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Stressed and Blessed
Both are true. Uncovering that truth. Yes, And Oof. My final (if all goes as planned) year of graduate school has begun. And already the stress is thick this semester. I was texting a friend and told him how intense it was to be in class for 12 hours (with just two small breaks). I…
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Blessings and Lessons
What if every single thing you experienced today was either a blessing or a lesson? Counteracting the Complaints We’ve talked a lot about complaints and how easy it is to complain and spot things that are less than ideal. This week has been such a reminder about my own tendencies to complain. I have been…
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Those Lessons Learned and Relearned
Breaking Free of Regret Regret Isn’t so Useful Last week we thanked our younger selves. Looking back can be so complex. So often pain stands out yelling loud and clear while those moments of beauty are swept into oblivion. When we look back, even when we are seeking gratitude, we may find that regret emerges.…
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See Things Differently Feel Things Differently
Reframing aka Reappraisal and Emotion The Practice of Changing Our Minds Gratitude is a powerful tool for reframing or reappraisal which is simply intentionally seeing something from a different perspective. The benefits of reappraisal can not be understated. It helps us to: have empathy communicate more effectively with people who are different than us open…
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Is Negativity Realistic?
Bell Hooks calls it absolutely disenabling Negativity Stops Me in My Tracks I am currently reading All About Love by Bell Hooks where I came across a wonderful passage exploring negativity, positivity and taking responsibility. Because we have learned to believe negativity is more realistic, it appears more real than any positive voice. Once we begin…
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A Recipe for Getting Out of Your Own Way
Do you know how all this gratitude started for me? Living Your Best Life Before gratitude became the focus of my work and even before I started practicing gratitude, I used to use it as a tool to help people on their path to creating the life they wanted. I was doing health and wellness coaching…
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A Life of Giving Thanks
A day like the one before. Or is it? We Don't Have a Day of Thanks. We Have a Life of Thanks. Sometimes my days and weeks go by in a blur. One day seems to be virtually identical to the one before. Work, read, write, eat, repeat. But then each night I sit and…
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Where I Lay My Head
The essentials that surround us. Sick and Cold and Alone and Wondering That's how I woke up this morning. I hadn't turned on my space heater and my bedroom isn't heated otherwise. My blankets were not cutting it once that low of 21 degrees hit. And to make matters worse I was sick to my stomach.…
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Celebrating the Wins
Wins large and small. The Day after an Election and Other Days Too When we see the results of an election there are almost always wins and losses. These larger wins and losses are a great example for the itty bitty wins and losses that we experience on an average Wednesday. It can be so…
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Mining for Possibilities
Replacing your reactions with possibilities. What is Possible? Our reactions, whether emotions, actions or just thoughts, are so mindless and automatic. That isn't always a bad thing. I mean, really, it might just save our asses when we are driving. But outside of those times when split-second reaction time is necessary we can change our…
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The Teacher Appears
Ready or not. Hello, Teacher What teacher has shown up in your life recently? A fly that reminds you to keep the screens closed and to pick up dog poop. A child amazed at a simple blade of grass. That person who reminds you of the importance of clearly communicating your no. A rose bush…
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Repeat the Good
Learning to honor the good in our lives. Imagine Ruminating about the Good How often are your ruminating thoughts about the good that is happening in your life? If you’re like me almost never. I usually ruminate about my to do list, what other people are thinking, fears about the past or future, or the…
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Finding Gratitude is Creativity
To see all around you differently. A Reality That Wasn’t There Before Sometimes gratitude just spontaneously emerges. Other times I decide I am going to be grateful and choose to find gratitude that wasn’t there before. Either way I see the parallels with creativity. Isn’t creativity the same way? Sometimes we just spontaneously add that…
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Saying Yes to This Moment
What is possible here? I’d Heard It Before but Still Needed to Hear It I’m reading this great book that I highly recommend for anyone who is interested in systems and transformation especially on a large scale. It is called Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown. It is one of those books that is exciting…
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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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Job Crafting Through Gratitude
Finding meaning in our work. Start Crafting Your Meaningful Work Today To have a great life, to be at our best, to be resilient, we must find meaning in our life. Imagine having a strong sense of purpose as you contribute to something greater than yourself. Imagine having a job that is fulfilling in this…
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Belonging
“Don’t walk through the world looking for evidence that you don’t belong.” Finding Belonging Brené Brown gives this powerful advice that emerged from her research on belonging. She says that we shouldn't walk through the world looking for evidence that we don't belong because we will find what we are looking for. She instead says…
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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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The Flow of All Things
The shape of everything is flow. ~Richard Rohr Choose to See the Flow What possibilities open up for you when you choose to see the flow in all of life? In nature. In seasons. In relationships. In thoughts. In emotions. In love. I went to a talk last night and everything kept coming back to…
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Finding the Fun
Sometimes the easiest way to see it differently is to find something funny about it. It’s Not Funny. Or Is It? Some people are experts at finding the humor in situations that just aren’t funny. These people annoy me. Hahaha. But if I’m honest when I am feeling grounded and calm and at my best…