Discover Your Bliss

Thanksgiving extension

Just because Thanksgiving is behind us for this year doesn't mean that we have to shut down the gratitude.

What if we took the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness we have around Thanksgiving and made it part of our everyday activities?  

How can you take the magical spirit and gratitude that surrounds Thanksgiving and infuse it into your month?  Your week?  Your day? 

What ritual or reminder can you create to sprinkle the magical gratitude of Thanksgiving into you coming week?  Month?  Year?  

 

What can you do in June that will support you to tap into your magical Thanksgiving gratitude? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Thanksgiving gratitude pre-show

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - also know as the ultimate gratitude holiday. 

Time for a little pre-show action. 

On your mark, get set - gratitude.  

What's your number gratitude from this year?  This month?  This week?  Today? 

What's a big gratitude you have?  What a simple, everyday gratitude you have?

Who makes your gratitude list?  What friends, relatives, animals, etc. make your gratitude list?

Remember that gratitudes don't need to be big, just from the heart.  

Are you willing to write down 10 gratitudes?  What about 50 gratitudes?  100? 

Who are you willing to call, see, hug this week in gratitude? 

How are you grateful for your growth this year?  What's your number one gratitude for yourself this year? 

What about the five senses?  How can you incorporate taste, smell, sight, sound and touch into your gratitudes? 

How can you infuse gratitude into every day of your life?  What's one thing you're willing to do this week in gratitude?

Just a gratitude pre-show to get you started on your day of thanks and giving. 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries. 

The 246 vintage necktie saga continues...

Last night I divided and conquered. 

I created a bag of ties to share with others (via Jon's work), a 'to keep for sewing projects' group and a 'to the thrift store' group.  

I am grateful to have the opportunity to share the ties with others that I know that will love them and wear them.  I am grateful to have the gift of the 'a-ha' moment that my decision didn't have to be a black and white one and I am grateful to have the ability to make supportive decisions for myself when it comes to the vintage neckties. 

Who knows how many neckties will return to me after Jon takes them to work.  Maybe they'll be a 'buzz' around his office and everyone will flock to the neckties and take one or two to enjoy. 

Either way, I feel the stuck energy moving and a freedom emerging with the fate of the ties. 

Where do you feel stuck energy in your life? What's the first thing you need in order to get unstuck?  Is it realizing you're stuck in the first place? 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries. 

Do one nice thing

Are you tired of hearing all the worries and problems in the world?  Are you ready to set yourself on a path of creating real change? 

All you need to do is take one tiny step to start a lifetime of giving and contributing wonderful things to this world. 

DoOneNiceThing.com encourages everyone to do one nice thing each Monday (a day that many don't like). 

Not sure what you can do?  DoOneNiceThing.com is chocked full of ideas and resources to get you started on your "do one nice thing" path.  

What's cool is that the site puts up new ideas each Monday.  Right now you can make Halloween cards for children in hospitals as a great holiday "pick-me-up."  

What one nice thing that you can do today?  What goals are you willing to set in order to do one nice thing a week?  Start with doing one nice thing every month?  Every two weeks? 

I'd love to hear your comments and insights. 

The kindness of stragers

Have you ever done something nice for a stranger?  Have you ever been on the receiving end? 

I've done both and find them equally rewarding. 

Yesterday, I went to Disneyland for Jon's birthday and we were the recipients of the kindness of strangers. 

There's this thing at Disneyland called a "Fast Pass" and it lets you go to the front of the line of certain rides (you're limited to the number of times you can do it and the fast pass options aren't always available). 

As we stood in line for the Indiana Jones ride, a group of four strangers walked by asking, "Party of two?" 

I raised my hand to indicate that we were indeed a party of two.  They had two extra fast passes and wanted to share them with someone - and that someone (actually someones) ended up being Jon and me. 

As a result, we got to get out of the regular line and walk all the way to the front of the fast pass line and get on the ride.  How kind is that?  

