Gratitude is the killer of stress and worry. This is my thinking today.

As of late, I have been struggling quite a bit with anxiety and worry revolving around our situation.

In this anxiety and worry I have lost sight of all for which I should be grateful.

It’s funny to me how, when exposed to various external input, we can lose track of what really matters in our minds.

For me, that’s the key.

As part of my adventure into the wild in pushing forward with selling everything to hit the road, I have joined a few Facebook groups.

These groups have been helpful in learning out our trailer, RV life, places to do photography, as well as the Toyota Tundra and towing with said truck.

If you are looking, there are groups for everything. It’s really amazing.

However, in the process of becoming part of these groups, and a regular contributor, I find that there is a lot of negativity posted. Tons of complaining and griping.

This online griping gets in my head and before long, something that I was jazzed and excited about, say, for example, owning a new Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX RV, becomes something that I dread and want to get rid of sooner rather than later.

This is in spite of my own personal experiences with our FLX model camper, in general being positive.

Then comes the fact that the Tundra trucks are not really a beefy truck with which one can tow, at least in the 1/2 ton class.

I find myself stressed and worried over the fact that our truck might not be adequate for our traveling needs. It then snowballs in my head into problems that likely will never even surface!

Mind you, the Tundra is well equipped to tow what I currently own, and even something, perhaps, just a little larger.

But…because we have been looking at larger RV trailers…at the suggestion of other full time RVer’s we have met…suddenly we are now well under equipped to tow something…we don’t even own.

See how that works?

What is perfectly fine and actually quite wonderful for us as it stands now, has become a curse due to the fact that I have allowed others input to taint my thinking and in doing so have started looking at the “greener grass” over “there”.

Honestly, with the way we are set up, we can get to places that our friends could never with their RV configurations.

We are small, nimble, yet comfortable at the same time.

Less remains more in my view.

I was talking to my cousin Roy yesterday. Roy is a woodsman to the first degree. We catch up every so often.

Roy has always driven Toyota trucks in his life as a hunter and wilderness lover.

When we talked yesterday I expressed all of the above to him.

The only way I can go to a much larger set up (still not convinced it’s necessary) is going to require moving to a domestic truck, like, say… the Ford Super Duty trucks. F250, 350 and so on. 3/4 to 1 ton trucks.

Two problems then come into play.

1) They are unbelievably expensive. Even used. 10 years old, 150,000 miles or more…and over $35,000? Are you serious?!

2) Reliability then comes into play. Domestic trucks do not last and have the shelf life of a Toyota. Period.

After Roy and I talked, we both agreed. Build my life around the Tundra. If we do decided to upgrade, keep it within what that truck can handle. (and continue to hope Toyota will some day join the Super Duty 3/4 ton truck class)

The stress of a smaller RV in the end will be lesser than the stress of driving a significantly less dependable truck that will, should I buy one, set me back financially quite a bit…just to pull a larger trailer…which will limit where we can drive in to…and so on.

Today’s video release talks about gratitude and my thinking about it. I hope you find it helpful.

The thumbnail image (above) for the video is an image I took as a Panorama while in Nebraska last fall as I watched a gorgeous sunset. For some reason, when I was trying to come up with a Thumbnail for the video, this image spoke to me. I have decided to offer this image as a print for sale as well. Should you wish to see it in the store, you can click here or you can go back up, click on the image and see the purchase options.

To come back to the beginning, gratitude erases our worry.

I find, when I begin looking past the things for which I should be grateful, I become less happy and more stressed.

Whenever I catch myself and I begin to make note, write down, or express to the Lord the things for which I am so very grateful, the worry and stress seem to melt away and in their place come an inexplainable peace.

We head to Death Valley to spend a week doing photography. I am…grateful for this next stop.

Until next time…

rob out