Growing Through Gratitude & Being Thankful For You

Join me for a special Thanksgiving episode, where I list all the reasons as to why you should be at the top of your 'what I'm thankful for' list.
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Morning Routine With My Dog

Speaker 1 0:00

I'm also thankful for this , getting to share my thoughts and ideas and experiences and feelings with you . You've been a tower for me to lean on , without a doubt , and you've made my heart so full and you've made me realize how sometimes we don't truly get to take stock of who we're with and where we are when we feel so comfortable to share such things . What's up , guys ? Welcome back to Donations . It's Donovan . Your host and your boy is facing a very low heart rate variability right now , which is basically the amount of space between heartbeats . So you know , the lower the space between heartbeats , the higher the heart rate is , and I just haven't put a focus on recovery as much as I usually do . So if it sounds like I'm out of breath , it's because I am . But I digress . I just want to tell you that my weeknights usually happen like clockwork . Before bed , I get the dog beds out and I lay them down as close to my bed as physically possible , because we are a pack , and then I let the dogs in for the night and it usually takes a minute or two for them to wind down , because they're crazy and they're always at level 110 like their dad when they come inside for the night , probably because they get some kind of treat , so they're excited about that . But when they finally are ready to wind down , I'll lay down first , and I swear it's like they wait for me to lay down and get settled and they'll stand at the side of the bed and wait till I'm settled so I can lean over and give them their goodnight kisses . And once they get those , then they trot over to their beds and make their three to four turns in a circle and then finally find their spot and lay down and let out the biggest size . Because they always have the toughest days . They visit with my sweet neighbor on a daily basis and they're always chasing the trucks that go up and down the alley and , of course , the squirrels that threaten their territory . Those are a big deal and not going to happen on their watch .

Speaker 1 2:34

But once they're settled , then it's lights out and I swear I don't even need an alarm or to set an alarm on my phone or anything at this point because , without fail , my boy Jet wakes me up somewhere between 530 and 6am because it's time for him to go outside . My sweet special girl , rue will sleep in for as long as I'll let her , but Jet , he'll hop up and put his two front paws on the bed as close to me as possible and will just watch me until I wake up which doesn't take long , because him hopping up there usually does the trick and then I'll crawl out of bed and I'll let him out , and we've been doing that same dance every morning at the same time for the past eight years that I've had him , and ask anyone close to me talking about it makes me pretty emotional . Jet is my man and he's had my back through so much , following me wherever I go , like my own shadow . And him , being the dog that he is and being my alarm clock in the way that he has always been in , holds me accountable in sometimes more ways than I sometimes hold myself accountable . He gets me up for the day , regardless if it's a sleep in kind of day or a hide from the world kind of day or whatever it might be . And because he does that , my feet are usually on the ground before the sun is in the sky and I'm getting work started and I'm planning my day and I'm facing the things that sleep allowed me to avoid for a couple of hours , and I'm not being stagnant , I'm moving forward at whatever pace , and I'm so grateful for that .

Gratitude for Personal Growth and Strength

Speaker 1 4:24

I don't know what you might be thinking , or maybe what some of you might be thinking . Bro , it's not that deep , and I can just hear my nephew telling me that , because he loves to tell me that . But , bro , the fact is is that it is that deep . I mean , who holds you accountable in the times that you're not holding yourself accountable ? I know some of what we do here at Donations is heavy Well , maybe more than just some of what we do . It is just that , though , that's what we do here at Donations . Trust me , we'll keep it light and fun when the time calls for it , but most of the time , it will be about the deeper meaning we can find in the day to day and how just one step can be the reason you learn the biggest lesson , and , especially , it can be about facing the real hard shit , because that's the only way we can get out of the wake that isn't ours to carry and carry on , and if you feel like that's something you need , then it's there for you . That's what a donation is , right , you're in need , and it's there , it's offered up for you to take . And if you don't need it , then you don't take it . If I'm being honest , I'm taking donations left and right . I'm always looking for those that are offering up inspiration or insight or a unique point of view that I've never considered or thought was possible .

Speaker 1 6:01

Just the other day I was having breakfast with a friend and when the topic of how fast Thanksgiving was coming up came up , he asked me what I was thankful for , and we always hear that question right Around this time of year , like we've been hearing it since kindergarten , I think , or at least that's as far back as I can remember being asked that question . I remember writing down on the activity sheet I was given in Kinder that I was thankful for my family and for my home and the dog I had at the time , and I even remember using some turkey shaped stencils to draw two turkeys facing each other with a heart in between them . What can I say ? Your boy has always had a soft spot for the fires of love . But anyway , back at breakfast with my friend , I told him you know what I'm thankful for a lot of things , but I think a big thing that I'm thankful for is me .

