Finding gratitude in small spaces....

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a very busy season in the best of times. With the added hardship of a global pandemic, quarantines taking away the human connection we crave, financial uncertainty, and political turmoil we face this year, the upcoming holiday season fills me with the sense that our ship is heading towards treacherous waters. So many challenges face us as we navigate these next several weeks. Getting swept away in the fear and anxiety that looms would be easy. And yet, there remains opportunity.

With gratitude on my mind heading into Thanksgiving, I find myself focusing in on the small things. I am filled with gratitude for the warmth of the sun on my face, and the whisper of the scent of devilwood in the air. I smile when I hear birds chirping, feeling like a secret conversation is being shared, and wonder about the bee buzzing by, knowing that he is preparing for his winter nap. My heart spills over when my children present me with their schoolwork filled with the pride of their learning. Rather than being seduced outward into the chaos that surrounds us, I retreat into the silence and wisdom of my soul’s voice, and trust that its wisdom holds my best intentions.

I encourage you to do the same. Recognize that the fear, and pain, and suffering that we are being challenged with is more accurately an opportunity for true growth. See that the world around us is being made to feel discomfort in order to facilitate growth, in order to become something more, in order to attain another level of consciousness. Just as child birth requires discomfort and pain, it also requires surrender and vulnerability. So too does this opportunity for rebirth.

Take time to tell yourself: “you are ok.” Repeat it over and over until your inner wisdom finally aligns with it. Take time to tell someone else that they are ok. No matter how challenging life becomes, we all possess an innate ability to find stillness, and, in that quiet space, to attain peace.

When life seems unforgiving, and vast, and lonely, and cold, remember that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Remember that our consciousness connects us to one another. Remember that our heart’s love can support not only our own growth, but the growth of the world. This growth is the key to becoming soul minded.

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours this 2020 year – may it be filled with gratitude, love, and light.