I am so guilty of getting big, grand ideas and visions in my head. So large and tough they daunt my day to day living and haunt my dreams. I lose sleep, get stomach cramps and hold my face in a grimace all day, as I can’t think of anything else. Sometimes so grandiose that I can’t move forward in making it happen, stuck with the idea burning in my mind. It all tends to make me feel frustrated and stymied.

Last night after work, I slipped out for a quick spin. Just a flat high cadence roll on pavement in the cold dark of night. Might have been a whole 50 minutes on the bike. It just felt so good. Legs spinning, cold fresh air in my face, the whirl of tires on the earth. I am also guilty of having this same reoccurring experience; it amazes me what tiny little things make me happy.

Oh how badly I want to hold onto that feeling, the knowledge that it is the everyday joys that keep us alive, focused, happy. It is the little steps forward that get us closer to our goals. There are so many cliches and sayings that coincide with this, but it is the experience that sends the message home. Life is about living, not planning and worrying.

I say it often, I am so grateful that I keep getting these BIG ideas and dreams to pursue. It keeps me looking forward and reaching for more. I have been lucky enough to make some of these dreams become experiences that have changed my perspective and my life. Yet it is the everyday love, gratitude, and living with eyes open that makes life tolerable and the path to the Big stuff possible and approachable.

The sunsets, sunrises, the phases of the moon, the glow of my dogs eyes when they run, the wonderful warm love of my lady, every single pedal stroke on every single bike ride, all the amazing meals we cook and eat. So much simple joy to behold when we remember to slow down, look, feel and live in our everyday. Now the challenge is to keep this all in my heart even when it isn’t so obvious, that is the path I choose to be on.