GRATITUDE Series: Episode 1

Welcome to the weekly gratitude series! In this series I will share 10-15 things to be GRATEFUL for that will open your eyes, make you smile, help you remember the good or just shift your spirits. New episodes will drop every weekend. These are short, light and happy listens. Thanks for being here--you rock. 

Transcript

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Welcome to the Knight Fit Podcast. I'm your host, Emily Knight. I'm a running and strength coach whose primary mission is to help runners reach their goals and maintain their strength without sacrificing their true health. On this podcast, we talk about all things health and fitness so that you can stay up to date on some of today's latest research. I host inspiring guests, drop solo episodes where I explore pertinent topics and get to the heart of many of our questions around what it means to chase our fitness goals and prioritize our wellness. So sit back and get ready for an awesome conversation. Hey everybody and welcome back to the Night Fit Podcast. Super excited to have you guys here today. Today I'm really excited because I am kicking off a new series. It's Saturday when this drops, but this series will always drop on the weekends, Saturday or Sunday, just kind of depending on my schedule. But it is called the Gratitude Series. And for those who follow my Instagram at night double underscore fit, you've probably seen that I tend to do gratitude lists. It's been a couple days since I've done one, but on my story, I post just a list of things I'm grateful for. And I think it's kind of a fun way for people to kind of reflect on their own life and things that they're grateful for, especially just with everything going on in the world right now, but also just the tough things going on in people's lives. And I've been very transparent about the stuff going on in my life with my dad being sick and just the turmoil that that has caused. But every day I do try to find things to be grateful for. And the intent behind this series is that every weekend I'll share a gratitude list, and it'll also be a list that you, the listener, can either one, relate to or two, just think about. So even if some things don't particularly pertain to you, like if I happen to bring up my daughter, um, there will be plenty of things that do, but also that might just make you think about your future or what you want in your future, or what your siblings or friends or anyone you know is grateful for if they have kids or things like that. But I am going to do my best to keep it broad and make it in a way where when you hear this list, you're like, wow, that really is the best. That really is the coolest feeling. That really is such a great thing that we have. And like I said, the big idea here is to prompt gratitude in your life every weekend and to make you think about things differently and things you might take for granted that are really actually special things. So right now, Laney's napping. It is 1120 on Saturday, and I'm gonna go through my gratitude list of the day in hopes that it makes you grateful for some things or makes you appreciate these things too that you might also love as much as I do, and then kind of take them more as a special thing instead of just something that you take for granted. So these episodes will be shorter, they'll be quick. You can listen to them while drinking your coffee, while driving around, while out with a friend, whatever it is, and you guys or you can just appreciate this list every weekend. So, like I said, I'm gonna do my best to be consistent with what day, but I think it'll alternate between Saturday and Sunday whenever I have time to run through the weekly gratitude list. And like I said, I encourage you to make your own list every day, but I just plan to share this once a week. So let's get through this one, you guys. So the first thing is waking up after a full night's grow of great sleep and that initial feeling. So there is nothing better in the world than when you wake up after having slept amazing. I'm talking about that kind of sleep where you didn't wake up at all, you fall asleep, and you wake up and you're you don't remember the whole night because you slept so hard, and you just feel so refreshed. There's light streaming through the window, you turn over, you feel the sheets around you, and you're just enamored by how well you slept. That is the best feeling. And as a mom with a baby who does sleep well, I haven't had a night in a long time where I just slept directly through the night. We obviously wake up once or twice with Lainey, um, usually just once now, but those nights, they are so special. And if you're in a season where you get that every night, savor it. It is such a gift. And also, sleep is so refreshing. You know those thoughts you get before going to bed, how that they sometimes are a lot more negative, and you wake up in the morning with a whole new perspective. That is what sleep does for you. So just remember that feeling of when you wake up after a great night's sleep, it is just the best. The second one is the first few sips of coffee. And I don't know how you guys like your coffee. I tend to just switch it up day by day. My husband and I recently got a new coffee maker, just a classic, like Mr. Coffee style pot coffee, because we used to have an espresso, and we found we just missed having a pot of coffee around the house. You know, the smell of coffee in the house, too, to add a layer on top of that gratitude. Just the smell, but those first few sips in the morning after having eaten something, or when you're with your partner, or if you're just alone and you take a few first sips of that fresh coffee and you're like, ah, this just hits different. I think we take that for granted. Coffee is the best. I'm obsessed with coffee. I have coffee every day. Also, the health benefits are just numerous, not to digress, but those first few sips of coffee, aren't they just the best? Clean sheets. That's number three. Okay, clean sheets. Is there a better feeling than at the end of a long day when your eyes are heavy, your body's tired, and you crawl into bed and the sheets are clean? No, there's no better feeling. You like roll around in the bed, you feel how for some reason clean sheets just feel more fresh, even though like they probably don't feel that different than the dirty sheets, but they just feel fresh, especially if you just took a hot shower right before bed and you crawl into the clean sheets and you're like, wow, this is just the best feeling in the world. We take that for granted all the time, but it really is the best. Number four is the sound of rain in a cool breeze, and or just a really good storm. I love a storm personally. Maybe that scares some people, but then just think about the sound of rain. When it's it's gray outside, it's raining, you hear it on the roof, you hear it on the windowpane, and you're just sitting on the couch or in your bed, and you can hear the wind howling, or maybe you have the window cracked and you can just feel the cool breeze and the rain. It is just something about it is nostalgic, brings you back to so many different moments when you've experienced that, whether alone or with other people. It's cozy. It's just the best. I love the sound of rain. And rain is such a gift. You know, April showers bring May flowers, and while some days it's hard to be like appreciative of the rain, it is such a wonderful thing. It