Living is our thank you note for life

​My calendar was full this week. As full as its been in a long time. In fact, there were some dizzying moments when I wondered if maybe I should step into a quiet room and practice saying the word 'no.'

No.

No.

No.

But then I would be reminded of the reasons I said yes to every packed moment. Because the reality is, I HAVE gotten good at saying no to life. I have gotten good at saying no to things that rob me of chances to say yes to things that help breathe life into me and hopefully life into the world.

That being said, narrowing your life as much as possible to meaning and purpose doesn't make life any less exhausting. In fact, often - because you have found a way to narrow your life to things that draw on your passion and emotion - it can be MORE exhausting.

Feelings are exhausting.

But beautiful.

Which is why I reminded myself often this week that every breath we get comes with an implied question: what will you make of me?

Our answer is the greatest opportunity we have to give thanks for our every breath. It's our chance to go deeper and add more meaning to the always generic 'thank God I'm alive.'

Because alive doesn't always mean living. I've been there.

Because alive doesn't always mean expanding the meaning of alive.

Because alive doesn't always mean making someone else feel grateful for their own alive.

Alive is a breath.

Living is how we say thank you to that breath.

Maybe you calendar gets full. That's always something to look at it. But sometimes, especially times when the calendar feels a little more packed than usual, it might prove helpful to look at that calendar as one big thank you note.

And let out a great big thank you breath.