Inspiration & Motivation

Remember Your Blessings

Matt Orlando
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There are times in my life when I get frustrated with things not going my way. I let myself become stressed by trivial things. I brood, I pout, I retreat into myself and shut others out. I let myself only see the negative, living under a dark cloud that is of my own making. Sometimes just pulling myself out of bed in the morning takes an incredible effort. I can let depression pull me under and spiral out of control.

Then there are moments, rare but special, where I remember how truly blessed I am in life. I am married to a beautiful, smart, amazing woman who beyond all reason loves me just the same. I have an incredible, smart, funny and energetic son who just lights up my life. We have a roof over our head, food in our stomach, and clothes on our back. I drive my car, with over 180K miles and stories to last a lifetime, to my job each morning which provides the money and insurance to keep my family secure. We have health and happiness and more blessings (both small and big) than any one of us truly deserves.

In these moments I also remember the beauty I have been blessed to see in this world. I have explored inside the pyramids at Giza and sailed up the Nile river. I have hiked the Andes mountains to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu. I have swum with sea lions and have seen blue footed Boobies in the Galapagos Islands. I have experienced the peaceful feeling of exploring the temples of Angkor Wat at sunrise. I have shared a Sunday morning church service with locals in Fiji and snorkeled in the South Pacific. I have spent time with travel companions watching the sunset over a valley in Vietnam. I have swum on a secluded beach in Costa Rica, with monkeys dancing in the trees above and the love of my life by my side.

Sometimes I get frustrated with my life, that things are not going as I planned. But on those rare occasions, when I am lucky, I remember the beauty I have seen and the beautiful things I have yet to see and realize how truly blessed I really am.

So the next time you are feeling stressed by the small or even big things in your life, remember to take time to ponder all the good you have seen and all the good you have done, and remember that despite it all, this too shall pass and there are still many beautiful things in your life that are yet to come.

What can you count as your blessings? Share in the comments below!