Yes, grateful for. Education is not a given….particularly for women.  In some countries woman are refused the right to an education.  I guess an educated woman must be such a terrible threat to men and the rules they’ve created to dominate them.  But I digress.  The opportunity to attend college and graduate school is indeed a privilege to be grateful for.  And I’ll just give thanks in advance that all that school debt you may have accrued will be paid off easily and quickly!

And, I know it’s been way too long since I’ve written a blog here.  But I do have a bit of an excuse…because you see, I’m graduating too.  I’ve been in seminary for the past two years.  It’s been very intense, but I’ve just handed in my final assignments!  Yea!   I am just about to graduate and become an ordained Interfaith Minister.  What’s an “Interfaith Minister” you might be asking?

An Interfaith Minister is one who honors the beauty found in every spiritual tradition.  We look for the core essence of Truth running through all religions. We strive to promote the commonality, rather than the differences, among all faith traditions. We support that basic human desire to experience the divine…to have connection to something larger than ourselves and to connect with the love within one another.

The training I received was through One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in NYC (here’s the link) .  It was life-transforming, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend.

I am also grateful to tell you that I have been asked to co-minister my spiritual community, Unity Center of Peace in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  And I’ve accepted.  I will be co-ministering with another One Spirit graduate, Rosemary Hyde.  We look forward to the opportunity of bringing the wisdom of our recent training into our community and helping it to grow and thrive.  More on that in future blogs.

So happy Graduation day to all of us and a big bunch of gratitude to all the people who supported us in achieving our goals!

Don’t have 100 things to be grateful for you say?  Ah, I’ll bet you do. We all do. You just have to exercise the gratitude part of your brain a bit.  So much happens in a year that we tend to forget…in particular the good stuff.  It’s interesting that we usually have no trouble remembering the challenges!

So get out your journal or yellow legal tablet and just start it.  It may seem overwhelming at first, but just start with one…then another one will come…then another.  It doesn’t have to be huge, monumental things.  The small blessings are just as important.  Once you get started you will be amazed at how many things come to you that you hadn’t really considered before. And that’s the great thing about this exercise.  It trains your brain to notice what most people overlook.  And once you do notice it, it’s yours…you own it. It becomes a part of your life.  That energy then carries you into the New Year on a vibration that will attract even more good into your life.

So go on. Get out your paper and just begin. You can take a couple of days if you want. There’s no rush. Take your time with it and enjoy.  Then, let me know how it goes for you.

Many blessings for a magnificent New Year!

These boxes come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are labeled “I’m a victim” others, “nothing works out for me” or “I’m not good enough” and still others “I’ve got to push real hard to make things go the way I want them to.”  What is your box labeled? We all have them.  It’s simply a part of the consciousness of humanity. Some of us have made our boxes really elaborate!

 But when we begin a practice of gratitude, we begin to peek out of our box and see that, in fact, there may be beauty all around us. We begin to notice that there may be an underlying order and harmony in our lives. We begin to understand that we may, in fact, be Sourced by the Infinite and that Source is limitless.  It’s not always completely obvious…we may have to look real hard to find it. Sometimes we can see only the possibility of limitless good.  Or we see it working in other’s lives and we open to the idea that it may actually be possible in ours as well.

And then sometimes we discount it, rationalize it, disown it and go back into our little box.  After all, it’s comfortable in there.  We’ve grown accustomed to it.  We’ve spend our whole lives there.  So it takes effort to open the box again, and then still more effort to keep it open.  That effort is a daily practice of proactive gratitude (click here for a reminder of what those steps are).  When we practice daily proactive gratitude we are keeping the box open.  We are “owning” the good all around us.  As we do this, we are actually activating the possibility in our lives of that which we had only caught a glimpse of while we were peeking out of our box.  We are activating the possibility, so that that possibility becomes a manifest reality.  The possibility of opportunity becomes opportunity. The possibility of harmony becomes the reality of order and purpose in our lives. The possibility of limitless good becomes the reality of increased prosperity.

Once that possibility has become an actuality in our lives…once we see and live in “Divine grace”…we can no longer go back into that little box.  We’ve outgrown it for good. We are now living in gratitude every day.  And that’s when magic happens.

It all start though by just peeking out of the box…noticing the blessings, noticing the good in our lives…celebrating the good, and documenting the good by writing it down daily.  That’s our practice. That’s the practice that liberates us from the box and allows us to experience an amazing life.

Let’s take a few obvious examples, just to illustrate the point.  Say I was unemployed and couldn’t find a job to save my life.  Now, rather than constantly bemoan my circumstance and blame the government for my predicament I’m practicing gratitude.  I’m thinking about all the things I have to be grateful for as I’m driving down the road.  Suddenly I realize I’m lost.  I find myself on a new street and again, rather than falling prey to anger and blame, I notice what beautiful trees are lining this street. I’m suddenly grateful that I took a wrong turn.  Then I notice that behind the beautiful trees, which I’m grateful for, is a building I never noticed before.  “Oh look, it Burt’s Bees.  Hmmmm, I didn’t know they were headquartered here.  Gee, I wonder if they’re hiring.”  I go in, submit my resume, and in a few days I have a job at the company I’ve always admired.