rejuvenates the earth and it also just so pleasant. There's a reason that we like this smell. I love the smell of rain. There's a reason that we enjoy it. So that is another thing to think about, especially if it's raining. It's raining where I am today. So I think that heightens the appreciation. When you're in the perfect cozy spot under a blanket and you're starting a movie, this should be inspiration to start a movie tonight, to put pick out a movie ahead of time, because we all know it takes forever, at least for me and our household. It could take me hours to pick out the movie, and by the time we pick, it's like we only have an hour before we gotta go to bed. But is there a better feeling when you are the perfect body temperature, you're in your sweats, you're in your hoodie, and you're under a blanket, and you're about to press play on a movie that you just cannot wait to watch? No, there's not a better feeling. In fact, I'd rather be doing that than ever going out on the town a million times over. So just sending out some appreciation for that. Especially when it's a good, good movie. I love a rom-com personally. Um, recently got my husband to watch the notebook for the first time. Can't believe he'd never seen that. That was shocking. But alas. This next one is when you connect with someone on a very deep level. And I'm talking about maybe someone you hadn't gotten deep with before. Maybe it's your partner, and you just get really deep in the weeds about things that you hadn't talked about before. Maybe it's a new friend, maybe it's an old friend. I don't know, but just that level when you get to like the root of something really deep, and you're like, wow, like this conversation just got way deeper than we intended. It's just like something roots you two together, right? Something connects you, it tethers you. And I love deep conversation personally, so I had to put that on this list. I love talking about God and the universe and life and the endless span of the atmosphere and the galaxies and what you know the intent of life is and all those things. I love that. I think it just spurs something inside you. Next one is a really good shower cry. Like, I don't know about you guys, but sometimes crying is just 10 times more powerful in the shower. And lately I've had some things that have warranted crying and hot water running over your head. And I don't know if you guys have ever done this, and if you haven't, you need to stand directly under the shower head where like the water coming down kind of plugs your ears, but all you can hear is the sound of water. And especially if you've got something going on that's just distressing and you need a moment, do that. But there's nothing like a really good shower cry, especially if like sad music is playing and you're just taking a moment for yourself to let it out before you go back to your day. Not saying you should always cry in the shower, but there's something powerful about a good shower cry. And I think we all can attest to that. The next one is a baked good. I am a huge baked good aficionado. I love baked goods, especially like almond croissants. I love croissants in general, I love muffins, I love all those things. And my husband and I, I tend to get one every week, every weekend. Usually at some point, I get a baked good, if not multiple days a week. I just love them, and I think that first bite of a baked good chef's kiss. And if you haven't had a baked good in a while, especially I don't know what your favorite is, but it's been a while. A donut, a lot of people just love classic donut. If it's been a while, this is your sign to go get one this weekend because it just puts you in a different mood and in nothing like some good carbohydrates just to lift the spirits, right? This next one is worship music while driving, or just one of those scream and sing songs. Those are just the best. Like the songs that you put it on, the windows are down. You the you got the wind blowing past your car, you got the song blaring for me, like a really good worship song. There's one that's been in my head. It's like, who am I that you came and saved my love? God, I am grateful for you. That song. Um, I just blast it and like tears just well up in my eyes, and I'm driving and the sun is shining. I got Lainey in the back seat, she's smiling, or even on a run. Like, this doesn't have to be while driving, but I think driving is applicable to everybody, just that moment when you're just watching the earth move past you. You got this song, whatever, if it's worship or just something powerful, you're welling up with emotion, and this song is just blaring. It's therapeutic in a whole different way. Not to say it is therapy, but it is just soothing for the soul. And I think we take for granted those little moments, especially in solitude. You know, I mentioned Laney, but it is solitude to me. She's just this little creature with me. And those moments went that nobody knows about, right? Those moments that you're alone and you're just feeling this music pulsing through you in an entirely different way. And nobody knows that you're experiencing this. Nobody in the world knows that you're experiencing this except you and God. And it's just powerful, super powerful. A talk and walk with a great friend, just like pouring out your soul. I actually was able to do this yesterday, but I think just those moments that you get to just be with someone that you really you really appreciate, they really appreciate you. You're talking about all things, whatever it is, and you're just talking and walking the endorphins that you get, but the deepness of the conversation or surface-ness of the conversation, but just being together, that social time, it literally stimulates something inside your body. I don't know about you guys, but I get like a little mini high from a good talk and walk, especially with someone I haven't seen in a while. So that's your sign to set one of those up because it's just good for you, social time. And I think we take for granted a good walk and talk, talk and walk, walk and talk and talk a walk. Um, and then the last one for you guys today is that Saturday feeling, which is applicable to my feel to my situation. That Saturday feeling when you've gotten your workout in, had a yummy meal, and have the rest of the day to look forward to with no plans. We've all been there. Whether you're a runner and you love your Saturday long run, and then your post-run meal, and then you just have a day to do whatever you want, putt around if you have kids like I do, and you just get to spend the day with your child and your husband, whatever it is, weekends are the best. And just getting your exercise in, eating proper food, and just having an open day, wide open spaces, it's the best feeling. Weekends are the best, and morning exercise and having a no plans kind of what should I do today. I'm bored today is actually wonderful. There's something powerful about boredom and leaning into boredom and just knowing that you get to appreciate it. It's um it's a privilege. But this was the first gratitude episode of the gratitude series. If you guys enjoyed this, make sure you follow the pod because this will be happening every weekend now. Just kind of a fun way to get you in a good headspace and send you off before our next episode, which will drop on Monday. Thank you guys for listening, and I hope you have a lovely weekend. God bless you. You deserve to have a great one.