Drowning in Thanks

Filed Under Gratitude | 3 Comments

It's Thanksgiving week here in the United States.  Most of us are so blessed, yet it's so easy to take so much for granted.  Even though I have so much, I occasionally find myself whining.  How is that possible?  In some ways, I think I succumb to that Deadly Sin - greed!  (or materialism)  It's so rampant, it seems normal.  There's always the next "big thing" to come along.  

A while back Adam Kayce suggested rather than trying to "root out" problem issues, sometimes it's better to drown them with the good stuff.  Actually, that may not have been exactly what he said, but that was how I heard it!!   So, this week of Thanksgiving seems as good a time as any to overwhelm my whining with some lists of gratitude!  Here goes (in no particular order):

1) the young maple tree in front of my office is adorned in beautiful leaves

2) I have an office

3) the weather has been beautiful

4) my spiritual path feeds my soul

5) my husband is a sweetheart (he's working on a handyman project for me right now)

6) I'm healthy

7) my son is healthy and relatively happy

8) my daughter-in-law is a gem

9) my grandchildren are healthy - and beautiful

10) I enjoy my work and the people I work with 

 boy, this list could really go on…

Inquiry

What are you grateful for?  Do you have a gratitude practice?  Can you look around you - even in challenging situations - and find something to be grateful for?

Sending you blessings and best wishes for this Thanksgiving week! 

Living a full life

Filed Under Authenticity, Embracing uncertainty, Freedom Challenge, Gratitude, Joyous Living, Setbacks as opportunities, Sparkle, Stretching the comfort zone | Leave a Comment

Over the last six months, three of my dear friends have lost their spouses.  Each time, I've been shaken by it, but I guess this third one has felt like a real wake up call.  All the cliches apply:  Life is short; Life is precious; Don't take life for granted; etc.  I want to throw everything that does not matter aside and give my passion and purpose free reign.  How else will I manage to keep finding new levels of inner peace?  Each time I squelch a part of myself that exudes joy, I can feel a bit of my soul shriveling up.  I don't want to die an unlived life!!  I pray that I can keep tapping into this passionate part of myself and help others to do the same, so that our world thrives on the best of ourselves rather than the fear that seems to be running rampant.

Tantrums

Filed Under Gratitude, Setbacks as opportunities | Leave a Comment

Aaack!  The shaking continues.  I returned from our Death Valley adventure to find myself in a technological nightmare.  Okay, that’s a little dramatic – but it seemed like a nightmare to discover my email not working – no sending, nostuck in the mud receiving.  Usually that wouldn’t be THAT big a deal, but I’d sent out some important correspondence before I left and was expecting some in return.  Wasn’t there.  Couldn’t find it.  Couldn’t figure out where it was, much less how to get it.  Missed a meeting.  Then the internet clouds parted and I was bombarded with all my missed email, plus a lot of junk.  Found out I’d lost a client because didn’t respond right away.  Found out a “big name” guest speaker cancelled a week before the event we’d been promoting heavily and we didn’t have anyone else lined up.  That was it.  I’d had enough.  I jumped from frustrated to “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” to “I CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!” to “I MAY AS WELL JUST GIVE UP!” in seconds flat.  Thankfully, I had a session with one of my healing coach/mentors, James Keeley, who let me rant for a full twenty minutes.  I thought I was done at 10, but nooooo, I just needed a breath.  I ranted.  I raved.  I whined.  I cried.  I'M STUCK and THERE'S NO HOPE FOR ME!  

“Are you complete?” he said.  Spent, I finally said “yes.”  

“So, bring compassion to that place that wants to just give up, the place that needs support and caring.”  After a minute or two of this receiving of compassion, he asked, “From this place, now, will you give up or get up?”  Great question.  Changed my perspective immediately.  Had I heard stuff like that before?  Yep.  A bunch of times.  What was different about this time?  Haven’t a clue, but somehow it got “into my bones” and, for now, seems to have made a huge difference.  I’m getting up.  And I’m jazzed.

“Adversity introduces us to the stuff that we buy into unconsciously.”  I've been a coach for several years and on a deeply spiritual path and this tantrum still needed to happen.  I thought I should have been beyond this, to be SOOO much nearer enlightenment.  But clearly, this stuff still needed to be questioned, cleaned, let go of.  So, again, I get to see a reason for embracing what I perceive as difficulties and finding the gems in them.  They really are here for my benefit!  Aaack!  What a trip this life is!  How fascinating the trials, the shaking necessary, to reach inner peace.