Written by Rochelle Gapere

I KNOW I am!!

I just saw this snippet on my Aunt’s Facebook wall and it really resonated with me!

“When I woke up this morning I was overwhelmingly grateful to be alive! Tears of gratitude filled my eyes simply because I am living, breathing, moving, seeing, hearing, talking, thinking, and feeling. The reason why I woke up in such gratitude is because I went to sleep thinking back through the great things of the day and being grateful for each one. As a result of my gratitude, today is going to be the best-ever day, guaranteed, because that’s how the law works! It is that easy. So how about you? Are you grateful to be breathing, living, moving, seeing, hearing, talking, thinking and feeling? Are you grateful to be alive?” – Rhonda Byrne

I wake up every morning with the exact feeling described above. I know each day that I am blessed with life is a precious gift given to be my God and I celebrate it and thank Him for it the second I open my eyes in the morning. My theme for 2011 was gratitude and it was amazing how it really set the tone for my day and my year. I have always been a very happy person. Life has been amazingly good to me. My good days have far exceeded and surpassed my bad days. And to be honest, I don’t consider any day bad! If something doesn’t go my way, I always look for the lesson. I always ask God, “What are you trying to teach me? Patience. Modesty. To be less prideful. To be less egotistical. To be more vulnerable. To know my truth and accept it. What?

I turned 31 last Thursday and I can honestly say 30 was one of the best years of my life. Miracles flowed limitlessly. I looked for miracles and I expected them and they showed up. I traveled the world. In one year I visited old places- Trinidad, Jamaica, Bahamas and new places – Prague, Vienna, Moscow, Hong Kong, Macau, Ko Samui, and Bangkok. I met Michelle Obama. I was selected as a nominee for 40 under40. I raised money for worthy causes through philanthropic ventures – breast cancer and domestic violence. I volunteered my time and my energy to causes that are dear to me. I mentored.  I met new friends. I found love. I laughed. I lived. I grew. I matured.  I had FUN!

My whole life I’ve stayed true to me and I have enjoyed life…every second of it. My Mom really dislikes when I say this but it is the truth- If I were to die tomorrow, every person who has crossed paths with me can testify that I have lived a full, fun and loving life.

As I start this new year of my life, I am proud to say that I am proud of me. I am proud of the life I live on a daily basis. The only thing I have ever wanted in life was to and still is to make God proud! I wake up every day with that at the forefront of my mind. I go to bed at night wondering if I did.

Last Thursday, Carlos (a man who is on the cleaning staff my office building) touched my heart so deeply. He bought be a birthday present. That wasn’t what touched me, it was the look on his face when he handed me that beautifully wrapped gift and the words that followed. He told me that I am a good friend. In a card written in all Spanish, he told me that many people have come into his life but I am one of those people who have made a difference, I make him feel special.

I keep asking God what’s my purpose, what’s my purpose…Carlos reaffirmed it…my purpose is to shine God’s light here on earth and to demonstrate God’s love by loving all types of people, from all walks of life, regardless of race and creed. This is what truly brings me the greatest joy!

So as I asked a few paragraphs back, “Who’s grateful to be alive?” I 100% am! I am grateful for life and for everything in it- family, friends, the experiences, the adventures, and the journey. I am “Open to the Goodness of Life” and I am so excited to experience all the magic, miracles and blessings 31 will bring.

xoxo

P.s. I am posting this without editing or re reading it because I freely typed this blog hoping it would flow from a pure authentic space. Excuse any errors.