Over the last week, I was on vacation with my family – experiencing my very first week as a member of the 45-year-old club. Through it all, I can’t help but think just how lucky I am – and how lucky I’ve been throughout my life.

Sure, there have been ups and downs, but the overwhelming feeling that permeates my thoughts are those of gratitude.

Why it takes vacation or time away to realize that, I don’t know. Maybe it’s having time and space to be able to reflect or being outside of my normal routine that allows me to see so clearly.

I’ll confess that being in the moment has never been my strong suit. But what I can say is that this time away has really helped me to appreciate my life and the people in it – even more than most.

Why am I sharing this?

Look, we all get “stuck” sometimes. It’s inevitable, whether we hit a rut in business, with our spouses, our fitness, or finances. And when we get stuck in these ruts, it starts to feel like you’re a mile underwater. We’re not entirely sure how to swim to the surface, and sometimes even lose sight of which direction the sunlight is coming from.

Rarely are things going extremely well in every aspect of our lives, so we usually have an area that lags, is neglected or out of balance. Even creating a little momentum to turn things around is painstaking during those times. But that all begins with our mindset and belief – not a change in our eternal circumstances.

Personally, I’ve found it challenging when that happens to take time away to reflect and see the big picture. Being in a state of gratitude puts things in perspective, allowing us to feel “I can grind through this” or “this, too, shall pass.”

But why grind? Life is not about grinding – it’s about flow when you’re aligned right. Certainly, there will always be challenging times and disappointment, but life should be, at its essence, a celebration of joy – not a grind.

So, I wanted to write down these thoughts to help me access them later, to memorialize the process of becoming emancipated from my negative ruts just by a shift in mindset…and it all starts with sitting in gratitude.

Maybe these words will help even one other person do the same?

‘Lesson learned for me…… it’s always darkest before the dawn, and we just have to take the time and separate ourselves from the routine, focusing on creating space so the light can come back in and illuminate our lives.

I’m certainly feeling the light – and feeling the love – this week and wanted to thank all of you for being a big part of that.

-J.D.