Entries For: November 2007

You can view Shonnie's thoughtful blog entry here.

I like to think that I live my life with an "attitude of gratitude". Sometimes it's only for 5 minutes at the end of a day where I take time to count my blessings. Other times, it's several times throughout the day that I'll say a quick prayer of thanks to acknowledge I know that my life is really quite amazing (like on my recent trip to St. Thomas - more on that in a future blog!).

Shonnie asked "How has gratitude changed your life?" My responses are below:

1. Gratitude anchors me in the JOY and BLISS of being alive. Taking time to express gratitude allows me to celebrate the little moments that make life extraordinary. Enjoying a sunset, holding a hand, listening to classical music, smelling a rose, watching the first snow fall... these make life worth living!

2. Gratitude removes me from the DRAMA of being human. Stepping back from my ego-self allows me to live more fully in my spirit-self. From this place, there is no drama and only the unfolding of what is with no judgment and only love.

3. Gratitude helps me to SLOW DOWN. It's so easy to get caught up in "go, go, go" and "do, do, do" but taking time to acknowledge when you're grateful is a great time to stop and breathe deeply.

4. Gratitude helps me to be more INTENTIONAL with my choices. Whether it's spending my time, my energy or my dollars, being aware of where I'm grateful helps me make smart choices. For example, I'm so grateful to have found Namaste, my yoga studio here in Tallahassee, so I make it a point to go to yoga weekly.

Shonnie also asked "What most profoundly evokes your gratitude?" For me, it's...

- Spending quality time with loved ones (human and furry!)

- Travel and getting a new perspective on the world

- Lightbulb moments that my clients experience in a 1:1 coaching session, teleclass or workshop and knowing that I am of service in that moment

- News of my brother Bradley and knowing he's safe. He's a Marine and has been stationed in Iraq for almost a year now.

- Hiking in the woods or walking by the ocean on a sunny day

So, dear reader, how has gratitude changed your life? What most profoundly evokes your gratitude? I invite you to comment below.

She's a wise woman. She knows I am very conscious and well-educated about my health issues and the choices I make. (I've been receiving acupuncture and other forms of alternative medicine for a decade or more.)

Once again, I was defaulting to our society's familiar notion "Ask the experts. They can fix me. " instead of relying on my body's own wisdom and innate knowledge.

I've had my head in the sand for the past few months, eating foods that "comfort" me but don't bode well for my digestion. I've had my head in the sand choosing to lay on the couch and watch mindless soap operas instead of taking my dog out for an afternoon walk. I've had my head in the sand avoiding seeking medical support and hoping that my health issues would "just go away".

How refreshing to have a health care practitioner who essentially said to me in very polite and professional terms "Get your head out of the sand and look at what you're doing! Trust your body. Stop ignoring the signals! Trust yourself! Listen to your intuition!"

That's one thing I love about holistic health care. By and large, these practitioners partner with you to cultivate the wisdom in your body to promote healing. They don't feign to be "experts" or to "know it all".

So... I do know what to do... how to eat well, how to exercise properly and how to nourish myself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

My head is out of the sand once again and it's so much easier to breathe up here! :-)

What do you have your head in the sand about?

(By the way, the photo is of our dog, Andy, with his head in the sand at Cape San Blas this past weekend. He was actually digging for a sand crab but I thought this photo seemed somewhat appropos...!)