
Tis The Season to be Thankful and Love Thyself
"The lens through which we view the world is tinted by our emotions; choosing joy starts with self-love and gratitude."
In a world full of chaos, poverty, homelessness, war, prejudices, and hate, it can be difficult to see the goodness and beauty around us. I fully believe that we view the world through a lens of our emotions, and when our emotions are heavy, we mostly see pain and sorrow. However, if we allow ourselves to focus on the righteous and good things we possess, we can invite more joy into our lives. I believe this starts with loving and being grateful for yourself.
I invite all of you to make a list of 20 things you are grateful for about yourself.
Consider all the ways you show up for yourself, your children, your friends, your partners, your extended family, and even your community. It may be small, but most of us contribute to society and the community every day. Take a moment to be thankful for the home you live in, the electricity at the flip of a switch, and the soft bed you lay down in at night. Be grateful for the space you give yourself (when you do), and if you don't give yourself space and time for self-care, be grateful for the knowledge that you have the right to indulge in self-care.
Be grateful for the tenacity to hold on when times are hard and seem to move against you. Some people have lifted themselves out of the ashes of their childhood, but how many of you have seriously acknowledged the hard work, courage, and gusto it took? Be grateful you did that. I know many of us think, “I didn’t have a choice; I just did what had to be done.” The truth is we all have a choice, and not everyone makes the choice to do better for themselves or the children than they may have had it.
I’m grateful that I know myself, my values, and my goals. I’m grateful I have never given up on my goals or my vision of life as I desire it. I’m grateful for curiosity, which led me to fabulous spiritual teachers along my path. Grateful for the expansion of my mind and heart that came from all of my chosen journeys. Grateful for finally having the internal wisdom to know my worth and my path. I'm also grateful for all the relationships I have had and left when they no longer served me or them. I’m grateful for the concept of self- compassion and love and my strength to be single rather than unhappy in a relationship.
Be thankful for the life you have designed.

