Thankful Thursday + Dash of Motivation

I'm always on the lookout for different pictures in my travels across the vast sea of the Internet.  A few things I'm constantly looking for: horse and tack reference pictures, funny pictures - mostly to share with Jeff, and motivational pictures - for me and to share with you in my Motivation Monday posts.  Once in a while, I come across a motivational picture so good that it's hard to wait for Monday to share it.

This is one of those pictures, I found it today:

I thought those were great motivational words and in thinking of a way I could share it today, I thought: Well, what is today...  Thursday.  Thankful Thursday?  Seems like an odd thing to share this picture in a Thankful post, but stay with me...

I've been thinking a lot about the goals I had set for this year - and how a lot of them haven't happened.  Last week I actually decided to get a jump on goal setting for 2016 and I started drafting a blog post for that list of goals (coming soon).  In some ways I do feel like I'm in the same place that I was last year at this time, but that's really silly, isn't it?  In the past year we've moved halfway around the world, to Japan.  So obviously I'm far from the same physical place that I was in a year ago.  However, it's so much more than that.  I've already experienced so many wonderful, beautiful, and amazing things in our short time here.

From a hobby standpoint, in the past year, though the Stagecoach hasn't been touched much at all, nor has my very first Rio Rondo saddle, I've acquired a lot of really awesome hobby materials, like How-To books that I've had my eye on for a long time.  I had a fantastic Day in the Studio with Candace Liddy back in March that took away a lot of the fears of the unknown that I'd had about a lot of creative processes.  I met one of my hobby/tack making heroes and had a great day with her.  I have also "met" another of my hobby/tack making heroes via e-mail and I've thoroughly enjoyed our conversations!

I could go on, but really, I do feel so blessed, so thankful.  I think instead of focusing on what hasn't happened, what I haven't gotten done, I need to continue to be happy about all of the wonderful things that have happened!

That being said, I am still going to keep the words of the picture in mind as the next year begins to unfold - there is still a LOT I plan to do!  Much of it is scary for me, but I've got to get started, before another year goes by.  ;)