SO GRATEFUL

I am just feeling so grateful these days. All around me are constant reminders of why life is so precious and that it`s all the moments that count.

I was out for a hike in the woods the other day with my husband. We were trying to get in to Four Island Lake but it was too snowed in for the car so we opted to hike in. The snow was deep in spots and virtually untouched except for the odd deer or rabbit tracks. The sky was an absolute brilliant blue and it glistened off the snow in multicolored diamonds. The hardwood trees stretched above, their naked branches etched against the impossibly blue sky and a little creek gurgled merrily, ice clinging to its sides. The air was clean and crisp as it only is during a cold winter`s day and I filled my lungs with it as I scaled a hill in the knee deep drifts. The silence hung around us as our boots creaked through the snow and we forged ahead enjoying the solitude that nature provided. A magical moment in time. 

I never want to take anything in life for granted. I never want to forget that no matter what, its only these little moments that we have.

I have been reading a book by the Canadian Astronaut, Chris Hadfield called An Astronaut`s  Guide to Life Here on Earth. I have found it very intriguing. I love how he had an impossible dream and that dream came true. But what I loved the most is that he didn`t hang his whole existence on this dream. He knew it was next to impossible so he was just going to try his utmost best to get there and enjoy the journey as he went. 

The thing is, we don`t ever accomplish all we set out to do. And most of the time, when we have a plan, it goes completely differently than we thought it would. But if we don`t get hung up in the disappointments, the could have been`s, or what if`s, we can concentrate on the path we are on in the moment. We can appreciate the finer details like a little creek, a frozen lake or the way multicolored diamonds sparkle in the snow. 

I may never achieve my dream of a Tiny House Cottage on a lake in the woods. But I sure as heck am going to enjoy my journey getting there. Because what I have learned in this life is that you have to listen to the signs that guide you, but you have to listen carefully. You must have courage and you must be willing to fail. Constantly. Because failure brings knowledge. Mistakes bring turning points. And when you can see this and learn this you are that one step closer to achieving personal satisfaction. As Chris Hadfield says, Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination.

Words to live by.