gratitude, always.

Gratitude always, regardless of holiday…before + after family arrives, the turkey is eaten + the gifts are opened. I ran by a dead man on the street yesterday. I’ll start by saying I am grateful to be alive. Acknowledging others is a necessity, thru words, warm smiles, big hugs –even to simply say, I see you.  ‘Thank you’ acknowledges, accepts + approves.

Gratitude for self is necessary to feel gratitude for others. I am grateful for me. I push myself + you. I ask questions, seek answers + challenge, to learn about you + myself in turn. Asking hard questions forces introspection.

We control our destiny in so many ways – the choices we make, the choices we don’t – what we hold onto + let go of. Every day is a new beginning. Every breath is a fresh start. I choose to move forward, to embrace life’s endless possibility, to be an example to anyone with a dream. I am grateful for all that has empowered and shaped me to get here, the good + the bad.

I’m grateful for love, honesty, friendship, family, energy, + life. Lately, I’m most grateful for laughter. I feel present in my body. I feel more forgiving, less judgemental of me. I feel wise in age but young in spirit. I’m an old soul but lately I’ve been thinking less + laughing more, staying out past bed time, eating all the carbs, making out with a stranger** and laughing until my belly hurts in between Jameson shots. (**relax Mom...even if he tasted of cigarettes + has a playboy reputation, he comes from a good family.)

Less limitation. More life.

It feels really good.

My mom is my rock. We sporadically see eye to eye but fundamentally are so much alike. She is kindhearted, curious + unknowing of her power. My dad, the warrior: bold + unyielding, selfless to a fault yet selfish to no end. He is full of sacrifice, forever focused, stubborn but so full of love, almost afraid to share it.

I am grateful for my three brothers for testing my patience + giving me strength: at age 4, Daniel taught me resilience as he wrapped me up in a blanket + told me we were going for a ride down wooden stairs. Harrison, my protector, challenged my judgment as he interviewed ex boyfriends + questioned “really Olivia? You realize that half of your offspring will be made up of his DNA,“ and carefree Baby Robert who hustles like a Canal Street handbag salesman with comparable persona to Ace Venture Pet Detective. 

I have so much love for my box + flow team for believing in my vision, trusting my decisions, pushing my limits + even making me question myself, and for every customer, willing to take a risk + try something different, in hopes that they leave with a better understanding of themselves.  I am grateful for past relationships, those that proved love + goodness exist + those that left me emotionally depleted, but taught me that even thru the most painful heartbreak, we rise again. It is often from negative experience that we grow. We must stay grounded in order to soar.

So often in gratitude, we only acknowledge the good. I am finding more ease in recognizing the things that weren’t in my favor. Experiencing negativity allows me to be grateful for all the goodness in my life. Letting go of things that weren’t meant for me has prepared me for the things that are,  for the better opportunities along my path.

 We have the answers. We just have to listen. Mostly, I am grateful for the past that has led me to my present. And I am excited for the future.