Well, it is that time of year again.  Halloween has come and gone with fun and scary costumes, sweet candy and children of all ages enjoying the festivities.  November has crept up on me like a child tip toeing quietly to say “BOO”.  With the holidays quickly approaching, I began to think about Thanksgiving and gratitude, knowing November is National Gratitude Month, I decided to practice Gratitude for the next 30 days.

Anyone who knows me knows, I try to stay positive, but it isn’t always easy.  We all go through our usual up and down days, but sometimes life brings us through a prolonged shit storm and the down days outnumber the good.  During those times gratitude can easily be forgotten, pushed aside, lost in the overwhelming mess of it all.  I find myself in one of those times where the universe is asking me to rise up and see what I am made of.  So, National Gratitude Month reminded me to be thankful.  To look for gratitude and to find it.  I felt the universe challenging me to overcome and be strong, but in a positive way.  My way.  To be true to myself in the midst of fear and uncertainty.  To push back the darkness that clouds the heart and mind.

I decided to start by finding one thing I am thankful for each morning and posting it on Facebook.  I committed myself to starting my morning on a positive note.  I was committed to slowing down and finding gratitude.  Some days it has come easy.  Some days it has come through tears.  Everyday it has changed my perspective and made me stronger.

Gratitude is a choice. A practice.  I think it must start intentionally and am hoping it becomes a part of who I am.  In my business, doing what I do, I know the health benefits of staying positive and thankful.  I will often encourage others to do so because I know the facts and I want to improve my clients lives.  What they might not know, is that they each improve mine.  I am one of those lucky people who gets to do what they love.  I love my clients, each one has enhanced my life.  I grateful.  Bunny trail, sorry, back to topic….  So, knowing it is healthy. isn’t enough.  You must intentionally practice it. When you are in the storm and someone says, “think positive, you’ve got this, you are strong, this will pass, look at your blessings” it can be hard to hear.  You might feel like saying, “if you only knew”.  Sometimes we can be in such a dark place we cannot see.  That is when we need to reach out and grab the good that surrounds us!  This is when we need gratitude the most.  Let gratitude challenge you, have it’s way you and transform you!

I am not great at reaching out or asking for help.  But in this season, I am reaching out and finding that I am surrounded by goodness, love and light. I think I am doing that because of gratitude. As I think about the people and things to be thankful for, good loving people come to mind and I think, “oh yeah, I can call or text so and so”. Each time, it has helped.  Gratitude can be a game changer.  Maybe I see it because this month I am choosing gratitude.  Intentionally looking for it as though looking for treasure, and it is becoming treasure to me.  It shifts my perception and mood in a moment, lifting me up and grounding me.  When the fear and uncertainty push at me, I am intentionally slowing down, looking at my surroundings and saying, “in this moment, I am safe, in this moment, my needs are met, in this moment I am loved, in this moment I am thankful for….”, then I take a few deep breaths and let it go.  Let the fear move through me and over me and out….away from me.  Gratitude helps battle stress, especially emotional stress which eventually causes pain and disease.  Gratitude is our weapon and I am finding it to be a mighty weapon to wield.

I am thankful that the universe brought me to this moment.  The circumstances and events that led me to learn this truth, that drove me to seek out a practice of gratitude.  I will tell you, it is a practice.  By focusing on this one thing for a week, it has kept me strong and positive, kept me from collapsing.  It has been a game changer.  I am looking forward to see the changes gratitude works in me throughout the month.

I am thankful for the tools in my toolbox.  I use essential oils and exercise to elevate mood, rely on trustworthy positive friends to remind me I am strong, capable, good, loving. that I need good self care right now and most importantly that this is temporary.  Surround yourself with good.

You will be amazed at how much there is to be thankful for when you begin to practice gratitude.  Jesus said, “First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye”.  He was talking about not judging others, but this can apply to judging the situations we are in.  Gratitude helps remove the plank, so we can see more clearly.

Gratitude helps us not miss out on small moments of joy that surround us.  Gratitude paves the way for happiness in each moment.  Namaste