The other day my husband and I were having a conversation about our future. I told him what I was wanting, what vision I had for our family, and he responded with, “see, I try to be grateful for what we have.” I immediately stopped talking, feeling guilt for what I envisioned for moving forward. Let me say this, I HAVE THE BEST HUSBAND! He is amazingly supportive. His response might have been out of feeling pressure to create the hopes I have. I was not asking him to wave a magic wand and give me all my hopes and dreams, yet I think he might have heard it that way. Yet, I felt extreme shame when he said that one sentence. I thought, “wait a second, it’s not that I’m not grateful for the life we have, but can’t I have the chance to dream about where we might be in 5 years?” As we talked, we discovered that it’s possible to cast a vision and be happy with the life you have, all at the same time.
How do you do this?
1) Recognize that setting goals does not mean you’re ungrateful. It means you’ve been given desires for how you can flourish and be the best version of yourself while in this world. We can love our current situation, yet feel an internal shift. We might know deep down inside that new things are on the horizon. We can be grateful for everything and everyone in our life all while dreaming about new things to come!
2) Talk through or journal all the things you ARE grateful for in your current situation. Don’t miss the gifts of today by thinking only about the future. Talk over with a loved one what you are grateful in your present day situation. You can also journal. It changes your mindset. Instead of feeling stuck, it might help you see the good you’re experiencing now while casting a vision for what you want down the road.
3) Be in the moment. This goes with number 2. I said this to Alan when we were talking, “I don’t want to be so focused on where we are going that I miss what is in front of us now.” In our lives we have amazing jobs, and 7 month old, and a cozy home. We've got it going on! We are so blessed. So we set the intention to notice things: to notice how Marley changes every single day, to be intentional about our time together, to savor each moment just a little bit more.
If you bring a thankful mindset to your current situation there will be a new sense of freedom to create something new. We are made to flourish and live a life that fits our personalities. I hope in this next year you can step into all the new opportunities that come your way!
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