I once had the privilege to hear spiritual teacher, David Hawkins, speak about gratitude. He said “To be grateful takes requirements off of life, and puts requirements on me.” This is such wisdom. We place requirements on life all the time and get upset when it doesn’t meet our demands. “I want this. I want […]
Have you ever noticed the tendency to compare yourself to others? To make decisions about how you are doing based on how others are doing? And have you noticed that when you do this, you may find yourself feeling like “not enough”? Comparing is often so habitual, we don’t even notice we’re doing it. But […]
Here it is, the end of 2011 and the beginning of a New Year! It is such a special time of the year, that we are reminded to stay awake to the powerful energy of transition. It is an opportunity to learn lessons, to let go, to celebrate, and to step forward with intention. As […]
The Gratitude holiday, Thanksgiving, is upon us. Time for giving thanks. But just in case you are feeling a little low on appreciation, let’s make sure we are filled to the brim with gratitude before giving thanks. Don’t you just love the feeling of appreciation and gratitude? It really is an attitude, or state of […]
For many, the holiday season is stressful – time, money, family demands, travel, end of year deadlines – the list goes on. Sometimes experiencing sanity seems like a more reasonable goal than experiencing joy! Then, to compound the matter, we often become overly concerned for the joy of family members, friends, co-workers. Though well intentioned, […]
I agree with Jacob Glass that gratitude is the mind’s natural anti-depressant. “Gratitude is spitting in the eye of the ego. It’s throwing a bucket of water on the wicked witch….If you never remembered any other spiritual practice in your life, gratitude would be enough.” (from his new book The Crabby Angels Chronicles“.
In many households, frazzled Thanksgiving cooks (Grandma comes to mind) put out a relish tray to keep hungry but idle hands out of the kitchen. These trays are loaded with goodies, each tucked into its own compartment: pimento-stuffed green olives, whole black olives little ones canstick on their fingertips before eating, radishes, celery stuffed […]
If Chicken Little showed up on your doorstep crying, “The Sky is Falling! The sky is falling!” what would you say? Would you jump right in and list your woes and fears, or would you help her change her perspective? A little gratitude can go a long way toward changing perspective, as can helping others. […]
The time between Thanksgiving and New Years can be a whirlwind of activity, when shopping trips take three times as long as usual and every joyful cookie exchange means an extra hour or two in the kitchen. Mindfully choosing your activities can keep you grounded in the moment, but to truly enjoy the holiday (or any) season, […]
This is the season when we are reminded to give thanks. In the whirlwind of family events, how do we take time for mindful gratitude? One way is with a Gratitude Journal, a special book devoted to listing the things, large and small, that enrich our lives. If you have one that you’ve been neglecting, now is a […]