There are times when you are on top of the world and......

times when the world is on top of you.

Today is one of those days. I feel like I can't get motivated after the holidays. :( I'm pushing myself but not really sure where I'm going. I guess I've just let the overwhelming feelings from the holidays linger and creep in a little. It's like when the sun shifts as the day progresses and shadows grow.

That's how it feels.

I've been feeling couped up.

Constantly surrounded by four walls.

As much as I love city living, sometimes you want to be able to hear the snow fall.

It is so amazing on a crisp dark night to be outside and listen to the big fluffy snowflakes float slowly down. Dancing with the other snowflakes; turning and spinning. You can hear the slightest sound when they finally rest on the ground. It is this peaceful sound, like when a baby is sleeping. Somehow the stillness is comforting. You kind of lose yourself in this moment of simple joy. Simple. Joy.

For me, simplicity is so important. I put an amazing amount of effort, even subconsciously, into finding joy in the everyday. Well not everyday, most days it comes naturally to me. I'm like a 3 year old. The smallest thing can make my day come alive and I float all day until my head hits the pillow. It isn't that I ignore the sad things or the unpleasant things. It is just that it seems way too easy to recognize those things instead of all the good things. I would much rather laugh so much my cheeks hurt, than allow myself a headache because of all the things I see that are wrong and sad and disappointing. I learned long ago when I was a child that I could acknowledge what was going on in the world but not let it overwhelm me. I remember being 4 or 5 and not being able to sleep because I had just learned that some children didn't get to have dinner that night or reading Anne Frank in middle school and staying up all night thinking of what she might accomplished if she had only made it a little longer.

I'm thankful that I can still see a snowflake and smile. Or take time to stalk a falling leaf. Or enjoy the wonderment of the world and possibilities. That I can still imagine and dream.

Remember that you can take stock everyday, not just January 1st. Tomorrow is always a new beginning, a new possibility, an adventure. Life is full of discoveries, daily. Take time to enjoy that and be thankful that you can always begin anew, tomorrow. :)