Gratitude

Seeds of Gratitude

November is in full swing, and if you are in the north like me, there is a crispness in the air, a crunch under our feet, and a sense of slowing. Maybe you notice a physical ache, a little cough or cold, or some different emotions as we move toward colder weather and the anticipation of a busy holiday season builds.  

We are coming through a season of harvest, abundance, and prosperity. It is a wonderful time to offer gratitude for the things big and small that make life all that it is. Gratitude is an incredibly powerful emotional state because negative emotions such as anger or fear cannot co-exist when we are grateful.  

Practicing gratitude can take us from a reactive negative state to a positive one where we can shift from sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) to parasympathetic (rest/digest) and allow our nervous system to soften.  This is not to ignore or diminish the importance of the negative emotions, but to allow us to work with those emotions from a state of calm, curiosity, awareness and possibly at a different time.   When our nervous system is in a state of calm and rest, we are in the present moment and that is when healing occurs.

Expressing gratitude does not mean we need to overextend ourselves with big gestures or acts.  It can be as simple as sharing something you love with someone else, a smile, a heartfelt thank you, or even a silent pause to notice something good in the midst of what appears to be chaos. These small acts can be all that is needed to shift our mood, that of those around us and beyond.

I invite you to take a few moments and soften anywhere that feels tense or tight in your body. Reflect on or write what you are thankful for using any of these questions if they feel right for you:

• What do I appreciate about a challenge I am experiencing or have experienced?

• What is one kind thing someone has said or done lately?

• What is one thing that has happened today that I am grateful for?

• Where have you noticed someone else doing something kind?  How did it make you feel?

• What is one thing about myself or someone in my life that I am grateful?

With that, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my husband, kids, family, friends, colleagues, spiritual support team, clients, acquaintances and strangers who have offered so much to me throughout my life and continue to do so when I least expect it.