#reverb10 - December 14 Appreciate

Prompt:  What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

(Author: Victoria Klein)

We have to be vigilent in our day to day lives to not miss opportunities that present themselves to us.  They are everywhere.  Sometimes though, they are disguised as something that is frustrating or overwhelming.  Other times, they are downright distasteful.  This year, I have tried very hard to embrace the opportunities that are offered to me.  I'm not adverse to change but like most humans, I like knowing who I am and where I'm going. When I was a kid,  I hated coloring outside the lines and would often reject a picture I was working on because I used the wrong color in the wrong place or got outside the lines.  My mother is an artist.  Her work is very meticulous and precise.  She taught me early about color choices and shading.  Yes, shading with my box of 64 crayons. Coloring brought me great pleasure but I was definitely a conformist.  I didn't like when my friends would use the wrong color in my coloring books.  Trees were green, not blue, the sun was yellow, not orange.   

Is this what molded me into someone who doesn't embrace an idea or opportunity that seems outside the lines?  I think I have spent a bit too much time worrying about what I think other people think I should be doing or saying.  And along the way, I missed a number of opportunties.   Recently, I have been working on saying "no" more often in an attempt to make my life more managable.  But I have also been saying "yes" more often.  Yes, to something new or different.  For the most part, it has worked out pretty well. 

As a result, I have become much more aware and thankful for the many opportunities I have.  I think the best way to show gratitude for an opportunity is to take it.  What have you got to lose?  It may be a risk, but if you're successful, the result can be pretty wonderful.   

I am very grateful for the ability to make my own decisions and seize an opportunity when it presents itself.  It makes a world of difference in my outlook on life.