30 Days of Thanks: This week, I’m allowing the letters of the word
G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E to guide my reflections of thanks-giving. And I’m grateful for the many ways of exploring & deepening my connection to gratitude as I allow myself to play in this way!

Day 5: “G is for Good” reminds me that turning to what is GOOD in my life, I turn away from the perceived problems that take me away from the present moment. And I know it may sound trite, but being present is a wonderful gift.   So today I am thankful for the Goodness that took me on a walk by the river on a beautiful fall day, and for the spontaneous dinner with a friend.  Thank Goodness for nature & friendship!

Day 6: “R is for Renewal” I am so grateful for a delicious day of renewal, rejuvenation, re-choosing.  My radiant friend, Kara, and I created a lovely ceremony for using the Divine Inspiration of this day: 11-11-11!  (2009 adds to 11 :-)  We supported a circle of women and one man (brave Thomas) to step more fully into their service roles as agents of Oneness.  I give thanks for my dear teacher, Elle Re, for being available for all who are ready to move from singular mind into the Unity field of divine Love.     (R is also for Remembering to be Thankful, every single day!

Day 7: “A is for Awe” … and remembering to Appreciate the beauty that is all around me.  Today I’m noticing how my day is flowing so gracefully around me. A long delicious talk with my son over breakfast…a couple of unplanned ‘friendship breaks’ which filled me with smiles…a very helpful connection with my HUB-GPN marketing coach that inspired me to keep sharing the things I love about this social business I am co-creating.  And today’s focus of catching up on bills & emails so I can open more space to create & play is…well, making progress at least!  And now I’m going to take a walk and be in AWE of this beautiful blue-sky day.

Day 8: “Today I am blessed” … T might be for Transforming whatever is before us into an opportunity by giving thanks and knowing we are Loved beyond imagining.  T may be for Trusting that we are never given more than we can handle, and that we can find learning in everything.  T very well might be for Together we are so much more than we are alone.  All of these are True for me this day, and I give Thanks for it all.  Today I know I am TOTALLY blessed.

A bonus for today … check out this amazing video, Together We are One.

Day 9: “I is for Inspiration,” the breath of Spirit which renews & energizes me every time I turn my attention to Giving Thanks.  Today I’m so very thankful for “my boys” (husband, son, grandson) … for time together at our wonderful haven in the woods in McCall Idaho.  This is one of my favorite places of inspiration…a place where so many cherished memories have been created.  I give great thanks for breathing in the fresh air while laughing & playing in the first snow of the season, and for tapping into a few of those great memories.  Here’s one from a few years back…my favorite reminder of what it feels like to say YES!

Day 10: “T is for Tender moments & Treasuring the journey.” Today I simply give thanks for the miracle of being.

Day 11: “U is for Unity … and for embracing the Unexpected.” Another day of simplicity, and I’m appreciating the way I’m learning to flow with what is before me.  As I learn to follow guidance rather than push through with my ‘plans’ for the day, magic has a way of erupting in the most delightful ways.  Today it was an impromptu dinner with my darling daughter.  Thank you, KT, for helping me smile and remember how connected we still are.

Day 12: “D is for Devotion” … and for the delicious, delightful, discovery of  my natural Divinity.  When I give myself to whatever is before me, I find my own divine nature in everything & everyOne who comes before me.  Today, I was blessed by an “integrative session” with my coach-friend-neighbor, Carrie Morgan.  This is what she calls her brilliant blend of deep listening, intuitive assessment, authentic caring, laser coaching, energetic clearing & body balancing.  I call it WOW.  I am in devotion, again, to this path of Love I am walking.  And I am grateful for the reflective Light and how it shines so beautifully when we open our hearts to receive.

Day 13: “E is for Enough” … I have enough, I give enough, I am enough.  This may be one of my greatest challenge areas, especially remembering that what I do & what I give are NOT connected to my innate value as a human being.  :-)  Today I am remembering to Enjoy what is naturally flowing through me, and to Embrace this precious moment, knowing that whatever is here for me is exactly enough.

