Gratitude List 2.0 Upgrade

For years on this blog, I've been talking about doing something that is so simple.  In fact, if you go back to 2009, you will see a blog post I wrote on "The Gratitude Jar".  At the time, I was using that extensively and it really helped me focus throughout my day on gratitude.  Generally speaking, if we are not looking and not aware of moments of gratitude, they will slip by our attention without even noticing them.

As time has shifted and changed for me, I sort of lost track of doing the gratitude jar or a gratitude list.  I thought I had come to the point where I was seeing it throughout my day.  While it would be safe to say that I was, there are times that I am still missing that which is around me.  As humans, it is very easy to miss the obvious, even if it is staring us in the eyes.

Now, I've started to do something different on gratitude.  Instead of just making a list at the end of my day of things I am grateful for, I am enhancing it.  You could say it is the Gratitude List 2.0 Upgrade and download.  However, it is what is currently speaking to my heart and I'm following the intention of it to more clearly focus my life.

We Numb Gratitude And Happiness

Brene Brown is one of my favorite speakers.  You may know her from the TED conferences where she likes to talk about vulnerability and shame which happens to really resonate with me personally.  In a talk she gave, there was a quote that was very profound.

When we numb [hard feelings], we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness. (Brené Brown) - from The Power Of Vulnerability

You see, numbing is something we all do as humans.  It is part of our biology and it is an unconscious act which replicates itself most likely every day of our life.  We are usually unaware that we are doing it, but it runs like fine tuned software program.

Techniques Learned From Children

Today in my inbox, was the daily email from The Universe.   I read this and couldn't help but smile.  At that moment, I knew I needed to share this.  When we are children, we see life in a very unfiltered and uninhibited way.  As we grow into adults, our experiences begin to shroud our view of life.  Life takes on a new meaning and we lose that innocence we once had as children.  So today I'm sharing the daily email from "The Universe" on Techniques Learned From Children.  I hope you enjoy it and if you do, you can also subscribe free at TUT.com.

Here are a few techniques learned from children, that will help anyone take their game, or their life, to a whole new level:

1. Once a day playfully imagine that you're already there.

2. Frequently speak in gratitude as if you've already arrived.

3. And, every now and then, physically do something you never would have done at the old level... like praise yourself, reward yourself, or cluck a few times with thumbs under your arms.

I'll never tell a soul,
    The Universe

Connect With Joy And Gratitude

I find it is so easy to want a more fulfilling life, than despair about all the problems I face.  It is like I want to connect with joy and gratitude in life, but I forget how to do this.  Maybe I sabotage myself into the thought patterns of the past, believing I cannot do this, but who am I fooling?

Once again I remind myself that I can strengthen my life just by connecting with joy and gratitude in my heart.  As I remind myself of all that there is, I only need to stop and feel how these things replicate in my heart.  It is through the connection that we experience them in some very powerful ways.

All I need to do, is just stop and feel my heart.  As I take my hand and place it over my heart, I begin to think about things in my life that make me feel full of gratitude and joy.  When I do this, I begin to feel a warmth inside my heart.  I feel the smile that connects to it, and the sense of peace that covers me in this moment.

It is easy to forget to connect with joy and gratitude.  The busy seconds of our day or the difficult moments we experience, can often knock us off from realizing we have forgotten this.  It is in those moments that we really need to sync up with the gratitude and joy in our heart.  As we do this, we will find a power and a strength much greater than ourselves, that will push us forward.

Joy And Gratitude In Our Heart

Connect with your heart through joy and gratitude, and life will look much different.  For when we embrace joy and gratitude in our life and we touch the depths of it in our body, we are united with a force stronger than any situation we may be up against. - Don Shetterly

Gratitude That I Exist

I saw this quote from Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor on Twitter recently and just had to share it.  How better of a way to view gratitude then by something that is so simple and easy to grasp.  So without further ado, here is the quote.

Jill Bolte Taylor ‏@DrJBT

I wiggle my fingers in front of my face and for this present moment I smile from within from gratitude that I exist at all 

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is the author of "My Stroke Of Insight" which is a very good book!  You can also read my review on her book.

21 Day Gratitude Challenge - Week 1

Week 1 - 21 Day
Gratitude Challenge

In a blog post on October 23, 2011, I posted about the Gratitude Challenge.  Since then, I decided to take the challenge and this is is a journal entry of my first week, day by day.

Week 2 and Week 3 will be posted as they are completed.

