The spiritual practice of expressing gratitude can be life-affirming.
Just being grateful for the gift of another day can change your outlook on life. Today, I’d like to challenge you to become more aware of the seemingly small things in your life and encourage you to begin appreciating them as divine blessings. I have discovered that when I live my life as a prayer, more blessings seem to miraculously grace my space.
What is your spiritual practice?
Do you carve out some me-time before your day starts or do you prefer to meditate in the evening? Or perhaps you try to fit your quiet, reflective moments into your busy day. If you’re open to expanding your consciousness, try this experiment: Set up your entire day as a sacred adventure, making everything you do and say a mindful experience. Sometimes when we are laser-focused on specific things, like big breaks and big blessings, we fail to notice that what we need or what we want is right in front of us.
I’d like to share a personal story that provided me with a better understanding of how the Universe works. This was one of those pivotal seasons in my life that inspired me develop a stronger relationship with Spirit.
I was teaching full time, while caregiving for my mom whose health was deteriorating. My plate was overflowing with responsibilities. Being an only child, I felt vulnerable and alone. This was a particularly stressful time. When these types of experiences arise, you may immediately consider reaching out to family and friends. But I didn’t have any relatives in the area that I could call on to lighten the load, and I didn’t want to impose on a few close friends, because their lives were filled to the brim with family obligations. What’s interesting is that blessings don’t always come from the obvious sources.
During my prayer time, I began viewing my situation as a season of growth and expansion, rather than an unwelcome burden that I was unprepared for. By letting go and trusting Spirit to support me, my blessings began to appear from people and places that were not on my radar — a fitness center, my school district, my neighborhood, and a rehabilitation center.
I’m not sure what prompted me to add more to my emotionally-charged week, but I knew I needed to somehow release my stress and take care of my own health in order to successfully handle my new life load. So I decided to join a gym. Surprisingly, both my personal trainer and Pilates instructor were traveling through a similar experience with a family member, and we wound up listening to and supporting each other during my workout sessions. A counselor at my school and several staff members offered kind words and periodically dropped by my classroom to check on me. During this particular time, my neighbor became ill, and her daughter frequently visited her. As I offered to assist in any way I could, the daughter and I formed a special bond. Eventually, my mom needed specialized care, and the hospice nurse provided invaluable resources and called to see how I was doing.
Angels are all around us!
I call my lovely supporters my team of angels. They magically appeared on my path at the right time to assist me during that transformational season. If I had not been paying attention, I might have missed these blessings, because they did not come wrapped in the usual packages. In other words, I had to be open to receiving the good that was sent on my behalf.
It seems that the more grateful I am, the more favor I receive. But rather than focus only on receiving, I recommend getting into the flow of giving and receiving. For me, favor also includes placing myself in a position to serve others, which insures a lifetime supply of wonderful things to be grateful for. I invite you to reflect on your daily blessings and express appreciation for all the promises that are bestowed on your life.
Consider This
I wrote an article for Sixty and Me that shines a light on the importance of self-care while caregiving and offers six self-care practices. You can review it here.
Four Steps to Nourish, Transform and Flourish
• Set a loving intention to express gratitude for your daily blessings.
• Begin by establishing a time each day for reflection and thanksgiving.
• How will practicing gratitude improve the quality of your life?
• Close your eyes and visualize how this lifestyle change can prepare you for your amazing second half.
Need help creating a spiritual practice that works for you?
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In love, peace and health--
Your feminine glow guide,
T. Kari Mitchell, M.Ed.
Motivational Speaker
Certified Holistic Health Coach
Lifestyle120.com
When your spirit is nourished, your inner light produces an outer glow reflecting your beauty and truth.