From The Desk of Maverick Brenton.
Subject: How To Appreciate The Simple Things In Your Life.
The old fireplace flickered in the dark room where I sat.
It was very late at night.
Outside was below zero.
The most menacing wind blew through the big tree’s that surrounded the house I was tucked away inside.
That wind was unforgiving.
I was living in the Cold Mountains.
In a big house with many travellers.
With people from all around the world.
Sitting at my feet with her soft fur brushing against my legs was Bella.
The dog who lived with us all.
She was a fluffy white Labrador.
And on the couch next to me.
Hidden in the darkness.
Illuminated by the warm and flickering light of the fire - was my friend Ben.
A backpacker from France who was working as a painter.
Ben was a great guy.
He had a smile that made you smile too.
We shared many stories together - me and my friend Ben.
Tonight he was sound asleep under a thick fur blanket.
For even though our mighty fire burned bright and hot – those long winter nights in the Cold Mountains were something else.
They were the coldest nights I’ve ever known.
Staying warm was all you cared about.
Staying warm was all you could think about.
As Ben slept on the couch next to me and Bella warmed my legs with her soft and thick fur - I stared deep into the soul of that mighty fire.
It took me back.
Many years.
Back to when I was a little boy - staring into a fire just like this one.
The fire that warmed my home out in the countryside.
In my hands with steam dancing around it’s rim was a hot cup of coffee.
For I could not sleep.
I had many things on my mind.
There was a girl_._
And I missed her very much.
I missed her smell.
I missed the warmth of her soft skin.
I missed the sound of her sweet laugh.
And the hugs she gave me all the time.
I wished for her company.
But.
My wish never came true.
So while I could not have her in my arms - I could have her in my mind
And the memories I shared with her danced through my mind as I stared into that fire.
For some time, I forget everything.
I just rode out those memories for as long as they lasted.
They warmed my lonely heart.
More than that fire.
More than anything could.
On that cold night I thought about many things.
I had lost a few things recently.
And I missed my family and my friends more than anything in the world.
For I was all alone up on that Mountain.
At least in my mind I was.
My mind wanted to focus on everything that had gone wrong with my life.
But I wouldn’t let it.
For it was all in the past now.
It couldn’t be changed.
So I forced myself gently - to just be in this moment.
And to be grateful for life.
For the pain that I felt on this lonely night.
Was nothing more than the pain of life.
A reminder that I was alive.
That I was living.
Breathing.
Trying.
And failing.
We can’t always dance in the sunshine.
It wouldn’t be so good if that was the case.
Sometimes it rains.
And usually it will fucking pour.
So learn to dance in it.
For it’s that rain that makes us appreciate the sunshine.
So on this cold and windy night - I decided to do just that.
I threw off my clothes and danced in the rain.
I accepted it as just another chapter in my story - which is exactly what it would become.
I looked down at my hot cup of coffee as the steam rolled off it and floated past my face.
I felt it’s warmth.
And I appreciated that cup of coffee.
I appreciated it more than I had ever appreciated it before.
For it kept me warm.
And it tasted real good too.
Then I looked up from my coffee and into the flickering flames of the fire that burned before me.
It kept me warm on this cold night.
And it asked for nothing more than a small log every now and then, in return.
So I appreciated that fire with all my heart.
Then I looked away from the fireplace.
And I glanced at my friend Ben.
He was sound asleep on the couch and in another world.
A world where anything is possible.
Ben had lived a life too.
He had his own stories.
Of pain. Of triumph. Of love.
And heartbreak.
Just like you.
Just like us all.
He had faced many challenges.
And Ben had plans to travel too.
All over the world.
Which is exactly what Ben would do.
Many months after that night when Ben was gone – he sent me a photo.
He was dancing around a big fire on a farm in a land far away.
I smiled at that.
And it made me happy.
Not long after that he sent me another photo.
He was with a cute French girl who had dark brown hair and the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.
Back in Paris.
That really made me want to visit Paris.
And so all those little things on that quiet but cold night - held a beauty that hid just beneath the surface.
A beauty that you can only see if you silence the mind.
Any other night it would have been just a cup of coffee, a warm fire and a french bloke who snored too much.
But not tonight.
Tonight I was grateful to have those things.
And in those quiet moments by the fire on that dark and cold night - I realised something.
I realised something very important.
A lesson from the Universe.
Those little things were my LIFE.
That was my life right there.
I was living my life and this was it.
Right then and right there.
My life was not everything I imagined in the future.
And it was not everything that had happened in the past either.
No.
My life was that moment.
It was the pain I felt.
It was recalling the memories of a girl I loved.
It was that warm cup of coffee by the fire.
The sleeping dog curled up at my feet.
And my friend sleeping on the couch across from me.
That was my life.
And THIS is what we miss out on when all we do is think about what we want in the future.
We miss life.
We miss the little moments of magic.
We let them slip right through our fingers.
And they slip through because all we can see is our vision of the future.
Yes that vision is important.
It is very important.
But.
It’s just a vision.
It’s not your life right now.
It’s not this moment.
And this moment is your life.
So live with passion.
And live fiercely.
If the sun is out and the birds are chirping - be grateful.
If the darkness is upon you and if rain is pouring down.
Just like it was for me on that cold night beside the fire.
Be grateful.
Appreciate the little things.
Even if all you have left is your heartbeat.
And keep living my friend.
For the sun will rise again.
I promise.
Until Next Time.
Filed under · Motivation