I hope that you will take the 21 day challenge with me and if you do, please feel free to leave a comment about any results you want to share.  You can download the calendar of activities for the Gratitude Challenge at the following website:  http://www.gratitudechallenge.com/

Take The Gratitude Challenge

Take The
Gratitude Challenge

I just ran across an amazing website regarding gratitude.  In the past, you've probably read my blog posts about gratitude including the gratitude jar.  When life gets tough, we often look for things that help us find our way through.  However, gratitude is something we should live in every day.

Back in the days when I became paralyzed, I learned to be grateful for the small things like sitting up in bed, talking, or going outside and listening to the birds and feeling the warmth of the sunshine.  All too often, we get so busy that we miss the little moments in life that are all around us.  Before long, life has become mundane, dreary and something that we dread each morning.

Gratitude isn't about waiting for the grandiose moments that come along but learning to be grateful for the things we experience every moment of every day of our life.   They are around us more than we often realize and just by learning to notice them, we can not only change our life, but the entire world.

Reiki Attunement

Purples, green, bright white light.

Mixing and fading into pure peace, love and stillness.

Going from moments of wondering and questioning into discovery and connectedness.

Seeing more possibility of what there is, of what could be and that this is a part of the path.

Feeling the love, feeling the pureness and wholesomeness of the moment supported by the love.

Feeling full of gratitude for something so simple, yet so profound.

Just in this moment today, with nothing else but being here, connected to all that is present.

No need to strive to touch it, as it is just part of all that is here.

Through the breath, being filled with pure love, pure acceptance and pure energy, may awareness open into a new consciousness.



Blog Post & Images (c) 3/10/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Joy, Gratitude, Abundance

No matter how difficult it gets or how much the negative stuff floods my mind, I need to stay in the mindset of hope, gratitude, and joy.

By keeping my thoughts in this realm, I am opening myself up to possibility and empowerment.

Joy and gratitude helps raise my vibration which then allows me to participate in the plane of abundance and what I am called to do.

Forgiving, releasing and letting go of negative drains upon my life will enable me greater capacity for all that is good in my life.

We've Got So Much

Sometimes in life, we look around and complain about many things. We wish this was different or that was different. Sometimes we subscribe to different schools of thoughts and we know that if we just keep believing, things will somehow change for the better.

The only thing is that while doing this, we often fail to see what is so good about our lives in the current moment we are living in. We've already got much more than we sometimes see. We've already accomplished so much of what we are wishing for. We have already changed so much of what we wish to change.

Yet, we are too busy looking for the golden rainbow to notice that the rain and thunderstorms in our life are actually offering to us what we long for. Sure, we may have to dodge the lightening bolts and the hail and find shelter from the drenching downpours of rain, but just as we celebrate a sunny day, so should we celebrate the rainy season.

Spend time today, observing in your life just all that has come into your life. Recognize what is already there, and what has shown up. Know that life is about seeing what is before us instead of squinting into the horizon to guess at what is out there.

The Gratitude Jar

I ran across this site the today and was really impressed with what they were doing. I had done something similar and posted about my own gratitude jar but it didn't go as far as this one went. Hopefully they will keep the web page up but in case they don't, I'm copying the text of what there gratitude jar is about. If you want to read their site and it is well worth a moment to check out, go to http://www.gratitudejar.com


From their website:

Every time something good happens to you or you
feel grateful for something in your life, place some
change in a jar. When this jar is full, give it away
to someone in need!

With each jar we include a card that reads the
following:Gratitude Jar This jar represents abundance and our gratitude
for all the blessings we have received recently.
Every time something good happened to us we
would place some money into the jar as a symbol
of our gratitude.

True abundance comes from sharing.

Take this jar and enjoy its contents and know that
it was filled with love and gratitude.

Our intention is for you and your family to
experience true happiness and abundance in all
areas of your life.

Stepping Into

When I drew this chalk picture, I had no idea what I was about to create. Rarely do I sit down and draw anything because I just don't feel that is my area of expertise. So when I do sit down and draw, it usually takes me by surprise. This is a simple picture but it is jam packed with meaning and significance for my own life.

You see, many times throughout my own life, I've been afraid at what lies ahead. You could even say, I am at one of those moments right now. I am sure that I am not alone as others experience this as well. Often we do not talk about those fears and if we do, many around us quickly tell us to just live for today or go on about our lives and not worry. While there is some good intentions to that, this could short circuit this part of our life and hold us back in many ways. The fears are real, the people are real but the outcomes are what is important.

