The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude in Everyday Life

The first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life. This morning I woke up with that thought. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
That thought was the very first thing that landed in me when I opened my eyes. Before I got out of bed, I felt gratitude for receiving yet another new morning to wake up in. One more day here in life – isn’t that fantastic?

Read this in Swedish ->Första dagen på resten av mitt liv – tacksamhet i vardagen

I got up. The cat was sleeping so deeply that I had to wake him. The coffee was already ready. I lit a candle in the kitchen even though I sat down in the living room. There is something about lighting a candle that gives the morning an extra calm. Maybe someone else wakes up and is met by that light. Maybe I myself, when I go to refill my coffee cup, am met by that little warmth.

A Day with Pain – But Also with Gratitude in Everyday Life

My neck still hurts, and now I also feel it over my left eye. But with Ipren, Alvedon and some tiger balm, I get a few hours of relief.

Yesterday turned out still, but in a new way. After two days in bed, it was wonderful to get going again and feel the scent of home and food. I cleaned the kitchen, cooked the meal, and let that be enough as physical work.

The Smell of Meat Patties and the Joy of Cooking

When I stood there frying my meat patties – and there were many – the whole kitchen smelled wonderful. I was careful to save the pan juices to make a really good sauce.

Yesterday I tried frying the onion before mixing it into the minced meat, but as I already knew, that’s not my thing. It has to be raw, grated onion to give the real flavor. Now I reminded myself once again. This time made it clear to me: raw onion is what I want in the mixture.

This time I also mixed in rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs. It made the meat patties extra juicy. I built up the sauce with the pan juices – and it tasted delicious.

Big Thoughts in the Small Things

Already in bed, the thought of gratitude started living in me. I felt joy that the room was warm. Gratitude for the geothermal heating that gives both warmth and hot water. Imagine that someone figured out a machine that can pull heat from a mountain!

Just being able to turn on a tap and get drinkable water is actually huge. A hundred years ago, people had to go outside and fetch water, no matter how cold it was. When I stay in that thought, I am filled with peace. Such thoughts can lift an entire day.

Like yesterday, when the little one didn’t have time to wipe the table before school. Instead of irritation, I only felt joy that he had eaten breakfast.
It really feels like the first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life makes the difference.

A Longing Made New – Maybe a Swim?

I have missed my new-old habit of bathing in the lake. I miss my bathing sisters, our little laughs, and that calm that always settles afterward.
Maybe today I will dare to try again. Maybe a swim can make the pain go away, or maybe it will make it worse. But then I will know.

Just the thought of a dip gives my body a kind of new energy, as if the lake is already calling me.
Read here how I once again picked up my morning swims -> An Early Morning Swim Filled with Gratitude

Taking Care of My Thoughts – An Old Habit Returned

It feels like I have taken back an old, important habit. I have once again started taking greater responsibility for how I handle my thoughts and how I choose my feelings.
Maybe I’ve been doing it for a long time without thinking about it, but right now I am clearer, more active. I notice how I consciously replace thoughts that don’t bring joy and how I hold on to the ones that carry me.

Because here lies the gain. I can choose – choose whether I want to live in happy feelings or in unhappy ones.
Just writing the words gives me a wonderful feeling, because I have a choice. An important choice.
And I choose happiness.

This makes me live more and more often in the feeling of well-being – despite the pain and despite the longing for my son and the little grandchildren.

A Little Star for Planning

I also want to recommend the astrological planning calendar I mentioned earlier. It will follow me through the coming year – as a compass for thoughts and small moments of reflection.

The planning calendar based on the stars applies for next year.
If you buy it via this link, you get a 30 % discount. Use the discount code Astrocalendar30.

Astrological Year Calendar. The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude in Everyday Life.

This is not an affiliate link. I earn nothing from sharing it, but just want to recommend it because I myself find the calendar interesting. The discount code gives you 30 % off if you want to try it. My thought is that the calendar will eventually help me plan breaks and choose thoughts and self-love more consciously. This may not be the author’s idea – but that’s how I plan to use the one I bought.

Between the Lines – AHA Mirror

This post is not only about meat patties and gratitude.
It reflects a conscious choice to live here and now:
that every cup of coffee, every smell of food, and every little thought can become a place of joy – despite pain, longing, and the days that cannot be changed.

And in the stillness there is also the courage to try again – maybe a cold swim that awakens body and soul.

What it says about me as a writer:
Presence. Care. Creativity in everyday life. An inner strength that dares to try and keeps choosing joy.

Questions for You as a Reader

What fills your mornings with gratitude?
Do you have a little everyday miracle – a scent, a routine – that carries you through the day?
When was the last time a small thought changed your entire day?
What would a cold morning swim give you right now?

Reflection

The simple things are often the greatest. A candle in the kitchen, the smell of fried meat patties, running water, a cycling joy in the evening light – and maybe a morning swim. That’s where gratitude lives, in the quiet miracles that make a day worth living.

The first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life makes me choose happiness every day.

Yesterday has already settled into history, where I chose happiness. Tomorrow awaits further ahead. But right now, I can choose to live in happiness – because this is where life happens.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson