All things great and wonderful to you in the year ahead.
–Laurie

I invite you to sit back, relax, and take a few moments for yourself.  May it bring you as much joy as I received in putting it together!

I think that it is easy to pick out those times when one naturally feels grateful but what comes to mind for me today are those times and situations where perhaps gratitude may not be a natural response.  I’m thinking specifically of times in my life that have been challenges.  It’s at those times when I may have felt anything BUT grateful that has allowed me to stretch and to end up seeing those life challenges truly as gifts from the Universe.

This may not happen for you overnight, although I do believe it can happen just as easily in an instant.  In our culture and perhaps in the world at large, we’re not encouraged to see possibility but rather the Chicken Little syndrome – sky is falling mentality - is prevalent!  It’s much easier to awfulize whatever situation we may find ourselves in and that’s encouraged by mainstream culture.  All one needs to do is look at the TV news—when was the last time the lead story was about a glorious event that occurred in someone’s life?  One can only hear such negativity for so long before becoming one with the message—garbage in, garbage out!

But if you have decided that you want your life to be about gratitude, one of the first things you can do is wean yourself from those things and people in your life who don’t encourage that.  You can start small – if you watch TV, decrease your watching by an hour a day.  And in that hour you can do something that makes your heart sing—be it a walk outdoors, taking pictures, painting, reading or maybe just sitting and being quiet.  In order to connect to our inner knowing, slowing down and listening is important.  And it is in those quiet moments when you can see that gratitude is just a thought away.

Yes, we can choose gratitude just as easily as you pick what type of tea you may want to drink or what color of socks you’re going to put on.  When you make the choice of being grateful, you may begin to see, as an example, that while you may not be in your dream job you can be grateful for being given the opportunity to be able to discern what it is you really want to be doing.  Or if you’re not experiencing perfect health, you can be grateful for the time to slow down and listen to what your body is telling you.  Or if you’re experiencing money challenges, you can be grateful for what you do have, the love of your family and or friends, your health, etc.

Being grateful may not necessarily change your challenge immediately, although that can happen.  But with a continued awareness and practice of giving thanks, one day you may become aware that while your life may not look exactly as you’d like, you are indeed grateful.

Ok, here I go–I have been wrestling for some time now about what I want to be when I grow up.  I realize that this internal dialogue has more to do with my life work, vocation, and generally how to support myself.  Overall, I’m very satisfied with who I am as a person.  No, that doesn’t mean that I don’t continue to push myself or rather challenge myself to be the best “me” possible.  I think that if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s a continual process.  But let’s just say, 99% of the time, I like me!

How I bring “me” to the work a day world is the issue and has been, in all honesty for some time now.  For much of the time, I am able to go with the flow, draw from the Universe and read the signs that are posted for me along the way.  But, the heart of my angst is really those times when I lecture myself about how can I be 57 years old and not really know how to bring my gifts/talents forth to the world??!!

I have begun to see though that much of my inner torment is produced by me trying to fit into the accepted model of work as we know it today.  I have never really ever been someone who fit into the “average” or “norms” of society.  So, why would I try to fit myself into that hole now?  And I don’t say that in a “rebellious” kind of way.  It’s just the way it is.  I see things differently, as the quote goes, and ask why.

So, in order for me to be authentic, I want to even write my resume differently–I want it to be a narrative of who I am, what I have done and what I want to do.  I see now in this process of continuing discovery that I’ve gotten very clear on what my values are–I don’t want to go work for the Target’s of the world.  Ok, I never have wanted to do that but I’ve always been told that those kinds of organizations need people like me but I’m not willing to do that anymore.

While right now I can’t tell you exactly what I want to do–I can tell you that it will be a place that nurtures and feeds the soul–my soul.  More to come in the days and weeks ahead!  Until then, what makes your heart sing?

2.  Let a person with only a few items go ahead of you in the grocery line.

3.  Give your spouse, partner, child or friend an extra hug.

4.  Smile at everyone you see.

5.  Be a buddy to a new coworker.

6.  Pick up trash when you’re walking.

7.  Offer to return the grocery cart for an elderly person.

8.  Write a thank you note to someone who influenced you.

9.  When someone tries to merge in your traffic lane, let them in.

10.  Leave a treat or a note of thanks for your mail, newspaper or delivery person.

(adapted from Woman’s Day, 2.11.09)

Enjoy!!!

(Artist unknown)