About Gratitude

I woke up this morning filled with gratitude. Not the fleeting kind we say we feel but forget a moment later. The deeper kind, the one where I look around, see all that is in my life, and feel profoundly grateful for everything in it.

My three kids and their loved ones are healthy and thriving. My mom, at 90 years old, is still with us and well. My sister and brother, along with their families, are flourishing. Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving at my nephew’s home, surrounded by wonderful people and an abundant, delicious potluck meal.

Being a teacher, working with children alongside amazing colleagues who feel like family, brings me great joy. Coaching people to live their best lives is deeply rewarding.

So yes, I am grateful. Truly grateful.

Is life perfect? Not at all. Some days are better than others. But it all comes down to what we choose to focus on. That is the choice.

Life is a learning ground, and everything that comes our way is a lesson. A wise friend once told me that life is like a train ride. We board at a specific time, knowing our journey will end at some unknown point in the future. What we do while we are on the train is entirely up to us.

We can meet people or stay alone, take risks or play it safe, learn new things or cling to old beliefs. We can move to different wagons hoping our lives will change, or remain in the same seat for the whole ride. We can choose to love or to hate, to care for ourselves or to let ourselves go. Every choice is ours.

And no matter how much we defend our decisions or insist that circumstances are imposed upon us, wouldn’t it be far better to accept responsibility, make the necessary changes, and create the life we long for?

It may be harder at first, but practice makes progress. We can train ourselves into a supportive, growth-oriented mindset, the one where we say: I haven’t achieved this yet. With dedication of mind and soul, instead of accepting our shortcomings as permanent realities, we can fill our lives with joy. The first step is to look around and count our blessings.

And to recognize that we ourselves are blessings. Without us, our lives would not exist.

So here it is: I am grateful for myself, and I am grateful for you, for the world you are creating, and for the effort you make to live your best life. Because we are in this together. The better your world becomes, the better mine does too.

To fulfilling lives, to bringing forward our best efforts, and to creating an extraordinary world, because it all begins with each one of us.

With admiration,

Silvia