This Moment... Grasp It--See It.

I've been awash in gratitude lately.  While I've written about gratitude before, this time of year I always pause and count my blessings.  Part of that is due to Thanksgiving and all that it entails, but another part is more seasonal.  As the weather cools, the leaves change, and the holidays approach, I find my usually reflective self going even further into a state of hyper-drive, and it is almost impossible to stop my mind from running over past experiences and emotional threads.  Not that I want to.I value the past.  I view each incident, both positive and negative, as a building block.  The question for me is, what do I use them to build?I've learned a lot about building lately.  Prior to launching my book, I had never built a website, nor edited my own video, nor knew graphics, let alone any of the intricacies of the publishing world, or book promotion, or starting your own business, or--The point, though, isn't what I have learned or done.  The point is that I have chosen to do it.  I have chosen action over inaction.It would be much easier to settle in each night with a glass of wine and a Netflix movie, which I'm sure would make Russ happy, but instead I've decided to make certain sacrifices in order to see my dreams fulfilled.  While I'm uncertain as to whether that bigger dream will eventually be realized, I do know that this decision was the right one for me.This is the age of do-it-yourself everything.  Want to be a star?  Film a video and post it on YouTube.  Want to be a singer?  Record your own CD.  Want to be a writer?  Self-publish. Share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.  Use your skills and talents.  Don't wait for the world to hand you the opportunity--Create it yourself.We only have this moment.  This single, infinitesimal moment, which just passed as you read these words.And aside from my gratitude for my family and friends, this Thanksgiving I am feeling grateful for how I've chosen to use my moments, pushing myself farther than I've ever dreamed of going...  It has not been easy, but the easier choices are often the least rewarding.When I do have the opportunity to sit and reflect on what I want to do with my time, I think of that often-told Cherokee tale of a grandfather teaching his young grandson about the internal battle that each person faces."There are two wolves struggling inside each of us," the old man says. "One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, fear... The other wolf is compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, love..."The grandson sits, thinking, then asks his grandfather, "But which wolf wins?"The grandfather replies, "The one you feed."This is your moment.  Grasp it.  See it.  And make sure you feed the right wolf.http://youtu.be/UM2WJ4YC6go