by Angela Rodriguez

A day ago I was graced by an experience that reminded me of the great joy of choice.

I went to a going away party for a co-worker of my boyfriend Damian. I opted to drive myself so Damian could stay later and enjoy himself. 

One of his co-workers, whom I was meeting for the first time, shook my hand with the cupping fashion of over and under, which to me is the best type of handshake as it forms a full circle from the heart chakra, down the arm, through the hand, up the other arm, and back to the heart chakra.

As he moved on to greet more people, I turned to Damian and said, "He's a very special guy. I like his energy." Damian smiled in agreement and said, "You can tell all that from a simple handshake?"

Hours passed and it was time to go. As I said my goodbyes, this same genuine man said, "I don't know if you've been drinking, but I saw the police setting up a DUI checkpoint on Broadway Street. To avoid it all, you should take El Camino home."

It was brisk and dark outside. I kissed Damian farewell, then swiftly continued to my car.  I talked myself into taking El Camino, even though it would add another 10-15 minutes to my commute home.

As I approached El Camino, readying myself to turn right, my eye caught the shadow of someone in the crosswalk. In my mind, this someone was definitely taking to long to cross. I let out a deep sigh, while my inside voice said, oh c'mon, hurry up already!!

The figure grew closer, and I realized it was an elderly woman with a cane and rolling basket full of groceries, who was so dutifully attempting to get across the street with all of her might.

I took another deep breath, and suddenly my breath caught in my throat. My headlights caught the front wheels of her cart and one of the wheels wedged itself in a crack in the street. The woman moved her cart to and fro, but it would not budge and almost tipped over. 

I watched her for a good 30 seconds, conflicted in helping because she appeared to almost get the cart out herself. 

Time slowed down in my internal clock and headlights started to line up in my rear view mirror. I knew I had to help her. I jumped out of my car, approached her gently, then smiled broadly at her as I asked her if she needed any assistance.

She looked at me with delight, smiled back, and said, "Oh, yes, please, it's so hard for me now that there aren't many taxis."

I lifted her cart of groceries up and out of the crack, then placed the cart on the sidewalk. I heard her gasp with surprise at my strength, which made me giggle. The headlights behind my car were now 5 car lengths deep, and the light had turned from red to green, however not a one was honking with impatience. A pleasant surprise. I walked back into the crosswalk to assist the lady to the corner. I took her elbow and guided her safely up the curb. She thanked me profusely and told me she was fine now and lived close by. 

As we quickly said our farewells, a man rolled by on a bicycle. His eyes locked with mine, and he simply said, "God bless you."

I climbed back into my car and finally made that right hand turn onto El Camino, saying to myself, "That was Jesus." The entire incident, from beginning to end, was divine flow. Gratefully I chose to listen, to allow, to serve. In the end, I was blessed with the full circle of love which all started with a handshake that wasn't so simple after all. 

With Gratitude, dear readers, listen to the gentle flow of Spirit and ride on its breath. Happy Holidays!

Angela Rodriguez, Sergeant of Police for the San Francisco Police Department, an Advanced Reiki Practitioner, and Intermediate Channel, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here. 

Rebecca Kirson 

I’m an observer . . . I’ve been honing that skill as far back as I can remember. I love to study people, the way they think, the way they process what happens to them in life, and how they choose to create their lives either from an empowered place in alignment with their truth and desires or one of being disgruntled, negative, and stuck in victim mode.  

What fascinates me is the space between these two opposite positions on the spectrum.  

Libraries have been written on both camps and why individuals end up choosing to affiliate themselves with one perspective over another (and yes, it is a choice).  

In my humble opinion, the simple difference between Camp A (empowered, aligned, and happy) and Camp B (disgruntled, negative, and a victim) is . . . ATTITUDE. 

A person on the left side of the spectrum generally displays an attitude of gratitude which generates feelings of happiness, expansion, and light heartedness.  Seriously, let’s look around at our reality. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We have freedom, choice, access to unlimited resources like technology and communication like no other time in history. We are surrounded by abundance, community, and creature comforts.  We have an unlimited amount of things to be thankful for! 

