I was reminded tonight that whatever I put in to something needs to give the same in return.
Specifically, I was told that I’m deserving of gusto.
Gusto. Great enjoyment, energy and enthusiasm.
I agree.
It’s so easy to wake up each day and put your heart into that which matters to you. So long as we’re doing what we love, we think, all is well in the world.
But what about when it doesn’t come back your way? What about when it’s not reciprocated?
I’ll tell you what — you wake up, figuratively speaking, and you’re hours away from being 37 only to realize that one could spend the next 37 years exerting energy in directions that don’t deliver, or one can refocus and hone in on the things I want.
The things I want for the next 37 years of my life.
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure out what those things are, it simply takes heart. It takes listening to it as it beats throughout the day, during the quiet moments and it takes remembering that we’re not simply along for the ride. We’re able to reach out and touch the things around us, go after them and make them ours.
Tonight I am thankful for friends who remind me of the need for reciprocated gusto, and who are kind enough to point out when it’s just not happening. Friends who occasionally call our personal compass out on its misguided sense of direction are the best kind of friends to have, and for them I am grateful.
