Gratitude. It’s what’s for breakfast.
I don’t always jump out of bed with a happy smile on my face. Some mornings I don’t even want to roll out and frown. I have my share of days when I dread getting out of bed, and sometimes I even dread the thought of running.
But one of the things I love about running is the remarkable way it transforms my attitude, usually from cranky to grateful. Most morning runs are like that. My time outside results in more than the physical benefits I get from running. Running shows me gratitude.
By the end of my run, I usually have a mental picture of all the things I am grateful for. Some of them look like this:
G od. For making me. Able.
R obert, my boyfriend.
A ll my family and friends. Even the cranky ones.
T oday, because it’s all I have for certain.
I ce cream.
T omorrow, because with it comes promise and hope.
U rsa Minor. Or pretty much any constellation.
D ogs. Mine: Smaug and Queequeg.
E ars to hear. Eyes to see.
Does running do the same thing for you? What are you grateful for?
More Than Running... 
I am so glad I’m reading this….I have this wave of gratitude over me today. Running sure makes my heart happy.
I am grateful for my dad- healthy, happy and strong. Even more so that I can fulfill one of my biggest desires…to take care of him after all he has done for my siblings and I.
Grateful for family and friends…grateful for blogging and the new life it has given me…
Grateful for posts like this that connects with my state of mind
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boomiebol
August 31, 2012
Sounds like you were already having a “grate” day. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
I could add to this list all day. I try to do that, especially on cranky days, to be aware of all the wonderful things in my life.
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MinkaM
August 31, 2012
I’m going to start doing this every single day – make a conscious decision to think about the things for which I am grateful. It is, unfortunately, so easy to take things for granted.
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Jill
August 31, 2012
It is. And you’re right–it’s a conscious decision, which means we can always choose.
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MinkaM
August 31, 2012