Nearly every weekday at lunch time, I take a 2.5 km walk up to a bench near Caitloch. The bench (pictured above) says to “rest and be thankful.” I made it a routine to rest on the bench (unless it’s wet) and think of three things that make me thankful. It helps me to refocus on the positive and gives me a boost for my return trip and the rest of the day.
I try to make the three thankful things something different every day. This way I’m not just thankful for the cliche things you normally hear at a Thanksgiving dinner. I focus on the first thing that comes to mind. It’s harder when you’re having a tough day. The day we had to put one of our cat’s to sleep, I was thankful for the 13 years we had together and that this was a peaceful end.
I announce the things that make me thankful out loud. There aren’t any people around to wonder if I’m crazy. But, the sheep behind me always seem interested. Maybe I am crazy. đŸ˜‰
Today, I am thankful for….
- Living in Scotland – this is the 5th country that I’ve lived in (counting my home country in the US and considering Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a country). Not everyone gets to live or even travel outside of their home country. It’s a beautiful place with friendly people.
2. Current work situation – I’m starting a new job with a different company on Monday. I’m fortunate because I left a job that I really enjoyed, but am moving to a job that tics more of the boxes for the type of work that I enjoy. I took a week off between companies to rest and be thankful.
3. Health and happiness – we are so lucky that there’s a highly effective COVID vaccine. I’m happy that I didn’t get the coronavirus and that I’m fully vaccinated. It’s great that Scotland takes the pandemic seriously and that people are getting vaccinated and following healthcare guidelines.
I really enjoy this routine. Obviously, it’s great for me mentally and physically. Not sure what I will do when the weather gets bad. Maybe I can put my wellies to good use.
Scott in Scotland 