The Energy of Gratitude

During this month of Thanksgiving, I thought it was only fitting to ask the poignant question: For what am I grateful? I wrote a similar post several years, ago; as I believe expressing gratitude is such an important aspect of life. It is so easy to take many of our gifts and blessings for granted. Thus, I tried to capture a few blessings for which I am grateful. Some are obvious, others are not. I, for one, believe that by deliberately cultivating gratitude, we can increase our well-being and happiness. In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—has been proven to increase levels of energy, optimism, and empathy. So, for what am I grateful?

• I am grateful for the love, unconditional support, encouragement, and tremendous role models of my family – mom, dad, and sister – throughout my life.
• I am grateful to have Lulu, my rescue schnauzer; as she has become a treasured friend and constant source of unconditional love.
• I am grateful to Cleo, my sister’s 16 year old schnauzer, who has been an integral part of our lives since she was a puppy – and despite her age, continues to add joy and whimsy to our lives.
• I am grateful for my health, which was tested again this year. I am grateful for the doctors, nurses, ‘chemo-cocktail’, and the Rotary Blood Drive which uncovered the illness which could have taken my life.
• I am grateful to my friends for their love, generous interest in my life, humor and above all else: their loyalty.
• I am grateful for the many men and women who have served our country over the decades, and in come cases have given their lives, to enable our freedom. Coming from a family of veterans, and my father having spent 11 months in a Korean hospital, our freedoms are way too often taken for granted. We are indebted to our armed services for the freedoms and safety we experience today.
• I am grateful to ‘mean girls’ who continue to show their insecurities and competitive natures….as they teach me resilience and the value of true friendship.
• I am grateful to my clients and customers for their confidence and for helping me to continue to grow and learn in my profession.
• I am grateful for the dark night of the soul which illuminated by current calling and positioned me for alignment.
• I am grateful for the impermanence of life and the joy of ongoing evolution and change.
• I am grateful for rough seas as they give much autobiographical material for rich stories.
• I am grateful for the unexpected entrepreneurial opportunity with Rodan+Fields which has offered a tremendous revenue stream, expanded  circle of friends and business partners, and a tremendous vehicle to offer others – to change their lives, as well.
• I am grateful to the skeptics relative to my entrepreneurial ventures: Alignment, Inc. my book writing, and my R+F business – as they have served as my catalysts.
• I am grateful for the Super Moon, which gloriously displayed our incredible universe….and the numerous stars and enchanting quiet of the night.
• I am grateful for those individuals who compare, compete, and marginalize my work in comparison to theirs as this motivates me to define my own level of success and contribution to the world.
• I am grateful to the thousands of professionals in our lives from bank tellers to salon workers to receptionist who serve and support our lives each and every day.
• I am grateful for our very own ‘Mary Poppins’ who looks after Lulu and Cleo when business travels interrupts our ‘home life’.
• I am grateful to the beauty of our world and the sounds of nature…the morning bird music, the leaves blowing in the wind, the sound of rain, and even the thunder.
• I am grateful to the critics of my books, my choices, and my ongoing writing – as it encourages me to reach deeper and be true to my own authenticity regardless of their opinions.
• I am grateful for the many challenges of life as they teach valuable lessons of Faith, Hope, and Love.
• I am grateful to our Creator for the beauty of our world, our lives, and the ongoing lessons we experience in “Earth School”.

  These are just a few of the many blessings for which I am grateful. How can we instill an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ this month and throughout the rest of the year? A few thoughts:

  • Find pleasure in the simple things and keep a gratitude journal. Nothing fancy – just write down 1-2 things a day. It still amazes me and how it transforms our thinking.
  • Give at least one compliment a day or send a note to a friend who may need a ‘B12’. This will light a spark of love – of this I am 100% certain.
  • When icky bits happen, ask ‘what am I supposed to be learning or teaching through this experience’?
  •  Find a cause or organization in which we can serve…..as my mom and daddy taught us  – when we focus on others, our challenges will virtually disappear.
  • Say THANK YOU early and often…..and when least expected. 

For what are you grateful? Please share……we can all learn from one another. And blessings to each of your for a Happy Thanksgiving holiday.