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?
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.
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
Morning reflection on how words can transform an entire day. Here I share gratitude, new possibilities, and an unexpected gift: 30 % off an astrological planning calendar.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Just today is the best day of my life. Let the words linger—how do they feel? Please share your thoughts in a comment.
Almost every day begins like this for me—with gratitude for having received yet another morning. Not everyone is given the gift of waking up. I also treasure the quiet hours in front of my screen when words slowly settle into place. That is why every morning feels like a true new beginning.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Words That Make a Difference
I used to say this sentence often to the young people I worked with. At first, they didn’t quite grasp its meaning or see how powerful it was. But after a while they would come back and say:
“Carina, you know what—today is the first day of the rest of our lives.”
Such words grow stronger in the present. They help us pause, take responsibility for the day, and create many “best days” in life.
An Email That Turned into a Gift
Yesterday I received an email from a writer I have followed for a long time. She writes for Amilia, has published several books, and sends inspiring weekly letters about the movements of the planets.
I wanted to give something back for all the texts I’ve enjoyed. So I wrote her an email explaining that I blog in Swedish and, for some months now, also in English—reaching readers around the world. I offered to include a link to her Astrological Planning Calendar 2026as a thank-you.
Her reply was warm and generous. She gave me both a link and a personal discount code to share with you.
Use Astrocalendar30 to get 30 % off when you order through the link I provide.
This collaboration brings me no payment. It is simply my gratitude flowing forward—and a way for you to start planning your year with the guidance of the stars.
About the Author of the Calendar
Fact Box Name: Helena Biehl Profession: Astrologer and author, active on Amilia and beyond. Known for: Inspiring weekly letters about planetary movements, widely read in Sweden and internationally. Latest work:Astrological Planning Calendar 2026, now also available in English.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude and Astrology
My Next Step
I haven’t started filling in the calendar yet, but I look forward to writing down key dates and planetary movements. For me, it will be another way to live each day as the first day of the rest of my life.
A Question for You
How do these words feel to you? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Share your reflections in a comment—I read every one.
AHA – Reflection
When I write about the first day of the rest of my life, I hear my own voice reminding me: now is what truly counts. I cannot change yesterday, and tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. Just today I can choose how to live—again and again. That is my AHA moment: every morning is a new starting point, no matter how simple it seems.
Between the Lines – My Voice
What shines through here is gratitude and a desire to give forward. I begin the day with words that open the heart, and when the chance came to share a gift with you, it felt natural. It says something about me: I feel most alive when my own little “thank you” can become a bridge to others.
Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now—this is where life happens. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson
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