Today I am grateful for opportunity.  Sometimes we don’t realize how many opportunities surround us.  True, there are some we need to look for, they aren’t as obvious as we’d like.  On the surface some may look like the exact thing we are trying to avoid.  But when we learn to lean into who we are and find our rhythm, seeing those opportunities becomes easier.  Things become clearer faster and we know the direction we need to go it.  Suddenly the opportunities we need are right in front of us.  I am grateful to learn how to make those opportunities for myself through recognizing them and being aware of their presence.  I don’t claim this is easy—I still miss things because I’m too stubborn to see things for what they really are at times. The more gratitude we can express for something, the more opportunity comes into our lives and all the more apparent.  How cool! 

Today I am grateful for fun.  There are moments when we finally see how inhibited we’ve been.  I recognize that I have had fun, don’t mistake what I’m saying, but those moments I had fun do not compare to the actual release of endorphins felt in the midst of genuine happiness.  We do things that entertain us and distract us, but when we learn to be actively involved where we are and to embrace and engage in the moment, fun takes on a different meaning.  Fun feels different.  Learning to activate and release those joy hormones is life changing and it is pure joy.  Sometimes things become fun and we don’t even realize it.  Fun activates and unlocks a flood of creativity.  It shows us who we really are. 

Today I am grateful for love.  This is another feel good one.  We don’t always know if we can trust people and we tend to live life pretty guarded.  When we drop our inhibitions, we see how similar we all are.  We find new ways to connect and to feel good about ourselves and those around us.  I am also grateful for the connection that comes with love.  When we are close with people, there is a connection and an intimacy (not on the physical plane) that allows us to become who we are meant to be. Love is being seen and accepted as we are.  Sometimes we don’t know how people will perceive us and we live our lives carrying a shield to make sure no one sees the real us.  When we allow ourselves to get vulnerable, we feel the full weight of someone appreciating who we are.  The connection we feel from others also awakens the reciprocal action—we appreciate that person as well and we learn how to appreciate ourselves as well.  Love is a grand spectrum and the more I have sunk myself into it and embraced it, the better I have felt.  Love improves communication and joy and improves our sense of connection.  It’s a powerful thing and we should be so lucky to experience it.

 Today I am grateful for identity.  My town has a celebration the week after the 4^th of July and my son and I walked in the parade for a group he is involved with.  I had decided to invite a large group of people over in order to eat, recover, and celebrate after the long walk and my husband agreed.  I invited my parents so they could see my son was in the parade but they decided not to come.  At first it bothered me because I don’t want them to miss out on those moments plus they haven’t seen him with his group.  I realized, however, that I didn’t want them to be miserable if it wasn’t something they were going to enjoy.  So we walked and enjoyed the day with our friends and it turned into an amazing party, something I know would have made them uncomfortable.  It may have made me uncomfortable as well had they been there.  While it was a bittersweet moment, I realized that the time would have passed one way or the other, it was the time to enjoy it with the people around us.  It happened exactly as it was meant to.    

Today I am grateful for power.  Along with identity comes power.  We operate differently when we know ourselves and step fully into our being.  When we embrace the intricacy of who we are with no reservation, we see we are different people than the image we project to the world.  The more we invite that person to the table, the more we embrace our power and become comfortable with showing the world who we are as well as with setting boundaries.  As we are seen, the more comfortable we become owning who we are.  Power is about owning and taking responsibility for who we are.  It isn’t about making people see things our way, it’s about expressing our way and allowing things to fall where they may.  We learn what we are capable of and we learn how to use that power comfortably.  Love, identity, power, connection, it all ties together to make us a formidable force that flows within this world.  We find our power in love and sense of self and that is a gift.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.