It’s been an interesting couple of weeks so Thanksgiving has crept up on me. And I have been on the road for over a month. My two dogs Belle and Sebastian and I traveled from Vermont across the northern tier of the country to Seattle, south as far as Santa Barbara and then gradually east again. During this time I have crossed three time zones twice, changed to standard time, and experienced Halloween and the election. I have driven between four and five thousand miles, stayed with family and friends, and at innumerable hotels and motels. And I have seen and experienced many beautiful and amazing places. I could focus on the strange political times we are entering, but it is our Thanksgiving season so I choose to focus on that.
During this trip I made the choice to be “heart aware.” To me this means to approach each day and everyone I encounter with caring and optimism. And I don’t mean that I throw caution to the wind. I continue to be careful and thoughtful about my surroundings. I don’t take unnecessary risks. However, many seemingly synchronicitous events have happened because, I believe, of my attitude. Sometimes these events are the result of contacts and conversations, sometimes just gut feelings I decide to follow.
- I learn about wonderful beaches where the dogs can run free.
- A former professor gives me new ideas for engaging my graduate program.
- Following a hunch I find some vintage cowboy boots that actually fit.
- Open to possibilities, I discover a shop in a tiny Montana town with hand-dyed silk shawls.
- I stumble upon a local shop that processes the neighborhood pecans shortly after I decided to find a source and bring some home as gifts.
- And so on…
And so it’s Thanksgiving. Setting aside current events, I will focus my thankfulness on the timeless gifts of health, family, friends, and the opportunities with which I am blessed. And most important, I realize that these gifts underlie my new perspective of choosing to engage each day heart aware. Ongoing thankfulness yields a wealth of positive possibilities.