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A Recipe for Feeling Alive
Acceptance and Appreciation Throughout What Makes You Feel Alive? It is such an individual thing. What makes you feel alive and what makes me feel alive are probably vastly different. But as I hold my animal companion through her last days I have been thinking a lot about how often it is the simplest things…
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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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To Have Not or to Have
Celebrating what we have through gratitude. Today It can be so easy to look forward with worry or anticipation. To look back with regret or nostalgia. But today calls for your attention. Today is here. Today is real. And even when we are present in what is real today it can be so easy to…
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Feel Your Feelings
Don’t skip the heart of it all. These Feelings Are Real I beg of you to sit with them. These feelings that are alive in you right now. Whatever they are. However they feel. Just be here now with them. What are you noticing in your body? Where do you feel sensations? Where do you…
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There Are No Words
… {Gasp} Sometimes gratitude fills you. Completely. So full that your heart just seems to expand more and more and more. And your skin can't possibly hold it all in. Those moments of gratitude are so big that everything else slips away. And we are fully enveloped in the blessing in front of us. Years ago…
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Choose Carefully the Words After “I am”
I am worthy. The Power of "I am" Another result of a gratitude practice is that every day that we write, "I am grateful for _________," we are declaring who we are as grateful. This is extremely powerful. The words we choose to say after "I am" truly, and in all ways, define us. It…
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The Way That Song Makes Me Feel
Let’s celebrate the music of our lives. The Feelings. The Memories. Thank You, Music. Oh music. You touch us all. You make us feel. You remind us of joyous and heart-wrenching times gone by. Each and every one of us appreciate music. Which connects us all. Today I would like to celebrate music and the…
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Don’t Be Blinded by Gratitude
Not everything is beautiful. In what ways does seeing the darkness of the world bring you hope? Seeing the Darkness and Finding Hope As I mourn yet another mass shooting I am reflecting on being grateful but not ONLY being grateful. I would hate for a gratitude practice to be blinders to seeing the tragedies…
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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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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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Grief with Gratitude: a gratitude ritual
Honoring our loved ones who are no longer here. Grieving with Gratitude I have seen that grief has been emerging in our community. I feel for you and am so inspired by your vulnerable and honest gratitude sharing. I decided to create this month’s gratitude ritual with grief in mind and I was so very…
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Cultivate Tenderness
Don’t be afraid of your tender heart. It feels too vulnerable. It feels scary. But it is healing. Healing Ourselves with Gratitude and Tenderness I spent my entire life trying to be tough. I wanted to be seen as cool. I wanted people to think that there is nothing they could do to hurt me…
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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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And Then the Anger Came
Gratitude and anger. We rarely talk about these two together but … Is Anger the Opposite of Gratitude? If you’ve been following the last three issues you know I have been going through a difficult time. In full transparency I am grieving the loss of a beautiful partnership. This breakup has been challenging. But you…
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Gratitude with Eyes Wide Open
Kid President has some beautiful words to inspire us this week. Practicing Gratitude Is Not about Ignoring the Bad Don’t be afraid of the bad. The sad. The hurt. I’m sorry. I don’t want to tell you how to feel. Be afraid if you must. But don’t close your eyes. Look at the bad.…