The hurried pace of life today continues to overwhelm the senses of the masses. To do lists are longer than the days can handle and exhaustion can set in quickly, especially during the holidays. Expectations run high. Gift lists roll out like Santa’s, down to the ground and beyond. There is so much to do, so little time. It can consume one’s soul, wear out the body and make activities draining during a time that is reserved for the most joyous. We are caught in a frenzy of wrapping paper and cookie sugar, coffee to get going and wine to unwind. It becomes a flurry that can go by in a flash without even time to snap a photo.
What if it wasn’t? What if this year you chose to do something different? What if this year instead jumping aboard the insanity train, you stopped first and chose a different route? What if you chose gratitude as your gift this year?
Gratitude is a conscious action to create an attitude that sees the best in all things. It can turn any situation from stressful and crisis oriented to positive and uplifting. It instantly changes reality simply by changing perspective. By finding things to be grateful for, our brains and minds are able to suddenly see options and possibilities, solutions that were not evident before. Things feel possible, probable. We suddenly feel more capable and able to handle whatever life throws our way. It boosts mood hormones and creates a sense of security that may have not been evident previously. Gratitude connects people and cements relationships, allowing for moments of validation, respect and honor. It is one of the single most effective and powerful exercises and it can be done instantly and with little effort.
Thanking someone for the gifts that they have given you is a gift in and of itself. Letting someone know how much you care for them, giving them that little piece of your heart that says you matter to me and this is why is a gift to be treasured.
Do you remember a moment in your life when someone stopped to thank you, authentically and genuinely thanked you from the bottom of their hearts? What did that feel like? What did it mean to you? What did it do to your spirit? What did it do to your soul? How did it make you feel about yourself? Did it make you see your day differently, your life?
Is there a moment where you authentically, spontaneously gave a piece of gratitude from your heart to someone else? What made you feel this way? What inspired you to give that authentic piece of thanks? Was it something they did for you or was it just someone being genuinely themselves, kind and caring and sharing who they are? Those moments of connection, of opening our hearts to let the words of gratitude flow are precious and often too few.
When we stop to thank someone for just being them, it becomes more than just a quick “Oh, thank you.” that routinely pours from our lips. It becomes a real moment of soul to soul interaction. It becomes a bond, a connection, a meaningful sentiment in a world of rush, rush, rush. It makes us stop the doing and begin the being. Being able to stand in the feeling of “I see you. I know you. I love you and I appreciate who you are to me” is powerful! It is empowering! It is memorable. It is a gift.
The power of gratitude lies in its sincerity. More than just a greeting or a good-bye, it is a way of acknowledging someone, of validating their presence, of taking the time to slow down enough to be one with that person, if just for a moment. This year, give the gift of gratitude. Give the gift of connection, of appreciation, of validation, of approval, of acceptance, of love.
When we buy gifts we think of the person we are gifting, we focus on them and we connect in that moment. But for all our work, things come and things go and often the sentiment leaves with them. Think of the things that you bought last year. Do you even remember what they were? Do you remember who you gave them to? Did they take the time to open them or even mention that they had received them? Do you remember what gifts you got? Do you remember who gave them to you? What did you do with the gifts you were given?
This year maybe it’s time to slow down and give a gift to last a lifetime, a gift of connection, of gratitude. Write letters to those you love, the special ones who mean the most. Make a box with mini letters of love and gratitude to be opened over the course of the year. Make or find magnets written with the things that you are grateful for in that person and include a card saying why those things mean so much to you! Find a special symbol of something that represents what you love about that special person and gift it with a note explaining how much they mean to you. Start the gratitude stocking tradition with your kids. Have them write notes to each other, wrapped up nice and pretty and stick them in each others stockings! Start a holiday journal and the day after Christmas write down all the moments and the people they are grateful for.
These may take a few more moments than just buying another knick knack or a gift card to the tech store, but they are as warm and comforting as baked cookies and can become a powerful tradition that will last a lifetime.
Make it a holiday of gratitude, boost those endorphins, connect with authenticity and create a legacy of love.
In Clear Conscience and with much gratitude.
~W~ Jeannine
I would love to hear if you give the gift of gratitude this holiday season- Come find me on Facebook on my Jeannine Proulx Author page and share the gratitude! One person who shares their story will win a complimentary Intuitive session with me this season. With love and thanks for you! Thank you for being you!
Jeannine Proulx is an Intuitive Life Coach who helps spiritual people ready for the next step on their journey connect with the deepest parts of themselves, getting them from where they are to where they want to be and in doing so create a life full of possibility. She is living her talk, loving her beaches and walks in the sun and would love to guide you to your land of your dreams come true! You can find more about her at: www.jeannineproulx.com.
The WORLD Collective Consciousness
The WORLD Collective Consciousness is the combined voices of all the people, creatures, nations, energies, thoughts and possible realities that this wonder of a world has created and will create. We all have a Collective of who we are: mind, body, spirit, subconscious, lives lived, people loved, spirit connections, guides and energies. That is us as individuals. The WORLD Collective Consciousness is us as a whole. They speak with one voice, a sense of humor and a practical way of showing us all the possibilities we have available to us at any moment. They are more than thrilled to now be a part of the conversation in the spiritual community and eventually in the world itself. It is their time to talk and Jeannine Proulx’s honor to write with them. May you enjoy the insights revealed and the stories shared as the WORLD brings to life its secrets.
*WORLD = Wide Open Reality Alive with Dimension
