Gratitude is Not What You Think, NEW Creations and Upcoming Sale
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Gratitude is not a demand for you to be happy with the challenges and suffering in your life. It is not a reprimand for not being satisfied with what you currently have, leaving you feeling guilty for wanting more. It is not a strict edict that you need to immediately find the spiritual meaning or hidden gift in every hard thing you go through. Gratitude, in fact, is not a thought at all, though it might be catalyzed by a heart-felt observation. It is a feeling of being fully present with your life in a soft and open way that does not edit out the beauty, love, safety, sweetness and magic that may be here for you right now even in a small way. It is a gentle way of speaking to yourself that coaxes you into seeing the good that can coexist alongside the hard things. Gratitude is a feeling of being available to receive what life is offering you right now. Ultimately it expands into a feeling of connection with Spirit, a feeling of being lovingly embraced and held by the Universe. Gratitude is not an attempt to override the truth of your experience with intense, fixed positivity. It is not an attempt to be "good" by being grateful for the things you "should" be grateful for intellectually. In fact, taking this approach creates an inner fissure between our actual experience and what we are telling ourselves to feel. This dissonance makes us feel disconnected and anxious. To move into an organic, unforced feeling of gratitude, take the time to experiment with bringing to mind different things you might feel grateful for and look for a glimmer of opening and awakening in your heart to be sure you are on the right path and then keep moving in that direction, expanding on that feeling as much as possible. So you might THINK that you do feel grateful for clean drinking water but it doesn't give you that FEELING in your heart. It might even seem ike an admonishment that other people have it a lot worse than you do so why are you not feeling happy in your life. You might THINK that you do feel grateful for a loved one but also that might bring to mind challenges you have with that person and while you are grateful for them overall, it doesn't create a light and easy feeling in your body but instead makes you feel guilty for not feeling more grateful. So maybe today you are grateful for spotting an unexpected rainbow while driving home from work and it awoken a feeling of beauty and wonder within you. Or maybe, it is cozy moment at the end of your day with cup of tea and peaceful music that makes you feel safe and relaxed. There really is not a right or wrong here. It actually is NOT about the THOUGHT, it is about the FEELING. So do not judge the thought, just look for the first hints of that feeling and see what helps it to grow. UPCOMING BLACK FRIDAY SALEI wanted to give you all a heads up that I will be running a big sale this Friday, Nov. 28 through Tuesday, Dec. 2nd. Here are all the details so you can explore my shop ahead of time and plan your order in a relaxed way. STARTS ON BLACK FRIDAY15% OFF EVERYTHING except calendars, art prints and hand-made items COMING TO MY SHOP THIS FRIDAY: HAIR CLIPS!Just in time for the festive holiday season and my Black Friday sale, my dear friend, Katya Rudneva, created these magical, hand-made Blossom and Butterfly Hair Clips that I absolutely ADORE! They are tooooo cute and I have been getting so many compliments on mine. They are actually great conversation starters at gatherings and events. Here is a sneak peak: With cinnamon, marshmallows, and magick, Nicole P.S. Keep an eye out for my newsletter on Friday morning announcing the start of my Black Friday Sale.
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