The Strength of Gratitude

Hi Pumpkin!

It Is Thanksgiving time here in the U.S. and I am reminded that GRATITUDE is possibly the greatest muscle I have. I try to exercise this muscle the most when I feel it the least.

Thank you for reading my post! Thank you for being in my life, because if you are reading this you ARE in my life……because this is my life that I am sharing with you. 

Sometimes, I am grateful for the really hard things that have transpired during the day.  Things rarely go according to plan but that doesn’t mean that making a plan is a bad idea.  It means that adventure begins when plans shift.  Who we are becomes more apparent when plans shift.  The turkey is not actually done! Oh boy—who am I? LOL, but also, it happens.  Can you roll with the punches?

Research has shown us that how we actually FEEL is the key to longevity and enjoyment, not how much we dissociate through the use of sugar, booze, drugs or video games. 

Zero percent of people are happier drunk or high.  

Zero percent of people are happier playing video games.

100 percent of people are dissociated when buzzed, drunk, high, or playing videos games.

Notice this for yourself.  If anyone wants to argue this point I would say, sure, you’re right.  I am just saying which way I have found to be East, and you can find your own way. In fact, you must.

But, I have noticed most people are incapable of really overcoming any kind of turkey snafu whilst under the influence, much less really difficult family relationships.

If you are bored already—skip to the practical part of this blog post below for a bunch of ideas for un-fucking yourself. 

One thing I know for sure is that my daily practices are what allow me to be present in the chaos of holidays.  Who I am is the person I practice being everyday.  I wake up and practice gratitude. Really.  As soon as I am aware of being awake I reach out for Lillie (one of my dogs) and thank her for sleeping with me and keeping me warm and cozy.  I thank my bed for holding me and then I give thanks for everything I can think of; my home, my business, enough food for me and the dogs, my land, my family……simply listing what comes to mind. I do this because it feels good to say thank you.  It feels good to acknowledge that I am held and safe and warm and I have awakened again to a new dawn, ripe with the possibilities I allow.  Giving gratitude is one way I open to the possibility of the miracles of the day.  Another way is to do the things that start my day off with the things I want to experience that day.  I scrape my tongue to remove the toxins that build up on the tongue during sleep.  It is a physical reminder that what comes up is coming up to be cleared.  I get dressed and then I lie on the bed with Lillie and let my head hang off the end while I drop naysa (Ayurvedic sinus oil) into each nostril and let it drip into my sinuses.  I just don’t get colds and this is one reason why this is true. 

These are self care practices—a 1 minute daily practices that pay massive dividends. 

I also have a morning elixir that I make daily.  It keeps me healthy by cleansing my liver, supporting my microbiome and hormone health, and hydrating me with electrolytes.  It’s yummy and easy to make and I drink it while I am playing with the dogs for a few minutes outside in the sun—even in the winter—getting sunlight in my eyes and moving with joy.  

If you want to learn more practices that matter towards living the life you say you want, click HERE 

(https://fitfromwithin.teachable.com/p/fit-from-within)

I created an online course that not only provides endless practice ideas from tongue scraping to mouth taping (Yes!) And, mostly, what my course, Fit From Within, provides is practical methods for determining the most difficult thing: figuring out what you really, really want.  It starts with rhythm, like all of life.

When I ask any person on the planet what they want, the typical response is, hands on hips attitude and “Well, I’ll tell you what I DON’T want.” 

Most of us spend a lot of energy focused on what is not going well.  I notice that energy is what leads people down the path of giving it all up until January.   In October, the light shifts, the weather turns cooler, the candy is omnipresent, the shorts and skimpy tops are put away or covered with sweats.  The very act of leaving home becomes involved.  By the time we reach Thanksgiving time most people have a ready gained weight and lost interest in all the fun things summer had to offer.  Part of that is just the weather. Part of that is not having a plan—part of is not having a winter practice, and,  part of it is just nature.  All of nature says slow down, drop what no longer serves us (trees do it) and start taking in as much food as possible—squirrels and other little creatures do it.  Sleep more.  The light shifted.  There is more darkness even if we dropped the horrible practice of turning the clocks in one direction or the other.  Bears do it! All of the natural world is slowing.  But the human world never slows down.  

