The Miracle of Walking

Every step you take is an opportunity to feel gratitude…

It’s the Friday January 31st and it’s a little less than a week before I get hip surgery. I’m honestly a bit terrified about being on crutches for 4 weeks, a hip brace for 6 weeks, and then needing to do it all again for my second surgery. It’s easy for my mind to start imagining all the worst hypothetical scenarios, but then I stop. Thank God for 2+ years of therapy and having a naturally optimistic mindset.

I close my eyes and I let myself breathe in deeply and feel the world around me. I wiggle my toes, sense the ground, and let my legs carry me forward. I’m walking back home from my health screen to clear me for my surgery and it’s frigid. I hate the cold weather, but in that moment I just felt so alive. I smiled and said to myself, enjoy every moment you have with your two strong legs.

I thought of dad and how his congenital heart defect kept him from being able to experience the world as freely as I do now. I brought myself back from the brink of falling apart, by remembering his optimistic mindset. Surgery is terrifying, but I know I’ll be great after it.

Moral of the story: When you’re feeling completely down and overwhelmed, just focus on feeling gratitude for the tiniest of things. The things we take for granted are a miracle to others. The moment you realize that, you start appreciating the things you have and taking control of the world in the ways you can.

Thanks for reading and I hope you can take a moment to smile after reading this today…

Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and advice shared here are my own and do not represent the views of Spotify or any past or current employer. This content is independent and created for educational and professional development purposes only.