Everyday Gratitude
I have always been thankful for my life, the people in it and the opportunities that I have received. However, it wasn’t until this year that I was really struck by overwhelming gratefulness. It wasn’t one big moment that shifted my perspective. It was a thousand little moments that when added together opened my eyes to the unbelievable life that I have the absolute pleasure of living. Not all the moments were always happy or enjoyable. Some of the moments were full of pain and sadness. The moments of pain and sorrow throw into sharp perspective how incredibly blessed that I am.
After moments of struggle, pain, and doubt, I find it helpful to change my thinking and examine these challenges as moments of growth and gratitude. Rather than suffering in pain, I appreciate the variety of circumstances in life that when added together make up my unbelievable life.
This week has been an extremely challenging week for me. My undergraduate degree is different in the sense that most of my classes have both a final project or paper as well as a final exam. This means that instead of having six finals, I have fifteen projects, presentations, and exams to complete from now until December 12th. This week my anxiety has been paralyzing, and I am overwhelmed, stressed and frustrated. Weeks that are stressful and soul-crushing remind me that I have so much to be grateful for. I am thankful for the challenging moments and the moments of blissful joy because these moments allow me to reflect and be grateful.
I am grateful for my family.
I am grateful for a family who drives three and a half hours to celebrate my birthday or spends all weekend looking at wedding venues together. I am acutely aware that not many family members would set aside their own interests and give up their weekend to look at wedding venues that they may or may not care about. I am grateful to have parents who allow me to make my own mind up about what I want to believe and support my decisions even if they contradict theirs. I am grateful that they instilled in me a love for the arts and for athletics. I am grateful to have a mother who teaches me how to cook and a father who talks on the phone with me when I walk Scout at night. I am grateful to have the constant, uplifting and unwavering empowerment from my parents each and every day.
How blessed am I to have three of the most interesting, hilarious, talented and supportive siblings in the world. I am so grateful to have a sister who is nothing like me. If I am Type A person, she is a Type Z. I firmly believe the people who inspire me and challenge me the most are the people who are vastly different than I am. Maija inspires me when she’s canoeing through Canada or when she’s singing in the car. She is fiercely protective of me as only a little sister can be and always tells me the truth (whether I want to hear it or not). I never learned to curl my hair because she did such a fantastic job and was always willing to help me. I am so grateful to have a built-in makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, comedian, Netflix binger and most importantly, best friend in my sister. My two younger brothers, Daniel and Jacob, are growing faster than I can keep up with them. I am so grateful that they (usually) are willing to talk with me and (sometimes ungraciously) accept my hugs. I treasure the tag games around the house when I can’t run because I’m laughing so hard. Maija and Daniel are incredible at mimicking accents and never fail to make me laugh while speaking in a Russian or Boston accent.
I am grateful for my fiancé.
I am grateful for the challenging moments that we have overcome in the past. Overcoming arguments have strengthened our relationship and have allowed us to have more open and honest communication. I am grateful for the relaxing nights in spent watching our favorite comedians. I am grateful for the crisp, Autumn, afternoon walks together with Scout. I am grateful for all our conversations in the car whether they’re about the podcasts we are listening or our future together. I am grateful for the adorable sticky notes he leaves me, the Saturday afternoon naps and the enormous amounts of Indian we eat. From fights about irrelevant things to laughing hysterically at our puppy, I am equally appreciative of the tears and the laughs. I am grateful for morning cuddles and overcoming struggles. I am grateful for the joking banter and sarcastic jokes we make with each other. I am grateful that after almost seven years, we are still best friends. I am grateful that during stressful weeks like this week, he is my rock and my personal cheerleader.
I am grateful for having gained another family through his immediate and extended family filled with welcoming, loving, sometimes crazy, hilarious people. I am grateful for a fiancé who challenges my opinion, makes me laugh and roll my eyes, cuddles with me, help me with dishes and uses excessive towels after the shower.
I am grateful for friendship.
