I am finally able to get up, walk around, and type. It had been absolute hell for 4 days from last week. I was diagnosed with pneumonia, a harsh illness that is an infection that inflames the air sacs of the lungs. The air sacs are usually filled with bacteria or fluids. Being this sick made me even more grateful for every day because this was one of the harshest illnesses I’ve gone through.
“The hours would go by so fast. I blocked out the sunlight from my head. I forgot about nature existing out there.”
When I was sick, I was aching in severe pain ranging from fevers, chills, muscle weakness, coughing that hurt, headaches, and a fast heart rate that left me paranoid of dying from heart failure or organ failure. I was over it and I can explain those days to a T.
I remember laying all day stuck to my bed. The hours would go by so fast. I blocked out the sunlight from my head. I forgot about nature existing out there. I was just thinking if my death was near or coming anytime. I thought about the 50,000 people in The United States who do pass away from pneumonia every year. I was maybe a month late from knowing about this sickness of mine because I had flu-like symptoms since last month starting with a sore throat and I wouldn’t heal for so long. My family and friends were concerned.
And so, it all hit me. As I cried through all my aching pain, I came to realize even more so life is so damn short. People who know me know I always mention this because it is true. I wanted to see daylight again. I wanted to be able to have the strength again. I could not be strapped to my bed when I wanted to get up and be fit again to enjoy the outdoors and just live the life I deserved as anyone does. I wanted to write again.
“Open up your eyes on how precious life is and should be.”
I want to be your reminder that no matter what the struggle is, please do not wait till something bad to open up your eyes on how precious life is and should be. Be grateful now and let blessings flow, always.
Take advantage of what there is to: the nature that’s always been waiting for your footsteps and for you to witness sights beyond your greatest imagination, the love that’s been so patient and kind, the way your parents check up on you and want the best for you and to understand that to the fullest, the friends who will always stand by you and your decisions and forgive you for your mistakes, the way life moves so drastic that you will be shocked on how it can be a 360 change but it’s there to help you figure out “it’s your time”, and the oxygen you breathe.
I’ve been there.
I remember when I would take many things for granted. I was miserable many times and hated life because I was so blinded by my struggles. It seemed to suck so much that I cried a lot asking God, “please stop putting me through all this”. I learned that you need to stop feeling bad for yourself all the time. And no, I won’t tell you to suck it up because that’s the worst advice everrr. Opening yourself up and letting those all move through you as a wave will help you feel better later on as my therapist taught me.
And then, you will get up again. You will see clearer and you will understand what to do next in this life because God made all of his children to be strong warriors.
Do good to be more grateful.
A few days ago as I was attending my friends’ Mormon church service and for as long as I had battled anxiety, I would have never thought I would do this: I walked up to the podium and spoke about my testimony and story to over 50 people sitting in that room.
I talked about coming to live in Arizona with no absolute plan and my struggles before this move: being in a toxic and abusive relationship for 3 years, struggling with anxiety, feeling like I had little to no direction that I wanted for my career life from being unemployed when I moved, and just dealing with so much demons.
It wasn’t until I met some friends in this Mormon community that allowed me to join their community that opened their arms up to me and accepted and loved me. It wasn’t until I found a healthy outlet and passion like solo hiking. It wasn’t until I addressed my issues. It wasn’t until I opened up that friendship with God again and re-connecting with him after losing a touch with religion back home. And after, I explained when I got sick twice from hiking accidents, I felt that setback rush back to me. But when I healed, I was finally back to feeling even more grateful and remembered to always keep God by my side because he knows that when you do good and you practice gratitude, blessings will flow. I promise you that.
And gosh, it felt great to share my story. A lot of people came up to me thanking me for sharing my inspiring story. I felt like a lot of people can relate in some way, even if those details do not exactly fit their life situations. I want to help people through my words and work like this blog and helping businesses on the side. My mission is to always move someone somehow. I even hope my positive attitude can inspire people to see that bright daylight I longed for as I mentioned before.
Being grateful every day will change the way you see life. You have to always believe there is at least one thing to look forward to or to be happy for every day. It takes practice to manifest those positive thoughts, especially when bad things cloud your mind like being sick. But just like learning to ride a bike, you will get it and it will become easier to feel it.
Along with practicing gratitude, try to discover what your purpose is in this life and try to do a damn good job at it. I have faith you will. Your purpose will add meaning to your life furthermore than blessings.
I’m ready to take on this journey of gratefulness further. I hope you will too.
As a little announcement, I was asked to be an ambassador for the hiking community called Hike Like A Woman and I, of course, took the offer! As an ambassador, I get to represent the outdoors in hiking and other outdoor recreation through creating content in their social media channels, contributing blog posts, and more. With 40,000+ followers in their community, I am so grateful for this opportunity to be able to make more of a difference in people’s lives. I believe everyone can have a quality way of living and it can start from re-connecting your mind, body, and soul through an outdoor sport. Mine is of course hiking.
Part of being grateful in this life really is understanding your purpose. I hope everyone who is reading this will get to this journey of being grateful for every day. It starts with you. ️