A person on the right side of the spectrum generally displays just an attitude.  They are continually finding things to complain about, rail against, and blame for their misfortune while spreading their toxicity.  A thought of gratitude couldn’t bubble up in their psyche if it had to because the perspective of being grateful is so far off from how they view the world. It’s impossible to feel thankful for all the wondrous things in your life while also feeling judgmental, critical, and negative.  Two unlike vibrations cannot exist in the same space.   They see what they don’t have and what they don’t like.  They focus on problems and because of their focus, more problems manifest.  

Camp A finds it difficult to relate to Camp B.  Camp B finds it difficult to relate to Camp A.  Two very different lenses from which to view the world.

Working in the personal and spiritual development arena, I have the opportunity to navigate both camps. I can share from experience in my own life and the people I’ve worked with . . . fulfillment and happiness will never be found through negativity and resisting “what is” in life.
  
An Attitude of Gratitude results in us having a life of blessings.

Why?  

Because when we recognize the good all around us and express emotions of gratitude and thanksgiving, more is given to us! 

Life is always demonstrating back to us who we are being. That includes our attitude. 

Beyond our annual celebration of Thanksgiving, let’s take some time to reflect on the perspective we bring each and every day to how we navigate our life.  
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Is yours truly reflective of all that you have to be grateful for?

Rebecca Kirson, Akashic Record Practitioner and Transformational Coach with Your Sacred Truth, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you can live fully in the present.  - Dana Arcuri

Five years ago on this day, November 11, I started to learn the real power and presence of gratitude. It began when I found myself in a storm of personal drama, all of which I wanted no part of and was definitely NOT grateful for. My husband was several states away dealing with his ailing parents. My 15-year-old son was recovering from a painful procedure that involved reshaping (or breaking) his ribcage. When he asked me what normal ribs were supposed to feel like, I discovered a large mass at the top of my left breast. Cancer was confirmed the next day. My father in law died 4 days later. My mother in law was diagnosed with advanced dementia, requiring my husband’s care and attention as he dealt with his grief and relocated her to assisted living, managed his father’s funeral, and took over managing their estate. He was not there for me. How could he be? My widowed mother was one state away and barely able to manage her own health and affairs. I turned to a few close friends for support and to my new doctors and nurses for advice. I did what they said, stepping onto what felt like a treadmill for the treatment of breast cancer.  Scared. Overwhelmed. Alone. I scheduled a radical double mastectomy and reconstruction with the first plastic surgeon I consulted for the Monday after Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, I received a call that my mother had broken her hip and would probably lose her other leg to a circulatory disease. She would no longer be able to walk and live on her own. She needed my help. Numb and feeling completely out of control, I could not take anymore. I so desperately wanted someone to rescue me. Someone who had my and my family's best interest in mind, who could see the whole picture and just tell me what to do. I did not want to delay my treatment another day but realized that I had to. I had to be that person I was looking for, not only for me but for the rest of my family, especially my 3 children. I asked myself “What is the worst that could happen?” I could die. No doubt. Was I ready to die? What would that mean? 

I realized that if my time was really up, I wanted no or few regrets. The only way that seemed possible was to live from my heart, with grace, acceptance, and gratitude for Everything because everything was significant. Everything had something to teach us, even or especially the unwanted. I shifted and saw Life unveiled. Beautiful and precious. Richly textured and delicately interconnected. The moments I had left in the experience of my life were finite and mattered so I chose to take each moment as it came, with appreciation and confidence to make the best choices I could in that moment, one moment, one breath, one conscious step at a time.
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Like many people, I did not fully appreciate all that was right with my life until I was forced to face the real and inevitable truth of losing it and the ones I love. Funny how the threat of losing something that is by definition transient was what it took for me to see all that is really right and wonderful and precious. I am so grateful to have learned this while there is still time to live it. My prayer is that we all come to know the power and presence of gratitude in a personal way so that we can all live it while we still have time.

