Today was a cold and rainy day. The kind of day that makes you want to stay inside and do nothing, or at least pursue some indoor entertainment that is not very productive. And that’s pretty much what I did for most of the day. I had very little motivation, so I just sat at my computer playing games, and that’s fine. I mean I enjoyed myself, but it certainly wasn’t fulfilling, and I certainly wouldn’t be happy with the day if that’s all I did.

Thankfully, later on, I finally got up off of my butt and went to work in the shop to try to get something meaningful done. If you didn’t know, I am a self-taught blacksmith, and I run a small business on Etsy where I sell the products that I make. I had a small custom order I needed to work on using my propane torch, but I put that aside for the moment in favor of starting on some bigger projects, which would give me the excuse to start up my charcoal forge and get a little warmth flowing. So, I lit my forge and got to work on some throwing spikes that I had been planning to make one day when I got the chance. I usually wear earbuds and listen to music when I work, but this time I opted to just listen to the rain and the sounds of the forge. Pretty soon I was much warmer than I had been, had some blood pumping in my veins, and felt pretty good about life.

If you don’t know me, something that makes me, me, is that I am constantly going at 100 miles an hour. When I am not working hard, I am playing hard, when I am not playing, I am watching YouTube videos, when I am not watching videos, I am doing research, when I am not doing research, I am trying to learn something new, when I am not learning something new, I am thinking or solving problems, and when I am not thinking, I am sleeping. I hate inactivity, and I need to constantly be doing something, achieving something. But this can lead to trouble, because a lot of times, I don’t leave time for God, time for processing, time for relaxation, time to breath, to take it all in, to enjoy the moment, to be still, to be content. I find myself being more easily swayed by the lies of the devil because I don’t take the time to clear my head and to really process the emotions and feelings that I am having, to see if they are really accurate to my situation. This can easily lead to depression, or simply discontentment, even when my situation doesn’t warrant it. So, forging is great for me, because waiting for metal to get hot gives me some much-needed quiet time, time to think and process things, or to just be still and to soak in the moment. Today I found one such moment, that is sadly becoming more and more rare for me to find. Listening to the pitter patter of the rain outside, the sparking and rushing sounds of the forge, feeling the cool breeze on my cheeks, the warmth of the fire on my hands, seeing the glow of the forge, and my breath turning to vapor as I breathed out, I felt completely content, and I just had a sense of peace fill me. And I was able to be still, to breath, to thank God for everything that He has blessed me with, and to just experience these few moments in time. So often, I go through this life too fast, in the effort of making a difference in this world and pursuing my dreams, that I don’t take time to enjoy the moment. One day turns into the next, and I barely remember what I did, why I did it, or when one day turned into the next one. I don’t want that, and I’m sure you don’t either. Thankfully the fix is simple. Take time to be still and to look outside yourself.

It’s amazing how something like a cold rainy day seen from one perspective can look positively nasty, and yet from a different one can be beautiful and peaceful. And all it takes is a shift in perspective. So, I encourage you today to take some time to take a deep breath, to be still, to look around, to see this beautiful world we live in, to really see it, to count your blessings, and to thank God for all that He has done for you. I guarantee that this simple little thing will make for a much happier you.

Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed, please subscribe to my newsletter below, for more thoughtful articles on life, and living a better one. Take care, everybody!

Joshua Waters
JoshsMusings.com

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