No One is Chasing Me

I am a list checker. Do you know what I mean? Every single day starts with a plan—an agenda full of work tasks, home tasks, and personal care things like getting in my exercise. My days are full, and I tend to swing from vine to vine, moving quickly from one thing to the next. There’s something deeply satisfying about ending the day with most (or all) of my list checked off. It keeps me focused, productive, and feeling “on track.”

But earlier this morning, nothing seemed to go quite right. It felt like with everything I tried to accomplish, I was taking one step forward and two steps back. Interruptions kept popping up, delays kept stacking, and the pressure started to build. I could feel myself stressing—not because the things were impossible, but because they weren’t happening according to my plan.

And then this picture popped into my mind. I saw myself running through the woods like a mad woman—frantically trying to get away from something… or maybe toward something. And suddenly it hit me.

If I would just stop for a moment and turn around, I’d realize that no one—and nothing—was chasing me. Slowing down, even briefly, would let me catch my breath, look around, and actually notice the blessings surrounding me. I’m not being hunted by my to-do list. I’m in control of what gets done and what doesn’t. My list is a tool—it’s not my master.

Gratitude has a funny way of showing up when we slow down long enough and look around. And oh, how much we miss when we don’t. For me, gratitude is medicine for my soul. It changes my attitude and resets my entire outlook.

I heard someone say recently that ingratitude is the mother of self-pity—and that really stuck with me. Because once self-pity creeps in, it sounds familiar: If I didn’t have so much to do. If there were more help around here. If I just had more time. It’s easy to justify our frustration and our mood.

But when I stop long enough to truly look around, gratitude gently takes over. I begin to see my beautiful home—the one I get to live in (and yes, clean). I get to work from home. I get to make my own schedule. I get to do work that I genuinely love.

The list is still there. The responsibilities haven’t disappeared. But my perspective has shifted—and that changes everything.

Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is slow down, turn around, and realize we were never being chased at all—gratitude changes what we see. I want gratitude to be the main spring of my life.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

January 18, 2026 Morning Brew

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