I heard someone say something earlier tonight that stuck with me.

“Last year was the best year of my life—but I can’t tell you one good thing that happened.”

That’s some deep stuff.

What I take from that is how I not only aspire for great things to be a part of and to accomplish for myself, but even above all that, I want to be able to acknowledge what I already have. Where I’ve come from. How I’ve grown. How I’ve changed and evolved.

I want to be able to look at hard times in the face, and even with teary eyes, acknowledge that this used to be the moment I’d have run away. Or pushed back. Or self-destructed. But not today. And instead, realize that today I even have the ability to sit in whatever pain or uncomfortability. And to realize that this too is part of life. This too is part of my growth, and months or years from now will be experience and strength that I can share with others who are hurting too.

And perhaps even more challenging, is I want to be able to look at the good in my life, and really feel it. Really soak in the beauty and gratitude and the “enoughness” of all that’s here.

Many people have written about one of the biggest stumbling blocks to gratitude being this myth that it causes complacency and the lack of striving for anything different or better in one’s life.

This doesn’t need to be the case, though. And I’d say it’s actually dangerous to have that mindset. Plenty of uber-successful people have killed themselves after achieving everything but not feeling that gratitude on a deeper level.

Instead, I aim to have a sense of peace “with or without” and to be able to graciously welcome and strive for the good things in my life too. And with that, to also be able to graciously say “Thank you” and “Goodbye” when it’s time for those seasons to change.

Life’s an ocean, baby! I’m just a little boat sailing along with the waves!