ThanksFORgiving

In life there are many things we should to be thankful for - a supporting and loving family, honest and caring friends, health with our pulse going up and down so we never forget we have a beating heart. And this is only the beginning where we start saying our thanks.

With every day that passes by I find myself becoming more & more amazed by the differences that define us. It leaves me with one thing I am enormously grateful for - I get to do both, to give and take. To share. To grow.

When we decide to fly into the unknown it seems hard to imagine we could find a place that will fit us perfect. It is not the gain we are looking forward to. It is the loss our mind and heart are focused on.

I always say our happiness is a matter of perspective. 

And here is how I define happiness and what I am thankful for - linked to my first American Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for friends who make my winter warmer, a little brighter 

& longer in all the right ways;

For the smiles that came my way, either from good wine or an inspiring book or both. 

They were contagious;

For the details which transformed ordinary into extraordinary & turned me into a storyteller;

For the limes & the ice - to make the best cocktails, all you need is what you have;

For the new & the courage to try;

For food - it keeps pushing us over the edges and testing our limits;    

For playfulness and being fully present in the moment. 

Here's to taking pictures because, 

"Nobody takes a picture of something they want to forget." ~ Robin Williams; 

Happiness dwells in spontaneous decisions ...

... & appreciated views.

Happiness is seeing the beauty of a place ...  

... through the sparkle in others' eyes;

& knowing that what makes the trip unforgettable is the people you share it with;

Happiness is not only the things we see ... 

... or the places in this world we simply have to go. So we go;

... or things we just have to try. So we do;

Happiness follows the decisions we take that make us happy ...

... & along the way we join those who share the same joy ...

... & build meaningful relationships we are thankful for;

It is us who are responsible for finding what is it that makes us happy & acknowledging the things we are grateful for.

My advice for happiness goes only this far - dare to be honest & "loud"...

... give things names - #Mr.Baltimore, put emotions into words ...

& you will see it for yourself that by writing things down or saying things out loud you can gain more clarity & become better tuned with your inner self. 

Walking the talk ...

I am - in the end - thankful for all the roads that take me to places I find hard saying goodbye to ...

... and for people to whom I can gratefully say: "ThanksFORgiving".