"It's a Great Day to Be Alive" by Travis Tritt

Forward: I am officially going down to 1 blog and this is the one I'm choosing, Flowersview and Flowers in Firenze (not to mention the two other's floating around out there from times past) will remain in existence but I just feel like I need to bring my life into a single existence in order to avoid a mindset that compartmentalizes. My life in Florence, My views on life, and the goings on in my life are all interrelated, and I should treat them as such.

I am a very selfish, and therefore a very negative being. I have lived my life pursuing things that fulfill me (or at the very least seem to fulfill me) and because of that I have always eventually found myself being disappointed and wanting more. Such is my life.

I say all this because I realized over the past few days that this isn't who I want to be anymore. I want to be a positive force in the lives of those around me. There are individuals like that in my life. Some are purely positive and some are like what I am becoming. A person with a high view of Humanity that understands that it will enevitably disappoint. I like to think of it like what Jor-El says to a young superman as he heads toward earth "They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son." I try to remember that and focus on the positive things in my life. Check out Philippians 4:8-9 to see what I'm focusing on now. My favorite part of that list is that literally it says "if there is any excellence," which just makes it so tangible, so much really than some translations render is: "if there is anything excellent."

I love being in Florence, in Italy, and as much as I miss people here I know that deep down I need to enjoy this time I've been given and appreciate it for the gift it is. It's a shame I didn't realize this until we only had about 2 weeks left... I guess I'll just have to live it up and do so make up living.

The Song of the Day is, "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" by Travis Tritt, because ever since that song was played during a slide show from Mission Impossible Day it has been like a theme song for the group and me personally so I'm gonna keep it rolling.

Pace e Bene (Peace and Love)
-matt