Gratitude

​Sometimes, I stumble upon these quirks about myself – you know, those thoughts, behaviors, and the stories we tell ourselves that just make you chuckle.

Now, here's something I've been thinking about today: the art of being truly grateful. 
It's funny how I struggle with it. Today, after what I can only describe as a "perfect day," I found hard to be happy and grateful about it.
It occoured to me that I associate gratitude with weakness in some strange way. Like, if I acknowledge and genuinely appreciate something I've contributed to or been lucky enough to receive, it might somehow sap my strength or desire to keep pushing for improvement. It's almost like I've convinced myself that these two things are mutually exclusive.

What's truly incompatible with my struggle to embrace gratitude as an emotion, is the pure joy and appreciation of my days. 
I'm still putting in the hard work in everything I do because there is no other way, and if anything, being grateful can be the reward for all that effort.

I've got a pretty good idea where this mindset comes from, and this little revelation is helping me unwrap it.

My running journey has already been a transformative force in my life, shaping me for the better. Maybe it's time to embark on a new chapter – a "gratitude running meditation practice" – and see where it takes me.