Or, say I find myself in a coffee house. It’s very busy and I have to wait in a long line.  Rather than bemoan the inconvenience and stress about how late I am, I silently express my gratitude for the opportunity to have coffee, for soy milk so that lactose intolerant folks like me can still enjoy lattes, for the creative way the place is decorated, for the people around me.  Then, the cute guy in front of me remarks about the weather, or the song they’re playing, and we start up a conversation…which either leads to romance and a relationship or a business opportunity.

Or, I’ve taken my kids to the library to pick out some fun books to read at bedtime. I’m grateful for my children and for this time I get to spend with them. I’m grateful for this library and the people who work here.  As we’re walking through the isles on the way to check out, a self-help book catches my eye.  I pick it up and check it out.  It turns out to be a book that has a significant impact on my life.   

I can think of many for examples, and so can you. In fact, if you’d like to share an example from your own life in the comment section below, we’d love to hear it.

We are all deeply connected to possibilities that can turn our lives around in ways we can’t even imagine.  But we’ll miss them all if we’re focused on what’s not working, and who’s to blame.  Gratitude opens our eyes to the connectedness of all things and the abundance of opportunities all around us.

There is a subtle, but important distinction between feeling lucky and feeling blessed. If we believe in luck, we’re really believing a God who, on a whim, decides to throw a few bones our way, and then the next day doesn’t really care for us.  Either that or, we believe we’re mearly victims of a fickle fate. Either way, we’re powerless. When we realize we’re blessed, we know that we’re beloved…we’re subconsciously accepting our true worth.

Our gratitude work needs to be based in a firm understanding that we are truly worthy of a joyous, harmonious and successful life. There must be an acceptance that we are worthy of all the good we are experiencing…and more. This isn’t always easy, but it’s essential if we want to claim our rightful place as co-creators with the Divine, and keep the floodgates open for more and more good to manifest in our lives. Gratitude then helps solidify our acceptance. 

So, the next time you’re tempted to feel lucky when your life is going great, take a deep breath and say to yourself, “I am worthy of this good because of who I am…a beloved expression of the Universe.  We are all blessed, and I am accepting my blessed life now!”

As we focus on the things we are grateful for it’s natural that we begin to turn our attention to the beauty of Mother Earth.  How gorgeous trees are in the Spring when tiny bright green leaves begin to appear.  How peaceful we feel when we witness a sunset or the stillness of a lake on a windless day.  How magical a mountain ridge appears when covered with newly fallen snow.  How fabulous a ripe strawberry tastes just picked off the vine.  

As we continue to notice daily the beauty and majesty of the world around us we naturally want to preserve and protect it.  We naturally want to care for it, and we will go out of our way to recycle a plastic bottle, avoid pesticides and chemicals, or bring our cloth shopping bags to the grocery store.  Love and gratitude lead to respect…which leads to our taking action to care for that thing or experience.  We may also find ourselves supporting companies and organizations who are more environmentally responsible.

And, it hurts when we see the planet damaged by those who have not yet developed the same respect.   Unfortunatley, it happens everyday on the corporate and on the individual level.  For some people there is a disconnect between enjoying a scenic vista and the effort it take to change corporate policy or personal habits to protect that vista for future generation. 

So, if you know someone who seems to be showing little respect for our environment, rather than beat them over the head with a message of “environmental responsibility,” encourage them to develop a gratitude practice.   A daily practice of gratitude is indeed healing for ourselves and our environment.   It won’t be long before one’s love and gratitude for this amazing planet translates into a change in relationship with the environment.  And that’s good news for our planet.

Even though this hurt or betrayal happened long ago…and we may not even think about this person much…it still effects our peace of mind and so much more.  The inability to forgive someone is a toxic brew that affects our physical, emotional and spiritual health.  It can also block the benefits we might receive from practicing proactive gratitude. And…it can kill our dreams.

It might be helpful to take a little internal inventory to see if indeed there is anyone from your past…or present for that matter…with whom you may be holding a grudge.  Even if you think you’ve forgiven everyone, there can sometimes be layers of forgiveness work.  I recently attended a workshop where we were taken through a forgiveness exercise. I thought I’d forgiven everyone. I didn’t think I had any reason to forgive my parents.  I knew they did the best they could with the consciousness they had at the time.  But wouldn’t you know, as I was led into the exercise I uncovered a deeper layer of painful experience that needed to be forgiven.  Once I did, I felt so free, so unencumbered…completely released from the burden. What a gift.