I am grateful for being left out and feeling out of place because it helped build my unique personality and gave me the fantastic friends that I have today. It allowed me to fully appreciate the incredible friends that have been loyal and kind. I am grateful that with my closest friends we can talk about everything and not feel judged. I am grateful that people who were once classmates, lifting partners, fellow yogis, co-workers, and teammates are now the people I call my closest friends. Together we cry, laugh hysterically, burn cookies, exchange outfits, watch movies, devour sushi, talk for hours, sip coffee, complete homework, fall over doing tree pose, go on walks, take goofy photos and love each other through life's hardest moment. I am grateful for phone calls that last hours. I am grateful for friends who know what’s wrong without me having to say anything. I am grateful for friends who support me whether it’s a new blog or business endeavor, class project, social media post. It is because of their unwavering support that I strive to reciprocate positivity daily.
I am grateful for the new friends that I have made through social media and the incredible stories they share with me about their lives and the lessons they have learned. I am grateful for the fantastic support that I have received and the pieces of advice people have shared with me as I embark on a new journey with my blog.
I am grateful for our puppy.
I am grateful for late night walks with Scout at 11:30 p.m. in 5 weather because I get to see the grass sparkle like there are a million diamonds on the surface and enjoy a star-filled sky. I am grateful that he willingly accepts all my cuddles. I love that he knows the command “hug” and that is the first thing I receive when I walk in the door. He rarely barks so when he does it sends me into a giggle fit because it’s such a hilariously small bark for his size. I’m grateful that when our alarm goes off in the morning, Scout jumps on the bed to give us morning kisses. I’m grateful for coming home to fuzz all over our apartment after Scout destroys his third dinosaur toy (RIP Dino #3). I’m grateful for his unconditional love, tail wags and belly up cuddles.
I am grateful for my education.
I am grateful for my high school education because I was provided with a base of knowledge that was well-rounded and balanced. The little details that at the time I found inconsequential have been some of the most foundational and essential skills that I use throughout my undergraduate career. Not only did my high school prepare me incredibly well for college, but they also set me up for the real world. I am grateful for a school that is grounded in morals, where each teacher and staff know your name and are there to help you in any way they can. I am grateful to have gone to a school where charity and service is a pillar alongside education. A school that wholeheartedly supports the curious and the inquisitive. I am grateful that some of the staff members became my friends who made the days less lonely and more manageable. Every day of college, I am reminded of my education base, and I have my high school teachers, principle, counselors, coaches, and staff to thank for that.
I am grateful for my undergraduate education because it added fuel to my burning passion for learning. At first, I was worried that attending a large university I would not be able to develop ties with my professors. I was wonderfully surprised. Over the past four years, I have established relationships with people who consistently support, encourage and challenge me to be the most intelligent version of myself. I am grateful that I can come to my advisor or the Dean of my college and cry when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I am grateful for professors who assist me with projects and answer my countless questions. I am grateful for professors that I think of as friends. I am grateful for professors who answer my emails at midnight when I see an advertisement that relates to class. I am grateful for the countless opportunities that South Dakota State University has presented for me and the incredible connections that I have made. I am grateful that my professors advise, inspire and support me and the academic goals I have. This week has been incredibly stressful, frustrating and tiring for me and yet, I am grateful to have the opportunity to be challenged and to strive to be the best student I can be.
I am grateful for life.
The death of someone far too young makes me grateful for life and reminds me of the importance of appreciating the incredible people around me while they are still in my life. Life is so precious, and I am grateful to have been able to share it with amazing individuals.
I am grateful for my health.
Even though I struggle with body image, I am grateful for the growth and progress I have made. It makes me more appreciative of the small steps I make with positive self-affirmation and self-love. I know that it will be a continuous process and I am grateful for all that I have learned throughout the journey. Despite having ongoing issues with what foods my body can or cannot tolerate, I am grateful that my food intolerances are the worst health issue that I face. I am grateful for sore legs because they remind me that I can walk, ski, jump, skip and work hard at the gym. I am grateful for my inflexibility. It challenges me to continue practicing yoga and fills me with joy as I embrace my weakness. I am blessed to have fallen in love with yoga. Yoga has allowed me to find peace and quite my mind. Through yoga, I have met beautiful women who inspire my practice and my daily life through their positive energy and authentic personalities.
Life can be challenging. At times you might feel lonely, and there will be incredibly hard moments, but if we choose to approach life with an endless sense of gratitude we will be filled with a new sense of appreciation and happiness. By reframing your thoughts to approach situations with a positive outlook, it will transform and shift your perspective on life. I want to challenge you to be grateful this holiday season and then extend that gratitude every day of the year.