Speaker 1 7:05

I've had my back more than I have ever had before this past year . I know this is no secret to you , but life really doesn't get any easier , does it ? I mean , don't get me wrong , it's great and it's a blessing to be living it , but it's tough sometimes and that never really eases up . But I truly believe being steadfast through the toughness makes you stronger , and despite that hard stuff , we keep pushing through , trusting that the rain will eventually stop and the clouds will float away and the sun will come back out and you'll go on knowing you've gained a little more strength than you and TBH . I'm so proud of the strength I've shown myself that I've gained . Since the last time I was asked what I was thankful for , I've really surprised myself , and in that comes a bit of confidence that can only be formed in the fires that forge steel , and that's one of the best feelings in the world . And I'm pretty certain in fact I'm very certain that you have surprised yourself too this past year and should have yourself at the top of your what are you grateful for list .

Speaker 1 8:25

When shit got tough , you still got out of bed and put your feet on the ground . When your world went dark , you still found reasons to get excited and reasons to continue providing for and taking care of yourself . When you didn't have the answer , you didn't give up until you found it or figured it out , and I can't stress how much weight that holds , because it can be so easy to fall under the pressure of needing to find the answer for someone else or for the ones we love , and I know there's only sincerity behind wanting to do that . But we can't put finding the answer for someone else before finding the answer for ourselves . I think we risk learning a lesson that isn't ours to learn when we do that , keeping those that are meant to learn it from learning it and , honestly , in the adult world , trying to save someone from a lesson they're meant to learn is just a recipe for disaster and a weight we shouldn't be carrying and essentially a risk of leaving ourselves behind .

Speaker 1 9:33

And another reason to be thankful for yourself is when your heart was broken and you still showed love . Aside from my own , of course , I think I've heard more stories about heartbreak this year than I have about love and joy , and that is so unfortunate and so heartbreaking in itself . But , like I've always said , I think that's one of the best places to learn the kind of lessons in life that can grant us a fast pass to living the life we always dreamed of . And that's not to minimize the kind of pain that accompanies heartbreak , because I know how all-encompassing it can be . But I do say it to emphasize the times that through those heartbreaking times , you've kept your eyes forward and kept taking , step by step , showing yourself all that you're made of and still looking to all the reasons to continue loving rather than holding on to any reason not to .

Speaker 1 10:35

If I'm being honest , there are very few things that say heartbreak quite like failure does , to me at least . But also , if any of the recent conversations I've had have any input , they'd agree and say failure is a pretty touchy topic and is clearly something no one wants to ever have to experience . I mean obviously right . Some of the phrases I've heard recently include , but are not limited to , another failed attempt at reaching my fitness goal , another failed attempt at standing up for myself or another failed attempt at dating , which same . But whether it be those exact things or whatever failed attempt you've experienced lately , let them or it serve as a checkpoint .

Speaker 1 11:28

I always talk about checkpoints and I know in the moment , in that heartbreak or in that failure , it can very much feel like you have blinders on , but when you're able to step aside and reevaluate failure from a different perspective , you can get a clearer picture on what steps led you there and how to avoid those next time , how much you've outgrown the old you that never evaluated those steps or that failure altogether , and be grateful for that opportunity to see and also not just to get to witness that growth , but to see how much there still is to grow even still , by learning more lessons and using them as tools to sharpen the person you're meant to become . It's like checkpoints to check in . Be thankful for that , but like be thankful for the times you're challenged in a positive way too , the kind of challenges that show you what it means to step up . The times others have invited you to join them on an adventure that forces you to step out of your comfort zone . Or the times someone inspired you in a way that you didn't realize you had been craving for the longest time . Don't let things like that go to waste and be thankful for the times you've taken advantage of times like that and have ended up feeling uplifted , and I know all these things can paint a very , very clear picture of all the people that have been around for all the good and bad and that have been the sturdiest of towers to lean on in times of need which huge side

Gratitude and Reflection in Relationships

Speaker 1 13:06

note .

Speaker 1 13:06

I'm also thankful for this Getting to share my thoughts and ideas and experiences and feelings with you .

Speaker 1 13:14

You've been a tower for me to lean on , without a doubt , and you've made my heart so full and you've made me realize how sometimes we don't truly get to take stock of who we're with and where we are when we feel so comfortable to share such things and when we feel so genuinely and authentically ourselves , because those people and places so graciously grant us that , and we don't always make time to say thank you to those that have allowed us that comfort and that have allowed us to step into the countless roles we play . So cheers to them , absolutely , and like . There definitely has to be a shot poured from the bottle we have saved for this Thursday's festivities for them , but the first one , the first shot out of that bottle , is reserved for ourselves . We only get to be these people , this person , one time and for all the times we've made that existence worth it and leaned into it with everything we had . That's what we get to be thankful for . So here's to you . Until the next one , Be careful .