“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not;
remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
—Epicurus
I believe strongly in the power of gratitude. I believe everything we desire and want to feel begins with gratitude for what is happening in our lives today. It took me a while to learn this. I spent longer than I care to admit fantasizing how much better my life would be once I had something other than what I didn't have in that moment... i.e. a new home, money in the bank, a baby, a size 4 body. You get the idea.
I thought I knew about gratitude, I mean, it's just saying thank you, right? But what I learned after a great deal of resistance and resentment on my part with the help of my camera and two years of active practice, is that there is nothing more perfect than this moment. Exactly where we are, right now, is exactly where we need to be.
Gratitude is not about showing up to every moment as positive and happy, it's about simply showing up to each moment just as you are, feeling whatever you are feeling, and honoring whatever that looks like, trusting that it's all part of our journey. Once I truly understood and accepted this I began to slow down and open my eyes to where I was rather than where I thought I wanted to be and that is when things in my own life began to drastically change and I began to remember that all that I had right now was also what I had once dreamt of.
I've since created a course called Getting Naked with the Now: Rooted in Gratitude based on how I began and deepened my own gratitude practice. And I say practice because gratitude is something I must actively practice each day, for when I don't it shows up in my life as control, fear, aggression and depression.
My own practice is heavily based in photography which naturally makes the course itself heavily photo-based. This doesn't mean that you need to be a photographer to take the course, it just means you need to be willing to see things differently than you might be seeing them now and open to discovering how you connect and express yourself in the world. My intention with this course is to give you a place to begin, a place to root, and ground into the landscapes of your life as a means to then soar into your bigger dreams.
If a gratitude practice resonates for you, I would love for you to consider joining the beautiful group that is forming for the spring session of Getting Naked with the Now: Rooted in Gratitude. I would be honored to have your presence and energy in this spring group. It's going to be exploratory, heart-expanding, soul connecting and a whole lot of fun.
Our session begins March 11th. I chose to begin our session on the new moon as that time of the lunar phase serves as a reminder of intention setting and perspective shifting.
Those who sign up before Thursday, February 28th, will also receive a free bottle of my bespoke Clover & Sage fragrance: a custom blend of vetiver, rosemary, sweet orange, jasmine and fire opal gem elixir by magical mixologist Anna Wingfield of Napa Valley Au Natural designed to support your gratitude practice. A $25 value, yours free with your registration before tomorrow, Thursday, February 28th.
Details on the course and registration information is available here
And if you haven't already, be sure to download your set of gratitude guides by signing up for my mailing list. Joining also gives you access to my guiding word-of-the-month club delivered straight to your inbox on the first of every month.
I would really love to take your course..I only have a Canon Power Shot..saving my $ for a Rebel...can I still take your course with this camera? Thanks!
Posted by: Debi | 03/04/2013 at 07:03 AM