GRATITUDE

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Today is November 30th.

It is the last day of the month.

Many people on Facebook took the month of November and expressed one thing each day that they were grateful for.

I participated . . .some.

I was very inconsistent and probably only managed to make a "gratitude" comment about 1/2 of the days.

But that doesn't mean the thoughts were not being felt by me.

 

I saw this video today and it brought tears to my eyes.

(Of course, that happens a lot to - I am a first class boob - but regardless . . .)

 

Take the time to watch it.

Listen with your heart.

The poignancy of it speaks to the soul.

 

 

I spoke with a friend recently -

He had helped me with a task that for him was very easy.

For me - it was a struggle.

It was not that I couldn't have figured it out -

but time was tight and I had been unable to complete the task.

I said thank you. . .many times over.

He was surprised and wondered if I was sincere.

I asked what I could do for him - the answer was nothing.

Why did he want to help me?

What did he want from me?

Was this possible?

 

Have we become so jaded in our lives that when we express gratitude it is not believed?

When someone steps in to help us or gift us with time or service -

are we so jaded that we are looking to find out what they want from us?

I know that I am frequently more than willing to extend a hand of support to others and I expect nothing in return.

Why could I not believe that someone was willing to do that for me?

It made me stop and think.

 

Gratitude.

So often - we relate our gratitude to big things.

Or to big events.

And yes - it is imperative that we are grateful for the big things.

But what about the millions of little miracles that occur each and every day.

 

Yes - MIRACLES.

We are surrounded by them.

 

The simplicity of gratitude is often overlooked. . .

 

The changing of the seasons.

The feel of the rain as it falls.

The sound of my windchimes as they sing their song on the breeze.

The smell of my home.

The ability to see.

The ability to hear.

The ability to breathe.

The ability to read and learn and grow.

The ability to get up when I have fallen.

 

 

As life continues to change in my world, I want to remember to remain grateful.

I vow to notice the little things. . .

The simplicity that creates this thing called life.

I vow to remain in the moment.

I vow to reflect my gratitude to those who are in my life -

and to those that have returned to my life . . .

who have supported me;

laughed with me;

cried with me;

lifted me; held me and

loved me.

 

I will honor those things and those people that have participated in the journey that has brought me to this point.

 

And to each of you I say . . .

Thank you.

 



CHANGE

Change.

Does any word create such a wide range of emotions?

Excitement. Fear. Dread. Fear. Happiness. Fear.

Anticipation. Fear. Pressure. Fear. Joy . . .oh and don't forget FEAR!

 

Yet - how often do we avoid the change -

and often the wonderful rewards that come as a result of change?

 

Right now -

I am going through all kinds of change.

Some of it by my choice.

Some of it as a result of other's choices.

Most of it very exciting -

All of it scary.

 

But the main lesson I have learned from this is to be open to the change.

Overall - change can be very good.

 

Years ago, I remember learning that life is constantly in motion.

We are either moving forward or we are moving backwards -

we are never stagnant.

If we aren't changing and growing for the better . . .

well . . .we are going in the opposite direction.

 

And the only way I can find to make sure that I am going forward is to keep dreaming . . .

keep reaching. . .

keep changing.

 

Which, of course, then brings us back to the subject of fear.

 

Right now

my art business is going through a major change.

It will be good.

I feel confident that it will be great!

It started as a dream.

And the dream is beginning to become a reality.

But it is scary.

Because it has caused me to make some decisions to let go of things that I feel confident about.

Things that I am comfortable with.

 

But I am choosing to let go of the comfort and continue this journey forward.

 

Stay tuned - I promise to share details when I can.

But in the meantime - I will keep dreaming.

And envisioning where this journey of change will take me.



What Is Enough?

What is enough?

Who gets to determine what is enough?

Is it a particular quantity?

When it comes to our personal lives -

our needs to do, to be, to accomplish . . .

Who determines what that looks like?

Is there a particular income, height, weight, accomplishment, number of hours worked in a day, number of hours slept at night, hair color, eye color, fashion sense, belief, moral code, etc., etc., etc,

that help us reach the point of saying . . .

that's it.

I've done it.

I'm good enough.

 

As a woman -

I struggle with this every day.

I open a magazine and I am met with the images of young teen girls made up to look like adults with tiny little bodies and perfect skin and hair.

I go to the movies and see women who manage to do it all, who look perfect, who wake up with perfectly combed "bed hair" and manage to keep it together.

 

Where is the sense of reality?

 

I have spent the last several months identifying who I am.

Who I was as a teenager.

Who I have become today.

Am I enough?

 

I talk with my friends and hear the tales of their journeys as they struggle with the same thing.

I go to social events and listen as everyone talks about how perfect everything in their life is.

I greet a friend or acquaintance and ask "how are you?" -

they answer by telling me they are "great", "just fine", "really good".

 

But are they?

Do they feel as if they are enough?

 

Recently, as I have been processing my divorce, I have found that many issues have emerged for me.

Issues that I have buried.

Issues that I didn't even realize I had.

Issues about self-worth, self-esteem and purpose.

I'm not going to go into the whole mess and process that has been wrapped up in this part of my journey -

but let me just say . . .

I'm beginning to believe that I am enough.

Just as I am.

I may not have the perfect body.

My hair may not be thick and full and lustrous like the commercials tell me it should be.

I have stretch marks, and scars and imperfections.

Some days I am happy and driven and positive.

Other days . . .I am not.

 

But regardless -

this is me.

In all the good, bad and ugly -

and I am enough! We all are.

Dream Big . . .Give Love

 

I don't know that there is much to be said here -

the words are pretty straightforward.

Follow this - and life is good.