My first thought this morning, even before opening my eyes was, “I’m tired, I

don’t want to get out of this bed.” That first thought led to the next, “Owww, my

neck hurts…what the hell time is it anyway!? I’m still tired.” Not exactly the dialog

I wanted to have to begin my day, even if it was only with myself. This has

happened before and I wasn’t about to let it happen again. My negative thoughts

conspire with one another and it’s always a prelude to a challenging day devoid of

gratitude and warmth. Rhonda Byrne wrote that before getting out of bed I need

to think of things for which I am grateful. She wrote that when one foot hits the

floor I should say, “Thank” and when the other foot follows I should say, “You”. I

admit it sounded pretty ridiculous, but when I tried it I can honestly say that it

works. Thank-you! That I have this brand new day to fill with wonder and lovely

sights and smells. Thank-you! That I am warm and happy and that I have this

delicious hot cup of cinnamon coffee that reminds me of my grandma’s cinnamon

rolls when I was just a little girl. Thank-you! That when I look out of windows of my

home I see the houses of the most wonderful people on this planet! Our friends

live all around us. I love them with all of my heart…every single one of them.

Thank-you! That today I will be in my glass studio and I’ll be teaching brand new

students to create their own glass art and by the end of the day, they will be new

friends. Thank-you! I am healthy, my husband is healthy, our children and their

children are healthy.

If my first thoughts of the only November 22, 2020 that I’ll ever have had been left

unchallenged I would have started it off with grumpy, complaining, and unhappy

feelings and thoughts. We all know that leads to more of the same. I’m not

wasting one day. I pulled my feet back up from the floor and tucked them under

my sheet and began anew. My new thoughts came. I am so grateful to have this

day. I am so excited to see what it will hold. Thank-you for my life and for my

chance to start it over again. Today, thoughts of my son and his family will keep

me smiling and exited because they are coming to visit soon. I’ll be playing with

wooden trains and coloring on the pages of my very own grandson’s memories.

It’s so much more than I ever imagined. My hearts feels so full as I write this. I

wanted to share this with you. It’s magic, really, how we can create our lives, one

day at a time, with intention and purpose. Today, I intend to remember that

having a great day begins with great thoughts and acts. I’m ready! Are you?