Gratitude Junkies: Week ending 09.18.2009

Okay, okay.  We were having a weekly, well-loved life, but you know, I think acting on our compulsion to be gratitude junkies is FAR better.  I am always referring to myself  that way, so, the weekly gratitude jam will now have a  different name, same vision…

Whether your week has been amazing or not-so-amazing, practicing gratitude is good medicine.  If you’ve had an amazing week, you can appreciate all the goodness and let those good feelings wash over you again.  If you have had a not-so-great week, gratitude is equally (if not more) powerful medicine.

Rarely (if ever) is everything hard and terrible.  It can feel that way, but it’s generally a matter of where we are placing our attention.  A weekly gratitude fix is a way to do just that: an opportunity to look at where things are right in our world, even when it feels like things aren’t.

So to get your gratitude flowing, here’s my fix for the week:

1. First and foremost, I am grateful for the soft, pillowy cloud of support that has been offered to me via friends, family, and fellow coaches.  I have an upcoming surgery (that I am not at all grateful for – - yet) that I am experiencing some grief over.  I’m certain there will be more coming on that.

2. Speaking of which, I am so grateful for tears.  Is there anything better that offers more relief than crying?  There are times when I can find it difficult to access my tears (especially when I am caught in fear, as I have been about this surgery) and I find that it creates incredible stress in my body when I can’t seem to cry.  This week I had some good crying.  It felt very clean.  I am deeply grateful for that.

3. In more neutral life happenings, I am moving my entire web presence to one platform (instead of having this blog AND a website) and having it spruced up by the amazing Allie. I *heart* her work and love her style.  I hope you will, too.

4. This week another coach and I launched Square 3 Coaching, a place for creative types to come and get step-by-step lab instruction on getting the back end of their business up and running.  In addition to being completely and utterly passionate about mind-body coaching, I have a deep and abiding love for technology and helping other creatives focus on being creative and not feel so stressed about accounting, websites, social media and time management.  I feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to share my skills and enthusiasm with others.

5. The Fall series of my Yoga class starts today!  It’s an almost entirely new group and I am excited to meet and work with these fabulous Yoginis!  I love, love, LOVE offering small group Yoga in my home.  The intimacy that builds between the group and the sense of community is really wonderful.  It makes my heart swell.  Truly.

6.  Yesterday marked the end of an era for me, as it was my last day working at US Embassy Rome.  I am happy and grateful for the time I spent there.  I had the good fortune to work for an incredible boss with an amazingly dedicated group of local staff.  I learned so much good stuff in my time there.

7. Piggybacking on the end of work at the Embassy, I have committed, in my last year in Rome, to have lots of time to explore this amazing city.  A dear friend and I will be “dating” this year, checking out all the wonders that we can pack in our date days!  Anything you’ve always wanted to see in Rome that you haven’t?  Tell me…  I’ll go in your stead.

8.  Always, always, my heart breaks open when I think about my daughter and my husband.  The gems of my life.  Erick was gone most of the week on a trip and his presence is always missed.  Clara is almost five (FIVE!!) and transforming before my eyes into a beautiful, independent, creative little girl.  Gratitude doesn’t even begin to touch the way I feel about my little family.

So what do you say?  Care to join in?  I would love to see and hear some gratitude… link back in the comments, or just shout it out.