What I'm Thankful For This Year

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share some things for which I'm grateful that have happened in 2013. It's been an interesting year of wonderful surprises and unexpected challenges. Here are just a few that come to mind:

I'm thankful for ...

• My parents -- for their continued support and encouragement, and for their sheer presence at this stage in our lives 

• My friends -- both my "golden oldies" who are always there for me, and my new-found acquaintances and colleagues

• My journey to becoming a runner -- both my Couch-to-5K training and my first race taught me so much about extending beyond my (perceived) physical limitations. I'll never forget the jitters I had while riding on the F train to Coney Island to run my first full "Turkey Trot" 5K in 20-degree weather, and how my fingers were freezing while waiting for the race to begin. Nor the doubts I overcame even while jumping up and down to stay warm waiting on the boardwalk! My finish time now gives me a goal to achieve in 2014 -- running under a 10-minute mile!

Pre-Race: Coney Island Sports Fdn Turkey Trot 5K

• My trip "down under" to Australia -- not only because of the miracle of traveling to the other side of the world (I will never forget the landing in Sydney, AU) but because of the internal/external work that was involved in me getting there. There was no guarantee that I'd be going on the trip -- I had to push beyond my (perceived) professional limitations to sell enough registrations and attract enough mentors, sponsors for the event to be viable, before my ticket was even purchased! 

Sydney Opera House: Sydney, AU

This year's "1-Word" for me to operate by was SURRENDER. I believe I'm still learning and internalizing the definition of that word: "trusting that God, the Universe, or a higher intelligence can accomplish anything, even when you can’t foresee the outcome of a situation." -- Deepak Chopra

At some of my lowest or scariest moments this year, I've been able to surrender to the higher intelligence even when I didn't know how things would turn out. Often, it's been that I've realized after my experience that my perseverance is in itself a form of surrender -- a sustained focus on my intentions, with trust that things will turn out for the best (on a larger, universal level). 

I'm learning to be grateful for ALL of my experiences because of the lessons they teach me. It really isn't about the destination, but about the journey. So, on this recognized day of Gratitude, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Would love to know what YOU are thankful/grateful for? Tweet me or share in the comments below.