Embedded Files
There’s a line that has stayed with us all week:
“The way is not in the sky; the way is in the heart.”
It kept repeating itself in our awareness — not as a quote to remember, but as a truth echoing through our daily life. And it became the guiding inspiration behind Grateful Soul #20 — Bruno.
Gratitude is not something we do.
It is something we allow.
It opens us.
It softens us.
It connects us.
Every grateful soul we meet is a reminder of what happens when we live from the heart instead of the mind.
And Bruno is one of those reminders.
Who Is Bruno?
We met him at Mill Street Brew Pub in Toronto’s Distillery District — a space that becomes pure magic during the Christmas Market. The lights, the music, the families, the feeling of joy… it’s a place where people gather with open hearts.
We visited with our son, Quinn, just looking for a warm meal and a cozy moment as a family. But as life often does when you’re open, it had more in store.
Bruno approached our table with one of those smiles that makes you feel instantly welcomed. Gentle. Present. Kind. You can’t fake that kind of presence — it’s felt.
As he took our order, we learned he was from Peru.
And immediately, something in me lit up.
Three years earlier, I had taken a three-week solo backpacking trip through Peru — no Spanish, no plan, just me, my spirit, and the unknown. I asked Bruno:
“Do you know where Barranco is?”
He smiled wide — “Of course!”
We named places, streets, neighborhoods… and he knew them all.
A stranger from the other side of the world suddenly wasn’t a stranger at all.
He was familiar — not because of geography, but because of heart.
Had I never taken that trip…
Had I never trusted that calling…
Had I never opened myself to that experience…
I would have missed the connection standing in front of me years later.
That’s the beauty of presence:
Every moment plants a seed for a future moment you haven’t met yet.
Open Hearts Recognize Each Other
As we talked, Bruno shared stories about his family — how his father had a manufacturing business back home, how he moved to Canada, and even how he’d once been in finance.
And because he felt safe, he opened up.
That’s what happens when presence meets presence.
People don’t share because you ask.
They share because you see them.
And Bruno was one of those souls who carried warmth effortlessly.
The kind of warmth that reminds you how connected we all truly are.
We left the restaurant feeling something more than full — we felt grateful.
We even went back another time looking for him.
We didn’t find him that day, but the gratitude stayed with us.
Because connections don’t end when the moment ends —
They live inside you.
The Christmas Market & The Power of Being Open
The Distillery District at Christmas is an experience everyone should feel at least once. The atmosphere is electric — joy moving through people like warm light.
It’s the perfect environment to meet a grateful soul, not because of the event itself, but because your heart is already softened by the season.
You can meet your grateful soul anywhere:
In a restaurant.
At a market.
On a walk.
Opening a door for a stranger.
Even while grabbing a coffee.
It’s never about trying to meet people.
It’s about being open when the moment comes.
And that’s what this mission — 10,000 Grateful Souls — is truly about.
Not a number.
Not a goal.
A way of living.
A way of seeing.
A way of remembering that gratitude is the doorway to God’s presence in everyday life.
A Story From 2013 That Mirrors This One
This wasn’t the first time God placed someone in my path without warning.
Back in 2013, my family and I traveled to Zakopane, Poland — a breathtaking mountain town near the Slovakian border. We rode a gondola up to the very top of the mountain. When we got off, we walked to a lookout point.
Another family stood there.
We started talking, like people do when surrounded by beauty.
“Where are you from?” they asked.
“Canada.”
“So are we.”
“Ontario.”
“So are we.”
“What city?”
“Burlington.”
“So are we.”
We laughed — what were the odds?
Two families, halfway across the world, not just from the same country…
Not just the same province…
Not even just the same region…
But the exact same city.
They even named a street we knew well.
In that moment, on top of a mountain in Poland, I felt the same truth that came alive again years later with Bruno:
You don’t need to chase connection.
Connection will find you.
You don’t have to force what God wants to place in your path.
Presence is enough.
Openness is enough.
Your heart is enough.
Because the way is never “out there.”
The way is in the heart.
What Bruno Reminded Us About Gratitude
Gratitude is a practice, yes — but deeper than that, it’s a posture.
It is an inner openness to see what’s right in front of you.
When we slow down…
When we choose presence…
When we are willing to listen…
We discover that everything is speaking to us.
Bruno reminded us of something sacred:
People are always carrying stories that want to be heard.
And when we listen, we participate in the divine.
Gratitude is not about thinking positive thoughts.
It’s not about forcing yourself to be thankful.
Gratitude is remembering who you are —
A soul connected to every soul you meet.
A Moment of Guided Gratitude for You
Wherever you are reading this, take a breath.
Feel it enter your body.
Feel it leave.
Your breath is your first grateful soul — always giving, always present.
Now bring awareness to your heartbeat.
It has never taken a day off.
It has never stopped caring for you.
It has never abandoned you.
Feel the miracle of that.
Now feel your body —
Your hands, your legs, your senses, your awareness.
Your body has carried your entire life.
Your spirit has survived everything.
Your heart has stayed open even when it hurt.
Let gratitude rise naturally — not forced, not manufactured, just felt.
You are here.
You are alive.
You are connected to everything.
Just like we were connected to Bruno.
Just like we were connected to that family in Poland.
Just like you are connected to the next grateful soul you haven’t met yet.
Stay open.
Stay present.
Stay in your heart.
That is where the magic is.
That is where the guidance is.
That is where God is.
A Question for You
Who was the last person that reminded you how beautifully interconnected we all are — and what did they teach you?
Share your story. Your reflection may become someone else’s grateful soul moment.
With love and gratitude,
Alex and Sackeria Dezan
Sharing Gratitude Worldwide
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