Often when we face that unknown darkness ahead, we sometimes spend so much time staring at it that we forget what lies behind us. All of the things that we have carried with ourselves up to this point gives us the strength, the courage and the determination to move forward. It is all part of us. It helps us find the footing when we step out into the unknown.

In the picture, the house depicts a sense of security, starting point, origin, and grounding for our lives. It is the safety point from which we emerge. It is the fortress from which we draw strength. It is the beginning point for moving forward. The terrain reminds us of how much we have overcome and how many difficult steps we have already taken. It is the reminder of all that we have accomplished when we begin to doubt ourselves. The tree is for bountiful sustenance and a further anchor to hold on to. It is the strength we see in many ways as we begin to step forward. The birds are there to remind us of the joys we do have in our life and the gratitude for all that we are. Behind the person looking into the unknown is the wind that comes along in our life. It is the people, places, knowledge, self discovery that propels us further. While it seems the wind is only to the person's back, it is helping propel the person and give them strength and energy to keep stepping forward.

Many times we have no clue what each step we take, will bring to our path. We just know where we have traveled from and so as we take a new step, we are reminded of all that there is in our life, to move in the direction we need to go. We have no need to push it or pull it or change it. We just need to take the step forward for taking the individual baby steps forward is what makes the unknown familiar to us.

Thanking The Universe When Life Sucks!

One of the things I’ve been doing the past couple of days is thanking the universe in the morning or throughout the day when I get worried about where things are at. I’m thanking it for giving me this opportunity to learn or experience all that I am supposed to experience even if I don’t fully know what that includes. I figured that worrying about everything isn’t working so maybe it is time to try something different. I’m skeptical of course of my new outlook but it can’t hurt to try new things. *smile*

It Took A Miracle

Several days back, I was at the point of wishing life would really stop. Life as I know it had given me a lot to deal with and culminated in an episode of vomiting and complete exhaustion of my body. One could make a claim that I had a 24 hour flu bug or that I had eaten something that didn't agree with myself but the facts would not support these theories and hypothesis. However, there was one factor that played a significant role in this entire night of horrible anguish.

Leading up to this night, I was full of anger that seemed to just replenish itself every moment that I drew from its well. There was no end to its supply. On top of that, my neck muscles, back muscles and overall body were in a state of tension from stress with pains radiating from many different parts. It included the creep crawly feeling on my legs along with the muscles twitching that drives me nuts! Headaches were coming and going and my eating diet was so far off with wild mood swings from one extreme to another. I felt like a pendulum going back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth.

Than when the fury of the night unleashed its gigantic storm on me, I sat on the bathroom floor wishing this would stop but knowing if I continued to resist it, things could and most likely would get worse. By the time, the vomiting had stopped; I could barely stand up on my two feet or make it to my bed to just go to sleep for the night. Every internal organ inside of my body was twisting and turning and I could feel every movement which was not enjoyable. I just wanted the night to be over and all of this to end. I had reached my end point. I had reached the point of saying enough was enough and did not have the ability to even begin fighting this in the moment. I had reached fatigue. I had reached exhaustion. There was no going back at this moment. The only way beyond was to accept the current state I was in and worry about the next moment when it arrived.

The next day, I still felt horrible as far as abdominal pains from the night of vomiting. I was weak and had little desire to eat anything at that point. I was extremely tired and desired sleep. However, my body felt much more relaxed than it had felt in some time. The tension was remarkably less. The headaches were gone. It felt as if my body had gone through a big release as if I had been through a bodywork session on a table. You could argue and probably would be correct that the night of vomiting was point that built up to the release in my body. However, my body was not the same as it was the previous day and even though my mind was still tired and exhausted, I knew there was a change.

As I regained my strength throughout the day, I finally broke down and said, "Universe - you win". I continued speaking to the universe that what I had been given in life to deal with was more than I could take. I needed a break. I needed a reprieve from it. I just could only deal with so much and it seemed as if I had been given more than my fair share. I remember uttering the words "I really need a miracle" and I was not going to share that point with anyone. I wanted the miracle to come my way totally unsuspected and in a way that I knew I was not creating it. I just left it at that. By this point, I felt strong enough to start doing some yard work and so I spent a couple of days outside in the sun not worrying about any of the stresses I had to deal with in life at that moment.

