Staying grateful through the holidays.

A Beautiful Exchange That Inspired Me

She complimented me on my earrings. And then she added “they are great on you.” She explained that in many cultures when you compliment something, and seem to be captivated by it, the custom is to give it to them. So she said that she is very conscious to add “for you” when she compliments something someone else has.

Later she was eating an amazing dessert that was lemon cheesecake that appeared to be covered in a layer of lemon curd. I was asking her about the different layers and saying that it looked amazing. She asked if I wanted some but I declined and said, “No thank you. It is gorgeous and I appreciate it for you.” We all laughed knowingly.

What a perfect lesson for this time of year. We don’t always have to indulge in things just because they are amazing. Especially if they will leave our bodies feeling uncomfortable or even in pain. Just because we find that perfect item doesn’t mean we have to buy it. We can appreciate it without having it for ourselves, or even for someone else. We can practice non-attachment with our gratitude.

I do this all the time with nature. When I see a roadrunner in my yard, like I did last week, and I appreciate it, I have no desire to make it my pet. What a great practice to remember that not only do we not need to possess it to truly appreciate it, we also don’t need to capture a photo to truly appreciate it. We just need to notice and open our hearts with gratitude.

Appreciate everything like you appreciate the moon; taking in its beauty free from the desire to make it your own.
~Antonia Montoya

What are you grateful for without needing to possess it?

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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]