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Nothing Was Abandoned
Do I still believe that the secret to happiness is low expectations? Expectations vs. Presence I used to believe that the key to happiness was low expectations. Maybe I still do. Our quote this week by Björk really has me pondering the relationship between being present, having expectations and gratitude. She is basically saying that…
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Feeling Supported and Provided For
Counting the ways I am supported and provided for by the earth. Our Unconditional Loving Mother The curandera that I learn from, Tonita Gonzales, has taught me so much about life and healing and love and the earth. One of the things that she says is that Mother Earth teaches us unconditional love. We take…
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Heart of Gratitude in Service
How can I be of service to you? How can you be of service to others? Being of Service in a Transactional World This Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr Day and more specifically it was the Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service. But what if we use our gratitude practice to inspire us…
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Not Saying Anything Negative About Anybody for Three Days
I caught myself about to talk shit about someone. If You Can't Say Anything Nice I started typing out a text that was being empathetic to the person I was texting but it was really judgmental and negative about our mutual friend. Luckily I paused before hitting send and reread it. I realized that this…
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Open to a New Way of Seeing
We are resilient. We are grateful. Take a Breath. Sink into This. What a year. It hasn't been the greatest. But here we all are. Resilient and often grateful. Through the darkness we trekked. Through the pain we grew. Through the loneliness we found each other. We are here. With a new way of seeing.…
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Notice the Beauty of Nature
Nature makes you pay attention this time of year. The Call of Nature On Saturday I was rushing all day from obligations to a friend and family and home. All things I am full of appreciation for but because I was rushing and busy I wasn’t present. At one point in the day I was…
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Fall Gratitude Walk
A walk outdoors to deliberately take in moments of beauty. Gratitude Found Take a walk with me as we explore nature and the outdoors. We find gratitude in unexpected places. And remind ourselves to be grateful for things that are easy to take for granted. We explore the concept of unattachment, noticing, appreciating and letting…
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Breathing is Enough
Me too. Let’s just take a breath together. Letting Ourselves Off the Hook of Gratitude I’ve been writing a series of these about difficult times and grief. After last week I declared that to be the last of the series and I would move to more positive and feel good topics. But then “me too”…
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A Poem of Blessings for Times of Grief
These words. Like a soothing bubble bath for your soul. Beannacht, the Gaelic Word for Blessings by John O'Donohue On the day when The weight deadens On your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance To balance you. And when your eyes Freeze behind The gray window And the ghost of loss Gets in…
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In Outrage and in Gratitude
Don’t cover your eyes to it. Don’t ignore it. Take care of yourself too. Being Grateful When The World is So Fucked Up Gratitude ≠ Happiness Darkness is not a lack of gratitude. Authentic gratitude comes from looking at the world with eyes wide open. It is not protected behind blinders – ignoring the horrors…
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So, you want to be a badass?
Oh my gosh. Why is this so scary? Tough = Vulnerable I love the quote this week. It is so very true that the most rebellious thing we can do in a disconnected and harsh world is to show our hearts. Show your heart to your friends. Show your heart to your family. Show your…
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Great Works Started and Sustained
You have so much to offer the world. Tapping Into Your Softness and Strength The rain came thunderous and hard then soft and gentle. Afterward I went outside to enjoy the cool summer air. The light all around was soft and airy. It was the middle of the day but everything seemed so still and…
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Prettier Than Ordinary
Let your curiosity play. Look deeper. Find something just a little prettier than ordinary. Try This, Instead of Questioning Everything Be curious. Notice sensations in your body without telling a story about them. Go outside. Listen to the song of nature or the city or whatever song is humming. Find something alive and look closer.…
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My Prayer is Noticing and Saying Thank You
Their prayer moved with them and through them as they danced. San Felipe Feast – a prayer They danced. Moving together to the pounding of the drums. One two one two one two one two. To infinity. The drums and the bare feet of the women and the moccasined feet of the men drove…
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Wise Wounds
That place that hurts. This Isn’t Your Last Wound There is a wound. Slashing through your heart. Or is it your body? Your soul? It screams out to you in pain fresh and bloody. Or the throb of an ancient hurt muted but etched in stone. It begs for your attention. It buckles your…
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Discover Your Own Special Light
Is your light dulled because you haven’t dusted it off? Your Own Unique Shining Light You have unique gifts. Gifts that the world needs. Gifts that are fulfilling to you and while they bring serve the world they also serve you as well. Dust off these talents, skills and abilities. Don’t keep them hidden…
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Try This When Someone Rains On Your Parade
Haters Gonna Hate Staying On Your Path There are always going to be haters, naysayers and complainers. And it can be easy to sink into that negativity. It happens and it’s not that big of a deal as long as we get back on our path. I was confronted with this in a big…
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The Art of Being Soft
The bees buzzed around me with all their potential to sting. What will I do? Choosing Softness It can be so easy to convince ourselves that we have to be hard and tough. Even here in our gratitude collective a few weeks ago I was talking about fighting. In times when there is…
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Summer Rain Cleanse
The thunder is the loudest, the lightning is the brightest, the rain is the softest. When Life is Stormy Summer rains are showering our desert in blessings. Let the rain cleanse away your worries and your fears. Let the unknowns of life be as accepted as the thunder. Let your gratitude flow like soft…
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How Do You Fight?
My grandparents fought through prayer and hard work and asking for help. Can Gratitude Be a Form of Fighting? In this time of so many people taking sides and fighting it can feel like even peace and war is in its own conflict. But not all fighting is bad. Sometimes we are fighting to be…