Then on Monday morning bright and early, I was awakened by a phone call. While that was annoying, I stepped back and saw that what this person had to share with me was a prompting to pick up a project that I had almost given up on. I was sitting there thinking - wow.. that's amazing! Later that day, I found out about an opportunity to sell some music through a national retailer website that just had not connected in my mind and so that process started. On Tuesday, I had sent an email to someone and so wanted to be able to attend an event coming up but knew there was no possible way. Out of that email, came a response that completely changed every aspect of that particular situation. In the process of this time, I was able to connect with an online friend who up until this point, I was too shy to talk to on the phone and that single act of speaking on the phone was a big moment for me. The possibilities of that single phone call are out of this world.

Tuesday morning of course was met by another phone call for a 5 day contract job. While the pay was less than normal, it was 5 full days of work which was a welcomed relief. Things had been getting pretty dire with income and so after going many weeks without any phone calls, this contact meant so much. Later Tuesday afternoon, I was working hard on a project when a call came through from a friend on the Yanni Fan Club message board. I missed the call initially but then check the messages and knew I needed to call her back right away. She had initially bought tickets for her family to see Yanni in Orlando next but her husband just had pace maker surgery and was advised not to travel to Orlando. That meant, she had an extra ticket and she just wanted someone to be able to use it. While she had called others about this, I was the first one to return her call and I’m so happy I was. The ticket is in the 4th row and I've never been to a concert where I sat in the 4th row before. She gave me the ticket and wanted nothing for it. Without this act of her kindness and generosity, I would not have been able to go see Yanni. I never expected something like this to happen when I woke up yesterday.

My mind is drifting back to the statement I made to the universe just a couple days ago "I need a miracle". I didn't get "ONE" miracle. Instead, I received several miracles. And I wrote the following, "I love it when the Universe and the Angels let me know they are there and today, it has been in some very dramatic ways. I asked for a miracle and I'm amazed at how quickly things happened. Wow... Why did I ever doubt this? That's the lesson I still haven't fully learned."

Yes, I still struggle with the issue of knowing I'm not alone in this world. My upbringing led me to the point of not ever relying or asking for or accepting any help whatsoever. I was taught that if you did, than the people who were giving these things to you could and most definitely would demand how you ran your life and what decisions you made and every little thing you would do. I was taught by example that once you accept help, than you give up all freedom. When I look back at the previous week, it is obvious that I'm not alone and it is very obvious that there is something out there listening to me. You may want to call it the Universe, God, The Angels, The Spirits or a host of other identifiers. To me, it doesn't matter what I call it, because I know they exist. However, I usually refer to them as my Angels or as the Universe. It is what fits for me.

My heart is filled with joy at this time because of all that has transpired for me. I can see that if we drop our guard down and allow ourselves to connect with all that is around us, than we truly are not alone and we are blessed beyond imagination. I realize that we don't have to go any further than what is right around us. It isn't something that we need to look to others for the answers but is something that is right within us. Others may help us discover what is within ourselves, but we can access it at any time.

Of course, like many others, I fail to remember this. That just gives me the opportunity for further growth and continued steps on down my journey. So once again, I'm reminded of all that I am part of and all that is a part of me. May I remember this as I draw on the strength I need to fulfill the purpose that is before me.

Abundance Blessings

It was truly one of those days. Just hours earlier, I was really feeling pretty roughed up in life, struggling to make sense of some things. They tend to be normal things, but nevertheless they are my beloved and hated twins. Most of the time, I can tough it out, act strong and act as a man while muddying through it. This day though, things were just building a little too much for me.

So I had some alone time and I sat and talked to the angels, as I call it. Most people may think I am a little strange here or if they saw me, they might think I was really losing my marbles because it would appear I was talking with no one. Call it what you may or what you must, but to me it is talking to my angels.

Anyway, I expressed my concerns, frustrations and anger. Normally, I don't hold back and I just say it as I see fit. It is what seems natural and normal to me. I do remember when people used to tell me in church, you shouldn't get mad and scream at God. Oh really, well if God or the angels or the universe (however you look at it) isn't big enough to handle all of this, than they really aren't that powerful and wonderful in my eyes. I digress though.

So yesterday we went to check out a massage school. I wanted to make another contact in the area, get a small bottle of massage oil and check on CEU classes. While we were getting ready, a thought popped in to my mind to go to the store, Guitar Center, and see about an audio interface for recording music. You see, since I got my new laptop, I have been struggling to record music from my keyboard on it with a good quality sound. When I bought the laptop, little did I know that together, Dell and Microsoft and the Recording Industry, would try to prevent something as simple as this. I've spent more hours than I want to think of trying to resolve this.