​Corinna Murray, DVM, CPC is a veterinarian, iPEC Certified Professional Coach, and founder of EnHABiT and Veterinary Care Navigation. She is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

by Barbara J Hopkinson
  
Why should you be grateful after suffering the traumatic loss of a loved one?  What is there to be grateful for?  You feel awful!
 
It’s difficult to find anything to be grateful for after losing someone close, certainly after the loss of a child, grandchild, sibling, parent, partner, or even a very close friend before their time.  It’s not fair.
 
All true, but finding a way to be grateful will help you heal. Finding a way to keep positive will help you feel better, and being grateful is a great way to do that.  Also, wouldn’t your loved one want you to be grateful for the time you had with them?  To focus on that more than the pain their loss caused you?  Not easy . . . but try.
 
When you think about it, there are so many things in this world to be grateful for!  Just waking up every day, with a roof over our heads, food to eat, friends and family, our health. Many others do not have those things.
 
What are other things in your life now, without your loved one, that you can be grateful for?  What are the things about your loved one that you are grateful to have experienced or shared?  Write them down.  Are you thankful to have spent however long you had with them?  Is that better than never having known them?  Be grateful for that time, however short.
 
I am.  I am grateful for the excitement around that first pregnancy, even though it ended in miscarriage.  I am grateful to have held my stillborn son Robbie in my arms, seeing how much he looked like his older brothers as babies.  I am so grateful for the 21 years I got to spend with my oldest son Brent, before he died suddenly in a motorcycle accident.  I can’t imagine having lived my life without the richness of his personality, and I am grateful that he still contacts me and sends me signs.  I am grateful for my first marriage, which ended after 30 years, that produced my sons and allowed me to grow into who I am.  I am over-the-top grateful for my remaining son Brad, who is newly engaged, and his lovely fiancée.   I am also very grateful for my second husband, his children, and their partners. There are so many things I am grateful for, including family, friends, and experiences, that it outweighs my losses, most of the time anyway.
 
It does take time and effort, but gratitude is so worth it!  Gratitude helps you attract more good things into your life.  I believe that gratitude is the CORE ingredient to a good life.  Remember to be grateful . . .  for everything! 
 
. . . and I am grateful for you reading this!  Thank you!

by Nanette Littlestone

Because we celebrate Thanksgiving in November, this is typically the month associated with gratitude. Being grateful and giving thanks. You’ve probably experienced the bounty of Thanksgiving: the table set with china and crystal, a beautifully roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, the pumpkin pie and whipped cream, and of course friends and family gathered together to enjoy the feast. At times like these it’s easy to be grateful and thankful.

But are you thankful in times of stress or turbulence or sorrow? During those circumstances how likely are you to be grateful? And why would you be grateful after tragedy or loss?

German theologian, philosopher, and mystic Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ it will be enough.” The first time I heard the quote, I scoffed. How could just saying “thank you” be enough? Surely to have a life full of peace, tranquility, and miracles, much more was needed. But experience has proved me wrong.

My healing journey over the last few months has taken me on a carnival roller coaster guaranteed to challenge the brave and the sturdy. I’ve always thought of myself as strong and determined, but there have been many times I walked in fear and wondered if I would ever come out on the other side. I’ve learned how easy it is to wallow in pain and frustration, and how you really do attract what you focus on. So if I wallow in pain and frustration, I simply attract more of it. And that definitely does not promote healing. 

On the flip side, if I can find a moment of escape, a few simple breaths, the feeling of the sun on my face, the grass beneath my feet, a breeze ruffling my hair. If I can acknowledge that moment and say “thank you,” that positive vibration spreads out through the universe and attracts more like that. And that simple thank you implements the beginning of profound change within you that will ultimately be reflected around you.

So this month find those moments to be grateful for what you have, what you are, what you’re doing. Say thank you. And celebrate, with joy, all the bounty in your life.

​Nanette Littlestone, author, editor, writing coach, and publisher, is a frequent blogger and visionary leader behind F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To find out more about these books, click here.