This was a particularly beautiful and exquisitely rendered essay....Thank you...I once read (and I wish I could remember where this came from)--but that someone wise suggested engaging in an "active gratitude" practice. For example, saying--today I'm going to give gratitude to "yellow"--and then noticing with wonder, every time yellow appeared--a ripe lemon, a child's sweet dress...I thought that was an interesting twist...thank you again for this lovely reminder....
There are so many blessings that aren't hidden in plain sight, they're just in plain sight, that it's an interesting question. Whether or not its hidden or in plain sight depends on whether we can notice is, does it not? Lol! The first thing that jumped out is my messy paints that i haven't put away yet. I am grateful for them because they allowed me to paint my best attempt at a Sophia Dragon - are you familiar with Kaia Ra and her book/movement The Sophia Code? Highly recommended. I am grateful for her Seraphim Transmission, which discusses how we can create beyond the laws of form through our sovereign divine love even thought theres a lot of shit out there of the darker variety. I am grateful for the loveliness of the day...the sky feels pristine and it's cool in a gentle early fall way. On my walk I saw the cutest thing: a bunny and a squirrel on opposite sides of the path just looking at each other. I am exceptionally grateful for my wonderful husband and my amazing children, who have always been my first and foremost teachers. I am grateful ahead of time for the latte I have a feeling my hubby will bring me on his break! I am grateful for my body that can dance and my voice that can sing (well that's debatable but I've come to love singing and trust that it touches people because of the joy that transmits. There is a start...I'll keep thinking what is hidden that I HAVEN'T seen yet! Thank you for the invitation! What is filling up your gratitude bowl, hidden in plainsight or just there, happpy and content and obvious?
Wow what a beautiful transmission that is! Thank you for sharing sister. Very heartfelt and soulful. Blessings are all around us. It is down to our perspective that alters it’s position to be either hidden or in plain sight. The more we practise really seeing with the heart, the more we will find grace and gratitude all around us. It is there. It is always present. The only thing that changes is what we are focusing on in each moment.
I have heard of The Sophia Code but never really studied it. I take this as a sign to dive in to it! Thank you for sharing. Talking about painting, I am grateful for the opportunity I had recently to paint at a workshop whilst visiting San Diego (I live in London, UK). It was such a freeing and expansive experience. Reconnected me back to a time before all the pressures and expectations of the world set in.
I’m grateful that I’m getting to spend some quality time with a childhood best friend right now (friends for more than 20+ years). I’m grateful for the opportunity to have done an amazing medicine journey earlier this year. Im grateful for the body I am currently in and all the suffering it endured because of me and as a result of others. Im grateful for the ability to feel pleasure in that same body. Im grateful for the amazing love that my partner shared with me each day. Im grateful for the sunlight on my face. I’m grateful for those who made the sofa I’m currently sitting on. Im grateful for Steve Jobs for creating such a great tool that I can use to communicate with you from across the world. The list can go on. The ability to choose our focus is amazing.
And what a beautiful expression in reply! What a gift to connect with a childhood friend! What a fun way to visit San Diego! They have a great zoo. Perhaps next time you can paint the animals! I went for my 30th birthday, 13 years ago. Does that mean I'm 13 going on 30? Lol! I am grateful for the sun on my face too! And also for the song my son impromptu composed when I felt the nudge to ask him to write a new one. "Sovereignty" just kept coming to me, so invited him to use it as a prompt and his song was crystal pristine! Oooooh! I posted a pic of my dragon on notes :) There is a beautiful chapter in Kuan Yin's transmission in TSC - it's all about giving ourselves the compassion we deserve no matter what we've survived, and how the more we do this the more can extend this compassion to all. May you have a world free of pressures internalized, no matter who projects them onto you, dear brother! You are sovereign, resilient, creative, whole and shining in your choice to embrace both the vulnerable and the transcendentally beautiful.
Thank you for sharing this reminder Alex. Gratitude helps to ground me back into the truth of the blessings in this very moment. To switch my focus onto the things I would usually take for granted. I am grateful for this platform and to be connected to beautiful souls across the world through technology 🙏🏽
I’m going to try it. I just quitted a job which paid my bills, but kept damaging my inner balance and in the end brought back anxiety attacks. I definitely need grounding. Taking a deep breath. Slow down. And keep noticing the beauty around me: I live walking-minutes away from the sea. Isn’t it a reason enough to be grateful, daily?
What small things do you want to start paying more attention to this season?
- As a working single mom I noticed just how quickly my tiny human is growing. And I want to pay more attention to her and nurturing her needs. I am also doing the work of healing my inner child. So parenting my tiny one while reparenting myself. Paying attention to our moments together and separately. While also honoring our small moments.
