What are you grateful for? How do you keep track of what you are grateful for? Do you keep a gratitude journal or say a list of things you are grateful for in the morning before you start your day activities and/or at night before going to bed?
In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the third Thursday in the month of November every year.
I admit I love Thanksgiving because I love eating cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes with gravy and stuffing, and going into a happy state of turkey coma.
Thanksgiving itself holds a special place in my heart because of the word, “thanksgiving” and what it means to me.
The word “thanksgiving” means giving thanks which is all about gratitude.
So for my November blog story I am devoting the whole month of November to gratitude.
Of course I do my best to practice gratitude everyday; however, I must admit that there have been days or a couple of weeks where I have skipped writing in my gratitude journal.
For the month of November, rather than being mindful and reflective for just one day, I am going to be mindful, be in the present moment, and reflect everyday in November of the people, events, and things I am grateful for that has shown up for me this past year before moving into the new year.
I invite you to join me in the practice of gratitude during this month of November. Practice being mindful, being in the present moment and reflecting on all the people, events, and things you are grateful for this past year before you move into the new year.
I don’t know about you, but I can get so wrapped up in my busy day with all my to do list that I become overwhelmed. So much so that I sometimes think what do I have to be grateful for?
Sometimes I’m in my own pity party and I can’t think of a single thing I should be grateful for.
So what does this have to do with a hula hoop, you might ask?
Well, when I am in my state of being in my own pity party, it feels as if I am alone. I might start to kick things away that are important to me such as the people in my life, and things that bring me joy such as my hoop.
As you can clearly see, I am not in the state of feeling or being in gratitude, and am kicking my hoop away. Clearly there is no joy.
Would you want to spend any time with this person? (To be honest, I wouldn’t.)
One of the ways to break down the wall, is the willingness to get out of the pity party that we’ve invited ourselves into.
The other is to get into the state of gratitude. What am I grateful for?
At first you might ask this question in a sarcastic tone, but if you really are willing to step into the state of gratitude, you might come up with one thing which might sound stupid to you such as ‘I am breathing’.
Yes! Lean into whatever it is because that is a start.
Think about it… the simple gratitude toward breathing is so important. If you and I aren’t breathing, we aren’t alive. If we are not alive, we can’t try something new today.
Then, see if you can come up with another thing you are grateful for, and another, and soon you will be on a roll! And you might start to see that you have more things to be grateful for than you realized.
Clearly this person has found her flow by being in the state of gratitude.
I don’t know about you; I would love to spend time with this person.
The moral of this story is…
Find gratitude even if it is just one item because that is a start no matter how overwhelmed you might feel. Let everything go and be in the present moment when you think about things you are grateful for. Then you will start to feel and be in the flow of gratitude.
It’s easy to be wrapped up in your busy life and become so overwhelmed that you end up throwing yourself a pity party. It’s lonely when you’re in a pity party, and others can certainly join you in your pity party, but is anyone having fun?
Even if you’re in a pity party with others, you will still feel lonely because everyone is thinking only of themselves and of their own problems and issues.
Remember:
Remember you can choose to stay in your pity party by wallowing in your overwhelming stress, anxiety, whatever it might be or you can choose to leave the party by being in the present moment and being in gratitude. Which one will you choose? Choose wisely.
If you are driven to taking care of you and to being heard, then
Contact me here and I’ll get you started on the right path.
Warm regards,
Grace CW Liu
Transition Navigator
W: GraceSOULutions.com
ABOUT GRACE
Grace CW Liu is an expert Transition Navigator who will help you to navigate through your biggest challenges about yourself when going through your career, relationship, health, or other life transitions.
Through my programs: WORRY Eliminator, Color Code Personality, and Discover Your Sacred Gifts, I teach you how to deliberately use and navigate the program that will get you to live more of your Soul’s purpose.
As a Transition Navigator, I will help you to design, navigate, and manifest the results you want in your life with peace, happiness, ease, and grace. Together we solve your problems so that you create a whole new way of looking at life.
March HOOP With Grace