Make the world a better place – start with you.
What does it take for you to be healthy in mind, body and spirit? You probably immediately thought about nutrition and exercise. Those are very important but what else? Maybe your gratitude practice, meditation, reading … There is so much we can do for our inner selves and that will be our focus for the next six weeks.
I don’t want to be selfish.
It is important to me to help others but it’s not healthy unless I am also taking care of myself. What I have learned from my own journey is that the more I take care of myself, the more I positively impact others both directly and indirectly:
- I am a better and more generous listener.
- I am more honoring and ask if people want help and how I can help instead of making assumptions.
- I am more authentically generous when I accept myself and others.
- I am better able to use my skills and strengths in all ways including helping others.
Understanding yourself and taking steps to be the best you can be is not selfish. Like Ghandi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Yes, through gratitude.
The most ongoing and impactful way I have seen that working on myself makes the world a better place is through my gratitude practice. I write what I am grateful for each night and go through my days looking for the good. One day last week I was driving to a work meeting in a neighboring town. As I drove I was struck with the spectacular view. Because of my gratitude practice I have learned to really slow down and take in these moments of natural gratitude. So I pulled over and took some photos of the sky and landscape that called to me. Have you ever been driving on a busy freeway and saw someone pulled over taking photos? When it happens you can’t help but look to see what they are admiring. So there I was taking in the view in a very mindful way and when others saw me they took a moment to notice something that they might not have noticed before. This is an example of doing something purely for me, following the feelings of appreciation that naturally bubbled up, and it opened a door for others to appreciate the view as well. When we stop and smell the roses it is a silent invitation for others to do the same.
Over the next six weeks we will explore and care for ourselves; we will create more awareness, learn new skills and practice them:
This is not a linear process each of these topics and practices will cycle back into the others. Through it all though as we look at our inner selves we will find gratitude and it will help us accept, have compassion, love, care, and grow.
[su_quote cite=”Carl Jung”]Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.[/su_quote]
This Week’s Gratitude Question
[su_button url=”http://www.ourgratitudecollective.com/activity/” background=”#178fb3″]What are you grateful to know about yourself?[/su_button]
My Gratitude Experience Last Week
On Saturday a was feeling nostalgic, full of appreciation for my childhood experiences. Now that I reflect on that I realize that at times I am nostalgic and longing to feel what I felt during the past and other times I am nostalgic and honoring both the past and my present. My gratitude on Saturday was both looking back gratefully and being gratefully present.
Forgotten Gratitude
Last week I was also grateful for being turned around and noticing a beautiful view that went unnoticed previously … A mini feast for lunch … Alma being in a great mood … An easy and quick fix when the car wouldn’t start.
A New eCard
Image by Antonia Montoya
The Gratitude I Shared Last Week
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| Sun | 3/15/2015 | It was a really nice day today … Warm and sunny and hearing laughter and conversations as people gathered outdoors … Very successful at work … Visits from my girlfriend, my friend, and my family … Pecan pie and black coffee … Confidence building for my improv show later this week. So much gratitude found. |
| Sat | 3/14/2015 | I’m grateful for the frustrating situation earlier because it got me out into the yard watering plants and digging in the dirt … I’m grateful for reminiscing about the taste of mineral-rich well water straight from the hose … I’m grateful for Chase Hardware there for all these years for all the little things I need around the house and for all those times I got bubble gum there when I was a kid … I’m grateful for my dinner and for a big crockpot of beans that will feed us all week … I’m grateful for all the healing herbs the earth provides. |
| Fri | 3/13/2015 | I’m grateful for a dinner date in front of the fire, so many textures and flavors including edible petals and redeemed gift certificate to foot the bill … Open-hearted lunch time sharing over Frito pie until the restaurant closed … Getting it in under the wire. |
| Thu | 3/12/2015 | I’m grateful for the relief of getting my basic needs met in the moments when they became needs … I’m grateful for a moment to show love … I’m grateful for impromptu metaphors … I’m grateful to hear a perspective that helped me learn from my experience in a profound way. |
| Wed | 3/11/2015 | I’m grateful for a soft lap when I really needed to rest my head … Left overs for a quick lunch with no effort or money … Coconut water when I needed quick hydration … Rest, going to bed early, self-care. |
| Tue | 3/10/2015 | I’m grateful for seeing @heather beaming with happiness, motherhood has lit her up and brought so much joy to her and Shawn … I’m grateful for feedback that helped me try some new marketing angles … The drip irrigation system only needing a few quick repairs to get up and running … I’m grateful for finally feeling sleepy at the right time. |
| Mon | 3/9/2015 | I’m grateful for a beautiful view earlier and finally getting out of my head so I could enjoy it … I’m grateful for the smell of dinner calling me to stop working … I’m grateful for connecting with so many different forms of communication and adapting to what works when the old ways stop working for us … I’m grateful for help making design choices. |
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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 to. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336.
Created by Antonia Montoya[/su_note]