Something pretty neat-o happened to me this morning.
I was in the middle of my morning workout – lifting weights, relaxing all cool (hoistin’ some dumbbells outside of the school), when I had a moment of clarity:
Right then, in that moment, I felt so grateful.
I was grateful to be able to get up early and workout. To lift, to sweat, to breathe heavily, to move. To feel that burning sensation in my lungs. To hear my favorite music playing through my headphones.
And ya know what? The rest of my workout was awesome. All due to a minor perspective shift.
——
I often hear people talk about fitness or working out in a self-deprecating way:
“I don’t like the way I look. I need to [lose weight/gain muscle].”
“I want to look like [insert celebrity here].”
“I’m never satisfied with how [strong/lean/muscular I am]. I need to do more.”
Rarely do I hear people say something like this:
“I’m just really grateful to be here, in the gym.”
Or…
“I’m grateful I can workout and be active today.”
The nice thing about adopting that perspective is it – in my experience – encourages you to think broadly about what other things you’re grateful for in life. For me, it was:
- I’m grateful for the deep breaths I can take.
- I’m grateful that when I finish my workout, the first thing that greets me is the sunrise.
- I’m grateful for good food, clean water, and functioning shelter.
- I’m grateful for my friends, family, and co-workers.
- I’m grateful I can live, learn, and love freely, every day.
There’s a lot in life to be grateful for – something that may have muddied my perspective for a long time (especially in the gym, where my default mode was anger, aggression, and a chip-on-my-shoulder attitude).
And I know the world is pretty rough these days. It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s something shitty happening. It’s easy to get swept up in the chaos that’s seemingly all around you ALL the time.
But being grateful for the little things – sunshine, deep breaths, health – is infectious and can not only help you be happier, but it also makes other people happier too. I told this story to my friend Joe over breakfast this morning, and he smiled and said, “Wow, that’s so awesome, man. Sounds like an empowering experience.” I could tell instantly that he was feeling good, too.
So today, I’d like to challenge you to take a pause and find something you’re grateful for, no matter how small. Hell, it can be something as simple as, “I woke up this morning, and that’s dope.” Then try and extrapolate that to your other experiences throughout the day. It’s pleasantly liberating to not be at the mercy of all the reactive stuff around you.
Oh, one last thing I’m grateful for:
You.
Keep being awesome. Love you lots.
Ian
Ian Estabrook 