Just thought that sharing the kindness of strangers would spark something inside of you that can spread more love to everyone you meet. 

What's something you can do that's kind toward a stranger?  Who do you think benefits?  You, the stranger or both. 

I'd love to hear your comments and insights. 

 

Molded nectarines are fantastic

When I got up this morning, I noticed that the organic nectarines I'd purchased at the farmer's market were molding. 

Instead of throwing away the whole fruit, I took the time to cut off the bad places and clean the remainder of the nectarines to eat later. 

I was calm and grateful as I did this and didn't get stressed that the clock was ticking and my early morning bike ride time was being pushed back.

I prefer to leave for my ride around 5:45-6:15am and as a result of my fruit time, I didn't get to leave the house until 7:10am. 

When I ride my bike, I listen to my XM radio.  If I leave in the 5:45-6:15am hour I get to hear Gayle King and Dr. Robin.  Since I left at 7:10am - I heard Dr. Robin and the beginning of Dr. Oz. 

Why do I think that molded nectarines are fantastic?  Because they caused me to leave a bit later and get in on the Dr. Oz show - which had a medical intuitive on it - and I am loving listening to that show (as I write this). 

The Dr. Oz show was so educational and led me to a book that I want to read (and will put it on my birthday/Christmas list).   

What did I learn?  To see everything as a gift instead of getting upset about how I THINK the event might color my day in a negative light. 

How can you start to shift into seeing everything as a gift?  What's something that you didn't like or enjoy in the past week that you can now see as a gift? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Journalist released by North Korea

I can't tell you how many times I've thought about journalists Laura Ling & Euna Lee sentenced to a hard labor camp in North Korea. For some reason, this particular story disturbed me to my core. 

When my thoughts would wonder to the two women, I'd pause and send them healing and loving energy hoping that something could be done to bring the two journalists home. 

My recent visit to Beijing heightened this awareness - since I was so close to the women (from a geographical standpoint) - and I constantly wondered if there was anything I could do.  If anyone could do.

When I heard the news that they had been released and that President Clinton was escorting them back to the United States, I was overjoyed.  

Ling and Lee's capture heightened my awareness of what it means to have freedom as well as my gratitude for the little things. 

What gratitudes do you have as a result of hearing this and other similar stories?  How does your outlook on life shift when you value your freedom and relish every moment?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

First thought of the day?

When I woke up this morning, I had the most amazing thought - I am grateful to be alive.

Now, don't worry, I am not on the brink of death due to some unknown illness (yet it could be so unknown that I don't know about it, then it's not that clever of a name) - I just had this moment of - I have a choice in everything - and at that particular moment, I chose to be grateful.

This moment of gratitude prompted me to wonder...what if I did that every morning before my feet hit the ground.  Just took a moment to be present to my gratitude and drink in every gift I have in the moment.  Wow, pretty cool, huh? 

Where can you infuse a moment of gratitude into your life?  How can you remind yourself to pause and drink in the gratitude of each and every moment (please know that this is not to overwhelm you, just drinking in one gratitude a week is a great start). 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries.

Happy Memorial Day

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe, fun day full of connections and gratitude.

In addition to remembering and honoring those that have served our country, I'd also like to give thanks for family, friends, co-workers, etc that continue to support and enrich our lives everyday. 

Enjoy the day and I challenge you to reach out to someone you know that makes a difference in your life and let them know how much you appreciate them. 

Happy Memorial Day!

Fires in Oklahoma

I am grateful that my friends and family are safe. 

Fires are blazing and destroying homes across Oklahoma.  The wind has been crazy coupled with the lack of rain - so prime conditions for wildfires. 

I do have any aunt in Midwest City (near Oklahoma City) that is without electricity due to the flames, yet her home is safe and I am grateful for that. 

My intention for this post is a reminder to myself and others to take a moment for gratitude.  I am grateful for the opportunity take a moment for gratitude. 

Where can you find gratitude in the every day?  How can gratitude shift your mood?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.