sometimes, kids are better than an alarm clock in their own annoying way.
So I jumped out of bed. No, not really….more like slithered out, and tried to keep up with the morning energy of my son. What’s with that? Kids totally have this recharge during the night and they awake pumped, hopping and energized, well at least my son does. Ahhh, youth I miss you so. Anyhoo, is that a word and do guys say anyhoo? Boy I think I need coffee. Anyhoo, see did it again, argh!!! I had some yummy eggs and some java, and headed off to school.
As I hit the street, YOWZA! that’s better I know guys say yowza or is it wowza I get those confused, anyhoo, argh again seriously, well as I was saying, it was colder than I thought, and the crisp wind blowing from the Hudson hit me like a slap to the face. Where is the sun? Where are my shorts and sandals? My inner kid was definitely not happy. So, much to the joy of my wife, I started to complain and whine. Which if you know me, I have a tendency to do as I am a big baby to the cold. I find as I get older, I am getting less tolerant of the cold and snow, and I find myself counting the days to the warmth of summer. Truth be told, I just love the convenience of a simple tee and cargo shorts, yes I know not the most stylish apparel but when you have a pack rat of kid who feels the need to collect anything he finds in his path, those large cargo pockets are not only essential but helpful, so don’t judge.
So back to grumbly daddy. So here I am just a sour puss when I stopped and checked myself. I suddenly realized I was having all this negativity swell up inside, not the norm for someone who likes to live the spirited dad lifestyle of loving all things positive, fun and java infused. But the human habit can be a sneaky culprit as even I can fall victim to negativity as it can easily pop up from time to time ruining one's outlook on the day. So to combat this I stepped back and tried to reframe, refocus and restart, (boy those are a lot of “re” words). But seriously, I really tried to stop my complaining and tried to step into appreciation, and see the gifts of what I had.
So to refocus, instead of looking at winter as this bad thing, I sought to appreciate the benefits of winter and this cold breezy day. Here I was walking with my family, talking and spending some family bonding time with my son on our daily sojourn to school. Honestly there is no better feeling than winter warmth, and the cultivation of that warmth through finding sanctuary in a favorite blanket or huddled close to family as savory hot coco emanates from the kitchen filling the house with an intoxicating aroma. I love the smell of hot cocoa, it truly makes our small apartment feel like a cabin home in the woods. In my house we go through copious amounts of cocoa, not to mention milk, in the winter months, so much so I have actually contemplated getting a cow to fuel our cocoa fix, much to the chagrin of my wife who laughs as we live in a small New York apartment and not on a farm. Probably more information than you needed to know but there it is. So, winter cold, blankets and hot cocoa with the family, where am I going with all this you might ask? As I thought of all these precious often overlooked gifts, I started to smile and feel good inside, immediately experiencing the benefits of mindful appreciation.
Appreciation is a powerful tool as it initiates feelings of hope and optimism. It also opens the door to positivity, as focusing on the positive aspects of a season, things or people will help you to be more mindful of those good things and people you might overlook in your everyday life.
Appreciation also causes your emotions to shift and the energy you would have expended on focusing on something negative and attracting more negative situations, instead moves you to a state of focus toward feeling better and attracting more positive situations into your life. To live in a state of genuine appreciation lifts the spirit up and makes us feel safe. It frees us from the trappings of worry and preoccupation which drain our energy from living a value based life.
That led me to start appreciating the moment with my wife and son, and all the things and people I encountered on my way to my son’s school, and the day just felt a whole lot better. It comes down to this, everyday we're presented with new challenges, but in each day there are also a number of hidden rewards and life gems we often fail to appreciate. Simple things like nature and its awesome majestic beauty, a good meal, a treasured friend, a simple kind act, that job you might not always want to go to but pays you a paycheck that allows you to take nice vacations, all of it is there but we fail to appreciate them and all of the little things in-between.
So appreciate the seasons in all their glory, and look forward to the miracles that are hidden in everyday life for they will open the door to more of life’s gifts now and those that are sure to come. Be mindful of your world and live with a more appreciative mindset. The more specific you can be about what you value in your world, the more positive your impact will be.
I hope this spiritual nugget has served you today.
Warmest regards,
ED