It’s easy to take life for granted. To get swept away in the day-to-day activities and forget to be in the present moment. Sometimes life seems to be happening to us, and we forget to see all the goodness around us.I try to pay attention to all the goodness and beauty around me. At least once a week, I pull into my driveway, look at my home, and feel grateful for it. I stop and thank a flower for its beauty. I feel happy that I can smile at another person or simply take a breath. 

Perhaps it’s the dark roads I’ve been down, like many of you, or the struggles throughout my life that made me feel like I was not going to make it out the other side. That I simply wasn’t enough to be just as I am.

What I do know is that life is always going to be a mixture of good and bad, but each day we get the choice to decide what thoughts are allowed in our head and how we want to feel.

I wake up each morning and tell the world, “Today is going to be a great day!” This doesn’t mean things won’t go south or crap won’t happen, but when it does, I’ve set my intention and can recalibrate back towards my intention.

A few weeks ago, I woke up in Tucson, Arizona where I was giving a keynote.  I sat on the balcony of this resort in admiration of the beauty around me. It reminded me of the beauty of life and all of its blessings.

I looked out on these mountains and said a big, “Thank you”, to the Universe for this life I get to live.

Earlier that day, I had read a quote that said, 

“Of all the roads she’s traveled, the journey back to herself was the most important.”

Gosh, it’s been quite a journey back to myself over the years and the journey going forward will have much to learn I’m sure. But to be who we are and to love all parts of ourselves and our journey might be one of the best gifts we can give ourselves.