Your writing is almost like a meditation, Alex....causing me to slow down, notice, and appreciate what has been there all along, but is suddenly revealed because I am now taking the time to use my senses to appreciate it. Thank you for this.
"Shifting focus from what's lacking to what's abundant."
Absolutely true!! It's easy to numb our mind in a fast paced world. Simplicity is a luxury, which cannot be achieved unless we are intentional towards living in the present and truly enjoying every experience of life without expecting something in return. I love how beautifully you express how gratitude has changed your life Alex. I believe it has done the same for me. I keep a gratitude journal on my bedside table and I actually look forward to writing in it every night before going to bed. It's amazing how such a simple exercise can have such a powerful impact in one's life.🤍
Beautifully written and comes at a time when I need to focus on everything beautiful and good in my life. I used to look for something sweet everyday, it could be something so simple as my little neighbor boy singing to himself. Waking the tender heart.
I am definitely going to do some gratitude journaling. This season I want to pay attention to the days I do not feel like it (doing anything, getting dressed and things like that ). Gratitude is being grateful and appreciative for what I have present day and what is to come .
What small things do you want to start paying more attention to this season?
Where I focus my attention, minimizing to 3 things to finish daily. Being open to God’s way more than mine. More attention to what is here, all else will unfold in their own accord.
“Being open to God’s way more than mine”. Love that Paolo thank you for sharing. My journey has taken me on a path of surrendering to the intelligence of life. Learning to let go of what I think I want to receive what I need from life. To trust that the medicine I require will be gifted to me albeit in ways that are disguised. Letting go and being open to new pathways is scary and exciting because it is the unknown. But the unknown is where all possibility beyond our imagination lives 🙏🏽
Thank you for the reminder. I have always struggled with gratitude journals because there have been many phases in my life during which the list of gratitudes was small and the same day after day.
This was a particularly beautiful and exquisitely rendered essay....Thank you...I once read (and I wish I could remember where this came from)--but that someone wise suggested engaging in an "active gratitude" practice. For example, saying--today I'm going to give gratitude to "yellow"--and then noticing with wonder, every time yellow appeared--a ripe lemon, a child's sweet dress...I thought that was an interesting twist...thank you again for this lovely reminder....
I really love that: “active gratitude practice.” Thank you or reading and sharing. ❤️
That's an idea! Now I just need to remember to set my "active gratitude" intention for tomorrow... thank you for sharing that practice with us.
You are welcome!
Beautiful post...so evocative! I love this: "It's a tender whisper to the universe acknowledging the blessings hidden in plain sight"
Thank you for reading! ❤️🙏🏾
Thank you for expressing your love and gratitude with tenderness like an offering.
What blessings are hidden in plain sight for you right now Alicia? 🙏🏽
There are so many blessings that aren't hidden in plain sight, they're just in plain sight, that it's an interesting question. Whether or not its hidden or in plain sight depends on whether we can notice is, does it not? Lol! The first thing that jumped out is my messy paints that i haven't put away yet. I am grateful for them because they allowed me to paint my best attempt at a Sophia Dragon - are you familiar with Kaia Ra and her book/movement The Sophia Code? Highly recommended. I am grateful for her Seraphim Transmission, which discusses how we can create beyond the laws of form through our sovereign divine love even thought theres a lot of shit out there of the darker variety. I am grateful for the loveliness of the day...the sky feels pristine and it's cool in a gentle early fall way. On my walk I saw the cutest thing: a bunny and a squirrel on opposite sides of the path just looking at each other. I am exceptionally grateful for my wonderful husband and my amazing children, who have always been my first and foremost teachers. I am grateful ahead of time for the latte I have a feeling my hubby will bring me on his break! I am grateful for my body that can dance and my voice that can sing (well that's debatable but I've come to love singing and trust that it touches people because of the joy that transmits. There is a start...I'll keep thinking what is hidden that I HAVEN'T seen yet! Thank you for the invitation! What is filling up your gratitude bowl, hidden in plainsight or just there, happpy and content and obvious?
Wow what a beautiful transmission that is! Thank you for sharing sister. Very heartfelt and soulful. Blessings are all around us. It is down to our perspective that alters it’s position to be either hidden or in plain sight. The more we practise really seeing with the heart, the more we will find grace and gratitude all around us. It is there. It is always present. The only thing that changes is what we are focusing on in each moment.
I have heard of The Sophia Code but never really studied it. I take this as a sign to dive in to it! Thank you for sharing. Talking about painting, I am grateful for the opportunity I had recently to paint at a workshop whilst visiting San Diego (I live in London, UK). It was such a freeing and expansive experience. Reconnected me back to a time before all the pressures and expectations of the world set in.
