Gratitude — Inspiration from the North Dakota Badlands

Satisfaction

It is said that the way you start your day can set the mood and pace for the rest of the day.

Exercise? Meditation? Prayer?

Or dive into the day’s work?

Imagine starting your day with gratitude. What do you think would happen to the rest of the day?

From Highway 85 south of Watford City, overlooking the north side of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit

Mornings in the Badlands are unlike any other time of day. The air can have a slight chill, often there is no wind, a bit of fog can form along the Little Missouri River, and the morning Golden Hour of the sun adorns the landscape with a surreal hue of yellow.

There is a scenic pull off on Highway 85 north of the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a convenient and popular spot to watch the valley below. The morning I stopped there, the bridge and the valley floor and the Little Missouri River were hidden by the fog. I felt anticipation waiting for the slow reveal of the hidden scene. But alas, it was going to take more time than I had. So, with gratitude for the momentary respite, I headed down the highway on my journey.

Willie Nelson once said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life changed.” It seems to me that gratitude is the antidote to an attitude of entitlement.

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Pithy quotes set to North Dakota landscape are available in a gallery called “Just Sayin’.”

Mike Kopp

Love to tell stories -- romantic, nostalgic stories of our explorations in the Northern Plains. 15 years a television reporter/anchor, 12 years radio news director, 3 years newspaper editor, 6 years documentary producer -- a lifetime of communication.