Well, I’m on my way! I’m operating on about four hours’ sleep, but that’s part of the adventure!

The 5:50 a.m. flight departing from Prescott Regional Airport went without a hitch. It was nice to be at a small airport again, reminiscent of the days when my private pilot friend and I would fly from Islip, Long Island, NY to have dinner in Nantucket, RI; venture down to the Bahamas and explore cays that were not accessible to visitors flying commercially; and a host of other adventures (or mishaps as the case may be).

Here I now sit in Denver International Airport waiting for the next puddle jumper—well, not really—flight to my final destination, Grand Junction. There awaits a week of fun and connection with my dearest friend, Esther, and her wife. We plan to go tube kayaking on the Colorado River; meet with their numerous friends; attend a CSL Sunday service; play Mexican Train; celebrate my birthday; and, most unexpectedly, go house hunting! … which leads me to the main topic of today’s blog post: gratitude. Gratitude for how far I’ve come.

After getting a little rest on my flight from Prescott to Denver, it started registering with me where I was in the present moment. I reflected on where I was on my way to, and I was overcome with gratitude for how far I’ve come.

Aside from COVID which stopped life for two-plus years, now I can afford to travel, something I’d not been able to spend money on for a long time (and prices were lower then!). I was going to see my dearest friend, Esther, who I’ve not seen since she relocated about nine months ago; we’ve deepened our friendship via daily Whats App message conversations, and speaking weekly via Zoom/Skype for an hour. A week of fun and laughter, away from work, refreshment for my soul. I felt such gratitude for the richness of it all. And, to learn yesterday that I qualify to buy a home priced at $400K due to my once again excellent credit scores and my great income—this was unimaginable seven years ago when I was still in my own business. Esther remembers when I couldn’t afford to go out for lunch; prior to that there were even more dire circumstances, like not having a place to hang my hat.

How far I’ve come from most of the stubbornness that made me stay in my consulting business, in a business model that was not financially viable and I wouldn’t change, a detriment to my well-being even if I got to be creative, learn, meet new people, and make my own schedule. After some transformational work, I was finally open to Spirit’s guidance, that it was time to let it go and head back to the Big City (from Sedona to Phoenix), the corporate world, and work a job for steady income. I deserved to be financially prosperous and if my current way wasn’t working, then there had to be another way.

I’ve come a long way financially, but I know that it’s not just about money in a material sense. It is so about relationships, with myself, others, and Spirit. I used to live in constant fear and hence couldn’t be my whole, authentic self. Now I enjoy an inner calmness and I have more to share and give others. My heart is touched with gratitude, when I see where the journey has led me, when I see how far I’ve come. What an adventure—and it’s not over yet!

Thank You, Spirit!