Gratitude and Glory

Sometimes, gratitude takes a while to set in. It's almost as if, the synaptic vehicle of our lives is delayed, taking us months or even years to awake to the glory that's been showering down all around us.

A few years ago – and I've written about this experience on several occasions – I visualized my dream life. In my vision, I was sitting under a tropical cabana, typing away from my laptop in sunshine and solitude. I felt authentic, creative, affluent and free. My online brand was thriving and I spent my days wild eyed and barefoot, writing and designing magic on a screen in my yoga pants (or better yet, no pants).

This is my life dream, you guys.

Some people wish for infinity pools, world travel, full pockets and true love. Those are all wonderful things, and trust me, I wouldn't kick 'em out of bed. But my dream life starts with the simple vision above, and nothing more. Tropical surroundings, laptop magic, no pants.

Almost a year ago, I moved into the tiniest little beach shack. 300 sq ft of pure paradise. My weekly routine consists of the beach, sunrise island runs, yoga, paddleboarding and epic crashes on my longboard. Life is simple, bright and massively blissful. I own a hammock, a family of potted plants, several yoga mats and a shelf topped with my favorite books. I've worked from home for three years but recently and miraculously, I've manifested a work schedule with no – meaning, zeeero – meetings or phone calls. I mean, c'mon. It's a win, win, big-freaking-win all around.

I'm not sure when it hit me, but I woke up one day, and like a thump on the head I had a grand realization: this is my beautiful life. Holy shit, I've arrived. (Cue heavenly crescendo.)

Of course, the journey is never over. There's no real destination (besides Costa Rica, drool). The point is, I hit a milestone without realizing it for months or even years later. Instead of taking a fucking breath and soaking it all in like I am now, I plunged through a series of self induced meltdowns at full force, caused by the idea that I wasn't further along than I "should" be. As Marie Forleo says, let's stop "shoulding" on ourselves.

Sometimes, gratitude takes a while to set in. And that's okay. Maybe it couldn't have happened any other way. But, if you're one of the nose divers, like me, anxious to get to the next level, and then the next, and then the next, without pausing in between, you're going to stumble all over yourself in one great big human body pile. I'm here to remind you to relax, amigo. You're here. Right where you need to be.

Now, it's your turn. Take a look around you. Maybe you're not surrounded by coconuts and lizards and the occasional rooster call, but invent your own version of paradise. Visualize your dream life. Not in five years or ten years or when you retire, but present day. Who are you surrounded by? What are your passions? What do you get excited to wake up for each day?

I betcha, you're closer than you think. In fact, I know you are.

We're not so different. We agonize over the little things. We get down on ourselves when things don't work out. We look in the mirror and sometimes, we see failure. We're control freaks, and it kills us when life doesn't go according to plan (and it never does). Then, like a pin prick, we deflate. Sweet release. In the blink of an eye, it all comes together. We stop in our tracks and drop our jaws at the awe inspiring rapture that life actually is, when we choose a different lens.

We create our own magic, y'all. That's a damn fact. Gratitude = glory. Make your life glorious.