Anyway, back to the journey. The massage school was different than what I was used to and no classes were in session but I found the massage oil I wanted and got some information. It was a nice connection but I really do miss the school I went to.

We then headed to Guitar Center and when I showed the sales person what I was after, he said, that is not going to do well for what you are doing. I'm like, ok.. so what will that isn't real expensive because some of these items get pretty expensive. He pulled out a cheaper one but it would only allow me to record one channel in stereo which wasn't ideal. Than I asked him, what is the best solution and he pulled out another which was about $50 more. I'm thinking ok.. I record music. I want to do this and I want it to be right. Of course, the business account didn't have enough to cover it but there's always plastic right. So I then wasn't really thinking but noticed I asked him if there was a discount for a couple of places connected to my music distribution. He said no on the one but went to the computer, punched in a few keys and said, I can give you a discount of $25. I'm like...cool. I'll buy it! Later when I checked online, neither of these music services I mentioned had any discount with this place. He didn't have to give me the discount but he did. I'll finish the rest of that story in a moment.

So on the way home, I got a call from a good friend of mine who works with Dr. Canali. I've been struggling lately to find others who are consciously aware of life in the way that I am and Dr. Canali is. I've missed him and my friend a lot and I just needed that connection. Right now, to make a trip to Miami, hotels are at the peak of the season and are extremely expensive. So it really isn't an option at the moment. Anyway I found out they were coming to a place about 90 miles from us this weekend to do a seminar/workshop for another therapist I know. I'm like...smiles, hi 5's and the whole works! Just to reconnect with them and be around this will be worth more than a government bailout package! I had tears in my eyes just knowing that I would get to see them again. These are two people who have been with me through so much and next to Jeff, they hold a very special place in my heart.

Anyway, I got home and told Jeff I needed to try the massage oil out. Of course he happily agreed to letting me try it out on him. I gave him a 45 minute back massage which I haven't done on anyone in some time. I was kind of amazed that I still remembered what to do but when I finished, you could see it in his face that not only did he enjoy it but he was relaxed. A big confidence booster it was just knowing that I still had the touch.

So on through the rest of the story. I got home and started to hook up the new audio interface to my computer not really sure what I was doing. Jeff helped me with moral support. And then it happened! I recorded the first sounds through the new device and when I listened to the recorded sound, I was blown away. The sound was so crisp, clear and of a quality that I had never heard come out of a recording before. It was beautiful and I have a feeling this will give me the added edge my music has been lacking. I knew it was missing something but I didn't realize what I had been missing all this time. I'm glad I struggled through this issue and ended up buying the device that I bought. It was like it was meant to be and I was just a little slow to figure it out!

As I was thinking though when I went to bed last night, so many things happen in our days and if we're not careful, they will pass us by without even noticing them. The joys from yesterday were great and were the pick me up, I needed. They were the confidence booster, the new insight, the revolutionized way of creating future music! They were examples of knowing that I'm not alone and that I have so much support out there. It was a day of letting me know, that they, the angels, are listening. Indeed it was an abundant day of blessings.

10 Things I’m Thankful For

1) That I’m taking care of myself more and more and really continuing to discover all there is about myself. No more do I go through life just as a human but as a human that is evolving.

2) Having a partner that cares so much about me, that loves me unconditionally and puts up with all my faults, heartaches, fears and quirks. I’ve never had that in my life until I met Jeff and I’m so thankful that we met and are spending our lives together as we just marked our 9 year anniversary.

3) Having a house that stayed dry through the hurricane and not losing everything we owned like many in our areas did.

4) Having a home which we just love and enjoy and gives us a nice quality of life.

5) Having two new kittens that are so adorable and fun to be around along with snuggles who is the ruler of the kittens and the house or so she thinks.

6) Getting enough income this year to make it through the year without completely falling on my face. In addition, I was able to make some purchases that I badly needed and had put off for many years.

7) A new president being elected who is down to earth, a common person and hopefully one that will truly be a President of the people. It is refreshing to see the President elect embrace those who are gay instead of bashing them and for that I am truly thankful.

8) All that is growing in my garden and the great vegetables that I get out of it.

9) The things that I as well as many others take for granted. Things that appear to be necessities when in fact they are luxuries. It wasn’t that long ago in my life that going to be on a full stomach was quite an accomplishment for a day.

10) Friends far and wide who I know in person or online, who have moved away or we moved away from them, for some that I speak to frequently and for some it feels more distant.



What are you thankful for?