How do you forgive someone who has done the “unforgivable?”  It’s not easy, but it is possible.  Fortunately there are many books and workshops available that can inspire you and guide you through the forgiveness process.  A few of my favorites are… Forgiveness: The Greatest Healer of All by Gerald Jampolsky & Neal Donald Walsch:  http://amzn.to/ix5uiS , Forgiveness is a Choice by Robert D. Enright: http://amzn.to/jzmMzn and, How to Forgive When You Can’t by Jim Dincalci:  http://amzn.to/jKmwe0.
In addition, I devote an entire chapter on how to forgive in my book, Manifesting Your Desires, which has a companion audiobook where I guide you through the process. (Click here for more info on that: www.manifestyourgood.com )

Once unforgiveness has been cleared from your “channels” you will be amazed at how effective your gratitude practice will be.  You will be, in effect, open and available to receive the good that has been blocked…the good that is waiting for you.

With that said, I remember my first Mother’s Day with great fondness.  My twins were only a few weeks old, and it didn’t quite feel real yet. Maybe it was the exercise in sleep-deprivation, but I keep thinking everyone, including my husband was referring to my mom when they said “Happy Mother’s Day.”  It took me awhile to “own” Mother’s Day for myself.  Anyway, a best friend of mine came over and said, “You and Dana go out and have nice long brunch.  I’ll watch the babies for you.”  I could have kissed the ground she walked on.  We did have a nice brunch together and I got to look in my husband’s eyes for the first time in weeks.  Then my breasts began to ache and milk started leaking out (what a moment breaker!) and it was time to go home.

Many of you are experiencing your first Mother’s Day this year. Now, don’t look around for your mom when I say, “Happy Mother’s Day/Month dear deserving goddess woman!” For that’s what you are…a goddess woman.  Who else but a goddess could have done the superhuman feat of carrying a baby (or babies) for nine whole months…super alert to taking care of herself all the while…refusing margaritas, sushi, diet sodas and lattes?!  And then of course, there’s the ordeal of childbirth itself.   Yes, only a goddess would allow her body…and indeed her life…to be used by the Divine Life Force to create another blessed being on Earth, and entrust that little being to her sure and tender care.  Yes, only a goddess woman could do what you do on a daily basis…day in and day out.

I wish for you a good friend or relative to watch your baby (or babies) while you go off to be treated to brunch, flowers, massages, love from hubby, and a proper recognition of the goddess you are.  And if your children are older, my wish for you is another hand-made treasure, kid-prepared breakfast in bed, and good table manners.

Many Blessings Goddess Mamas! We are grateful for you!  Happy Mother’s Day!

However, after practicing proactive gratitude for a while, I get this idea on a whole new level.   First of all, the resurrection could not have happened without the crucifixion.  Secondly, as with all biblical stories, the message is only transformational when you can relate it to you own life.

So, for me that means…the challenges and difficulties in our lives have the potential to bring forth a miracle for us.  In fact, the miracle is inherent in the challenge. And…here’s the key…in order to experience the miracle, we need to name the challenge “Good.”

Think about a challenge you are currently facing in your life.  Is it possible…even remotely…that some good could come of it?  You might not be able to see what that is now, and that’s okay.  From what I understand, Jesus’ followers didn’t see the resurrection coming.  But it came.  You may recall other challenges in your life that you can be grateful for in hindsight because it led you to some good you have now…a blessing that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t walked through the challenge.

This “miracle after darkness” is not the exclusive territory of Christians.  All faiths have a similar story. We just celebrated Passover and the miracle of freedom and finding the land of milk and honey after years and years of enslavement.  Buddha almost starved to death trying to live as an acetic before he was brought back to heath and was then able to share his wisdom.   Mohammad was outnumbered and defeated before he claimed victory and was able to share his message channeled into the Quran.

The point is, whatever challenge you are facing, look at it squarely in the eyes and name it Good!  Allow yourself to trust that there is a miracle unfolding in your life and that this challenge will somehow deliver it to you.  You don’t need to know how.  That isn’t your job.  Your job is to trust and stay alert.  Be on the lookout for it – a miracle can take many forms.  Name it good, and then be open.

Happy Easter.

Our whole world depends upon a balance of giving and taking.  We give nourishment to our garden and in time we receive vegetables and flowers. We give of our time and talents to work and it gives back to us in salary and a sense of fulfillment.  We give to our friends and family and they give back to us.   Even the act of breathing is a give and take.  We’ll soon expire if we don’t take in a breath, and the same is true if we don’t let it out.  

However, when things get out of balance and we find ourselves giving more than we’re receiving we can feel depleted, exhausted and maybe even resentful.  If the lack of balance continues it can affect our health, our finances, our relationships and our general happiness.

When we can take a moment to notice and be grateful for the beauty of the world around us and simply take it in, we are receiving.  When we can allow the sun’s warmth to touch our skin and be grateful, we are receiving.  When we can accept a compliment gracefully, we are receiving. When we can accept a friend’s offer to help us with something and be grateful for them, we are receiving.  When we can allow ourselves to taste our food and be grateful that it satisfies our hunger and nourishes our body, we are receiving.   When we gratefully accept a hug from our child, friend or lover, we are receiving.

Practice receiving this week.  Notice how many different ways the world gives to you and then, allow yourself to enjoy it.  Take it in. Be grateful for all ways the world supports you and gives to you.