Notice how not slowing down when the rest of nature does is working against you.  

So we have artificial ways of slowing.  Humans eat garbage.  As soon as the weather shifts, we eat gobs of packaged candy loaded with high fructose corn syrup and cheap disastrous chemically modified oils. We don’t sleep more, we just shift with the clocks.  We continue working AGAINST time, chasing it, and never catching up.  

By the time the holidays are here we are mostly entrenched in a FUCK IT!, I already gained 5 pounds, I’ll just diet when the new year hits, attitude. 

WHY?

Why do we choose to live in a this or that world?  What about both, and? What about noticing where you fell out of balance and choose one thing to move you in the direction you want to go? 

Here is a practical list of 20 things you can do to bring yourself back into balance when you feel you have fallen out of line with your true desire.

1. Drink a glass of water! Filtered water is even better.  Filtered water with a touch of sea salt best.  (Ask me about high blood pressure—its not the salt, its sugar—I have a phd in blood—no joke)
2. Eat protein. Eat grass fed, pastured protein.  Eat real food.  If you cant kill it, don’t eat it.  If it wasn’t breathing 1 week ago or less—don’t eat it.  This is life force—it does not come in squares packaged in plastic.
3. Try intermittent fasting. Start with 1 hour longer than you usually fast and then add an hour of fasted time until you reach 14.  There are many schools of thought on fasting but you know me—I would say DO YOU! Find a window that works for you and stick to it.
4. Meditate.  Any way you can.  Start with one minute.  Sit still. Listen.  Let go. Cant meditate? Ask me how.  I will teach you how and guide you www.coachingbyg.com/consultation.
5. Move your body!  Need help? Ask me. www.coachingbyg.com/consultation
6. Get sunlight. Even in winter. No sunglasses! (Unless you are at risk of killing someone because of the glare).  Your eyes NEED sun.  Your hormones need sun.
7. Journal.  Research shows that writing is a direct line to better feelings.  Get it out.  Write with a pen versus a computer.
8. Create affirmations that feel a little cheesy and uncomfortable. ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freak-flag-with-kathleen-smith/id1604297587?i=1000630564657)
9. Find your rhythm.  Go to bed and wake up at the same times daily.
10. One hour before bed turn off wifi and all electronic devices.
11. Read books.
12. Do something brand new.  Start lifting weights. Take drum lessons.  Start a pottery class.
13. Do things that are not centered around food and or booze.  Get coffee with friends, join a walking/running group.  Find a book group, a writing group, a fitness class (9AM Saturday mornings at Coaching by G ($25 cash) just show up!
14. Pet dogs.  Volunteer at an animal shelter.
15. Volunteer anywhere.  Feed the hungry, clothe the refugees, help someone else.
16. Practice gratitude.  Write 3 things you are grateful for right this second—even if it is the air you breathe.
17. Practice breathwork.  Contact me for a private session (www.coachingbyg.com/consultation).  I hold monthly classes at the studio and will lead more upon request, live or on zoom.
18. Cook food. Real food. Share it.
19. Hire a coach.
20. Love yourself!  You are so worth it!

When you feel like you have lost your way is probably not the time to fire your coach or quit your program.  It is time to ask for more support.  

People say, well I am not using it so I should just stop.  Wrong. Start using it. Ask for help. Quitting doesn’t feel good.

Discipline is all we have.  

You can serve your best interests or your worst, but as Bob Dylan reminds us, “you gotta serve somebody”. 

When you feel good about yourself you make good choices, and when you make good choices you feel good about yourself, you offer others support and you just FEEL GOOD.  Is there some other reason to do things? 

I don’t believe there is.  

EAT AT THANKSGiVING.  AND…then get right back to your routine, because it FEELS GOOD to be in your rhythm.

Don’t have a routine that feels good? There is a coach for that:) 

www.coachingbyg.com/consultation

Happy Thanksgiving!

From my heart to yours,