A much needed quote

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours." Ayn Rand

Today I'm grateful for friends that post inspiring quotes at just the moment I need to receive the message. (thanks sis)

running

today i'm grateful for how going for a run can clear my head and make me feel better

knowing my boundaries

today i'm grateful for knowing my boundaries and being in a relationship that has taught me what they are and what i'm willing to compromise on that still allows me to feel loved, safe & secure.

i know i still have work to do to learn to let that happen in a way that doesn't make me feel taken advantage of and like i'm just getting the crumbs but i have to learn if i want to be in this relationship. and i have to have a partner that wants to love me and hear me and protect me and reassure me that *i* am the partner that she wants every day of her life regardless of what else there is.

adjustments in approach

I've read 2 things in the last 24h that have awaken in me the possibility that adjusting my approach to life and relationship has the possibility of bringing me more joy and love than ever imagined.

"As we become more and more willing to let go of what is negative and destructive in our lives, we begin to find that we have the strength and courage to do what we need to grow in a positive direction. Grow in who you are."

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

I know how those affect my life and my approach my current struggle/situation. I'll leave them there without explanation so you can make your own assessments for your life.

so today i'm grateful for . . . being open to the knowledge and enlightenment that the universe presents you with to get you through the hard times and build a foundation for better times

getting out of bed

today i'm grateful that i was able to get out of bed

Inner strength

I hope I have the inner strength to get through this

So today I'm grateful for . . . A strong support system to remind to take care of myself first & foremost
Sent from my BlackBerry®

the small stuff

have been thinking a lot about the small stuff and how to be grateful for it on a daily basis. i've realized that i can plan all i want about how i want my life to be but that i really need to learn to let go of the *planning* and be more focused on the the good parts of my life rather than on the things i'd rather be different. all things being equal, my life's pretty fucking amazing and i have an amazing partner and relationship that is incredibly fulfilling. sure there are things that could be better but if i can focus on the good and the goal of a stronger relationship then it will be easier to work towards making them what i'd like them to be rather than how i don't want them to be.

so today i'm grateful for . . . the small moments i get to share with my family and the woman i love

so it's been awhile . . .

it's been quite a while since my last post as life has taken over and change has been afoot. the last year and a half have been the best and the hardest of my life personally & professionally but i'm still here to get out of bed every day & put one foot in front of the other.

i was reading facebook this morning and someone posted this question: If you could magically change one thing about yourself what would it be?

my response was that i wished i could just relax into life and learn to trust that what is supposed to happen will happen as opposed to trying to make it be what i want exactly when i want it. this has always been an issue for me and is interestingly the part of myself that i find hardest to reconcile and let go of in my personal life especially given that this trait is what makes me successful in my professional life. it's an interesting oxymoron and one that causes lots of internal strife for me.

but after a few other people responded to this question, someone wrote: I have to say that I want to do a better job of acknowledging being grateful EACH day for some of the most obvious things in life: health, family, friends and love.

it reminded me that i used to end each blog post with something i was grateful for and found myself coming here immediately to write *this* post. so here i am recommitting to documenting something each day that i'm grateful for to remind myself that life is good and that the universe will take care of me as it sees fit as long as i manifest what i want and trust that it will come to me if it is supposed to do so.

so today i'm grateful for . . . still having the most amazing love of my life wake up in arms