Caught in the Act

Spring has sprung here in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. People are slowly shedding their winter coats, hats, boots and gloves for t-shirts, flip flops and hoodies! In my world this means yard work and lake time! I am sitting right now, happily typing away at the cottage. Never mind that I am wearing heavy sweats, a fleece shirt, and wool socks. I am also wrapped up tight in a heated blanket. But trust me, spring is here!

This is my second overnight this month at the lake and I am looking forward to Cottage Clean Up Weekend with Child #3 and her honey in another couple of weeks. Being at the lake puts me squarely in my happy place. I caught myself speaking out loud this afternoon the word “blessed”. That is all, just “blessed”. At the time, I was standing in the kitchen, looking out the window at the lake and the hillside. After dinner, I took a quick 15 minute kayak ride and caught myself whispering “grateful”.

It dawned on me that being here, in this place brings out the best in me. It brings out a side of me that I don’t see often enough. I like when I catch myself in the act of being grateful, acknowledging feeling blessed. I think it is important to not only acknowledge this feeling but to reinforce myself. To encourage myself to feel this way more often. To embrace the feeling and share it with others. It is important to not quarantine gratitude!

Number 9 and his wife like to say to each other “who eats better than us,” after enjoying a yummy meal. My honey and I totally stole this saying from them and it is our way of expressing gratitude for a delicious, home cooked meal and for each others good company.

I caught myself the other day stopping in the middle of a yard work job to check out the view. It really wasn’t a special view but the colors of the trees, sky and hill were shimmering. It reminded me of wearing sunglasses that make everything look yellowy green. I caught myself simply stopping what I was doing to notice the view and to say “wow”!

Do you catch yourself in the act of being grateful? Do you catch yourself feeling blessed? Do you see nature in all of her glory and really see what she has to offer? I sure hope so or everyone reading this is going to think Lake Girl is off of her rocker! Seriously – Do You?

When you catch yourself in the act, reinforce yourself with a “way to go”! Pay attention to where you are and who you are spending time with. Then do everything in your power to get back to that place often. To spend more time with those people. Feelings of gratitude and being blessed should not be bottled up but shared with all. Feel free to share in the comment section!

We live in a stressful world and in a stressful time. We are all so busy that we don’t often get the opportunity to put our feet up, relax and do nothing. When I am at the lake, I get that chance to do nothing. I have ample opportunity to close my eyes, let go of the tension in my body and let my mind stop obsessing over whatever it has been fixated on.

In the past, I was not someone who knew how to relax, to let go. I would shut my eyes to take a little quiet time and within minutes I would jump up and start frantically cleaning my home. My mind was a scary place and my thoughts were negative and self-berating. Cleaning allowed me to escape my thoughts and focus on something I could control. One of the best things I have done for myself was to stick to my daily ritual of quiet time every morning. I still have to work at it but I definitely reap the benefits.

Over the last several years, I have also dramatically increased the amount of time I spend outdoors, active and inactive in nature. It is easier for me to forget about my troubles when surrounded by Mother Nature than when sitting on the couch. It is easier to silence the devil and the angel that perch on my shoulder when soaking up the sunshine versus being a couch potato. Learning to get outside of one’s head is good medicine for improved mental health!

By learning to let go of stress, frustration and anger; we allow gratitude the opportunity to spread its wings. By stepping outside of our comfort zone we allow for new experiences that can change our lives. It is an incredible feeling to catch yourself in the act of being grateful! When you do, acknowledge it, appreciate it and share the love with everyone who crosses your path!

Paddle on,

Lake Girl