I’m grateful that I’m getting to spend some quality time with a childhood best friend right now (friends for more than 20+ years). I’m grateful for the opportunity to have done an amazing medicine journey earlier this year. Im grateful for the body I am currently in and all the suffering it endured because of me and as a result of others. Im grateful for the ability to feel pleasure in that same body. Im grateful for the amazing love that my partner shared with me each day. Im grateful for the sunlight on my face. I’m grateful for those who made the sofa I’m currently sitting on. Im grateful for Steve Jobs for creating such a great tool that I can use to communicate with you from across the world. The list can go on. The ability to choose our focus is amazing.
Sending you much love and light 🙏🏽
And what a beautiful expression in reply! What a gift to connect with a childhood friend! What a fun way to visit San Diego! They have a great zoo. Perhaps next time you can paint the animals! I went for my 30th birthday, 13 years ago. Does that mean I'm 13 going on 30? Lol! I am grateful for the sun on my face too! And also for the song my son impromptu composed when I felt the nudge to ask him to write a new one. "Sovereignty" just kept coming to me, so invited him to use it as a prompt and his song was crystal pristine! Oooooh! I posted a pic of my dragon on notes :) There is a beautiful chapter in Kuan Yin's transmission in TSC - it's all about giving ourselves the compassion we deserve no matter what we've survived, and how the more we do this the more can extend this compassion to all. May you have a world free of pressures internalized, no matter who projects them onto you, dear brother! You are sovereign, resilient, creative, whole and shining in your choice to embrace both the vulnerable and the transcendentally beautiful.
Thank you for sharing this reminder Alex. Gratitude helps to ground me back into the truth of the blessings in this very moment. To switch my focus onto the things I would usually take for granted. I am grateful for this platform and to be connected to beautiful souls across the world through technology 🙏🏽
Love that so much! Thank you for reading and sharing, Vipul.
I’m curious, whats something you’ve historically taken for granted but are more grateful for now?
I’m going to try it. I just quitted a job which paid my bills, but kept damaging my inner balance and in the end brought back anxiety attacks. I definitely need grounding. Taking a deep breath. Slow down. And keep noticing the beauty around me: I live walking-minutes away from the sea. Isn’t it a reason enough to be grateful, daily?
What small things do you want to start paying more attention to this season?
- As a working single mom I noticed just how quickly my tiny human is growing. And I want to pay more attention to her and nurturing her needs. I am also doing the work of healing my inner child. So parenting my tiny one while reparenting myself. Paying attention to our moments together and separately. While also honoring our small moments.
Your writing is almost like a meditation, Alex....causing me to slow down, notice, and appreciate what has been there all along, but is suddenly revealed because I am now taking the time to use my senses to appreciate it. Thank you for this.
"Shifting focus from what's lacking to what's abundant."
Absolutely true!! It's easy to numb our mind in a fast paced world. Simplicity is a luxury, which cannot be achieved unless we are intentional towards living in the present and truly enjoying every experience of life without expecting something in return. I love how beautifully you express how gratitude has changed your life Alex. I believe it has done the same for me. I keep a gratitude journal on my bedside table and I actually look forward to writing in it every night before going to bed. It's amazing how such a simple exercise can have such a powerful impact in one's life.🤍
Beautifully written and comes at a time when I need to focus on everything beautiful and good in my life. I used to look for something sweet everyday, it could be something so simple as my little neighbor boy singing to himself. Waking the tender heart.
I am definitely in for the September challenge. Gratitude lists have changed my life. Thank you Alex😍
I am definitely going to do some gratitude journaling. This season I want to pay attention to the days I do not feel like it (doing anything, getting dressed and things like that ). Gratitude is being grateful and appreciative for what I have present day and what is to come .
A lot of synchronicity here for me. Just started back up my gratitude journaling practice a few nights ago. I'm in.
Your writing is deliciously poetic. I am grateful for you. ♥️
What small things do you want to start paying more attention to this season?
Where I focus my attention, minimizing to 3 things to finish daily. Being open to God’s way more than mine. More attention to what is here, all else will unfold in their own accord.
“Being open to God’s way more than mine”. Love that Paolo thank you for sharing. My journey has taken me on a path of surrendering to the intelligence of life. Learning to let go of what I think I want to receive what I need from life. To trust that the medicine I require will be gifted to me albeit in ways that are disguised. Letting go and being open to new pathways is scary and exciting because it is the unknown. But the unknown is where all possibility beyond our imagination lives 🙏🏽
Love the theme, I’m thankful for healers like you. ❤️
Thank you for this beautiful piece. It beckons me to think more in terms of gratitude and to trust myself more.
Thank you for the reminder. I have always struggled with gratitude journals because there have been many phases in my life during which the list of gratitudes was small and the same day after day.