Now that I think about it...

I'm thankful for you

Subscribe View in browser Image credit: Pierre-Narcisse Guérin - The Return of Marcus Sextus (Wikimedia Commons) Hey there Potty —   When you stop to think about it, life consists of big moments and small. But we don't, do we? That is, we don't stop to think about it all that often.  It's awfully easy to get caught in the struggles we have each day. Rushing to get out the door, kids to get dressed and fed, a commute from hell, back-to-back meetings, deadlines, errands, elderly parents who need checking on, a neighbor who's angry with your landscaping choice… Calgon, take me away! But what about the things that happened throughout the morning? Or over the weekend? Or while you were taking a walk? Or talking with a loved one?   "To a great mind, nothing is little." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle If you're reading this, it's likely that you've been bestowed with a number of micro-blessings in your life. How often do you reflect on that? How frequently do you consider the minutiae that make life so enriching? In his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius opens Book 1 with a list of people in his life and the things they've taught him, such as:  "My grandfather Verus: Character and self-control.  My father (from my own memories and his reputation): Integrity and maniless… Sextus: Kindness… Maximus: Self-control and resistance to distractions. Optimism in adversity - especially illness. A personality in balance: dignity and grace." Even Sherlock Holmes, that thinking machine who seemed to be all brain and no heart, understood that from time to time, it was important to the mind and soul to appreciate one's surroundings. In "The Naval Treaty," amid trying to locate the whereabouts of a missing government document, he suddenly fell into a reverie: "Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."    Simple Gifts It seems to me that we have plenty to be thankful for, if we pause for a moment and take stock in our lives. Here are a few simple pleasure in life: Falling in love  Laughing so hard your face hurts  A hot shower  No lines at the supermarket  A special glance  Getting mail  Taking a drive on a pretty road Hearing your favorite song Lying in bed listening to the rain outside  Hot towels fresh out of the dryer  A milkshake  A bubble bath  Giggling  A good conversation  The beach  Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter  Laughing at yourself Midnight phone calls that last for hours  Running through sprinklers Laughing for no reason at all  Having someone tell you that you're beautiful  Laughing at an inside joke  Friends  Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you  Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours to sleep  Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner)  Making new friends or spending time with old ones  Playing with a new puppy  Having someone play with your hair  Sweet dreams Hot chocolate  Road trips with friends  Swinging on swings  Making eye contact with a cute stranger  Making chocolate chip cookies  Having your friends send you home-made cookies  Holding hands with someone you care about Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change  Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you  Watching the sun rise (or set)  Getting out of bed every morning being grateful for another beautiful day  Knowing that someone misses you  Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply  Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think Watching your child play and hearing them laugh  Looking up at the stars on a clear night  Making a snowman  Making a sand castle  Summer thundershowers Attending a little league game, either as a player or as a parent Sleeping withe the windows open and waking up to the perfectly cool morning air  The smell of: freshly-cut grass, cookies in the oven, hot pavement after it rains, a used bookstore, and the ocean  The sound of birds chirping in the pre-dawn hours These are just a few I can put my finger on; I'm sure you can come up with many more of your own.  Every day is an opportunity to be thankful for what you're blessed with in life. While doing so, consider that not everyone has access to such simple pleasures.  Please share this, and try to create joy for people who need it in their lives. Thanks, and I'll see you on the Internet. If this is your first time here, welcome! If someone has shared this with you, please subscribe here. Share Tweet Forward I'm an executive whisperer.  I speak to communications and marketing leaders about avoiding shiny object syndrome and focusing on what matters to customers and grows your business. Bring me in to assess your team, review your strategy, and provide strategic counsel. Set up a time to talk with Scott Copyright © 2019 Scott Monty Strategies, All rights reserved. You're receiving email from me because you signed up for Scott's updates. Our mailing address is: Scott Monty Strategies 789 Buchanan St Canton, MI 48188-3427 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.