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, gratitude, inspiration

I just returned from a 2-week spiritual retreat and was ready to write about “Great Fullness” … and wonder of wonders (synchronicity of synchronicity), I found this wonderful website challenge, 30 days of Thanks.  So, rather than an article this month, I’m jumping in.  You can join through your own blog, on Facebook or some other version of social media, or even by commenting on other blog entries as you read them.  Let’s see how much gratitude we can S-H-I-N-E into the world this month and next!

DAY 1: I’ve begun thinking of gratefulness as Great Fullness, and this is how I feel when I am truly thankful: so overcome with appreciation for life that I simply overflow…a steady stream of giving & receiving, merging into an ocean of abundant being.

Today, I give thanks for the simple moments that shimmer around me as I reconnect with my family & friends after diving deep into the great ocean of God.  Being held in the loving arms of a husband who adores me enough to support my need for alOne time … being greeted with a hug & neck massage from a son who is becoming such a dear friend … laughing & crying over a movie that reminds me how important it is to make time for the man I’ve chosen to share my life with.  These simple moments are what make a life.  I give great thanks for the fullness of mine.

Day 2: Today is my cherished “gramma day” and I am so very thankful for the blessing of being a gramma.  I am in love with it all, even changing diapers…well, maybe not the squishy ones.  :-)  Today we’ve already been to the park, jumped on the bed, ate pancakes & turkey bacon, drummed, danced, and now my little guy is taking a nap while I give thanks for the wonder of childhood.  When he wakes up, we’re headed to the zoo.  I don’t know who’s having more fun!

Day 3: Thankful for a FULL DAY of NO COMPUTER!!!  And I’m proud of myself for not being obsessive about logging on to post my third day of the ‘30 Days of Thanks’ game.  Speaking of games, yesterday was filled with thankful moments with my hubbie, our 2 grown children, and our growing-up-fast grandson.  We played Uno, laughed together, enjoyed a delicious dinner created totally by my guy.  Now THAT’s Gratitude!  (Thank you, Garet)

Tags: gratitude, simplicity, thankfulness

The most invisible creators I know of are those artists whose medium is life itself.  The ones who express the inexpressible… They neither paint nor sculpt… Their medium is being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life… They are the artists of being alive.  -J Stone

Creativity comes in many forms, the most essential planted in the soil of our being. While most of us don’t express through creative activity each day, there’s an innate creative seed in each of us that grows naturally through life.  This is the expression of our authentic being, and the harvest of this form of creativity will feed the world.

photo by Daniel Franks

I love this time of year in Idaho.  Chill autumn mornings bring the leaves alive with color, and by afternoon the perfectly warm sun invites me to play.  It’s a great time to be outdoors, and now that we’ve harvested most of the fruits from the garden, I have a little more time to take long walks by the river.  (Although, the vital energy of autumn is bringing my creative energy alive with lots of new ideas for indoor projects as well!)

Harvest time brings bounty, but only after months of preparation and nourishing the seeds we planted last spring.  It’s the same with creativity, and the change of seasons always opens my awareness to the parallels between our outer & inner gardens.   (You may have noticed that I love to learn from nature.

In both gardens, we begin by preparing the soil.  In the inner, we prepare by paying attention, by listening carefully to our dreams, our desires, and by noticing what is uniquely ours to share. We prepare by being curious and open to possibility, by seeing with eyes of wonder and awe, by being awake to the present moment. And we prepare by being willing to give back to the world what is now being given to & through us. Often this comes with plenty of composting of the old stories, habits, patterns of living we have taken on from past seasons of our lives.

As I move through my vegi-garden this fall, harvesting what is still Good, and composting what is no longer nourishing, I am consciously noticing what is ready to be released in my life.  In some ways, I’m ready to release more than ever before.  Simplicity is calling, and I have less & less desire to be weighted down by excess.  I’m also finding it very nourishing to dig through some of the plants I thought were through producing…I’ve found a few seeds from past creations that are ready to sprout in new ways!

I look forward to sharing more in a week or two … meanwhile, Happy Harvest to you!
~ Shining Sor’a

Consider your life as a garden.
Close your eyes and reflect upon the state of this inner garden:
What is blooming inside?
What colors & scents & textures are you growing?
What are you ready to harvest?
What might you turn into compost to enrich your inner garden?

Let me know what you come up with by posting a comment!

Tags: abundance