Counting Our Blessings . . .

What does it mean to be blessed? For me, it's to experience the Creator's presence.

All of life is infused with the Divine. If only we recognize this we can feel the joy of life in seemingly ordinary moments. Blessings come in countless forms; big life changing events or tiny moments of wonder.

My life has been blessed beyond measure. This past week has been overflowing with Divine blessings. My third grandson was born into our family on September 21st (the International Day of Peace, how cool is that!) and his presence is a blessing to our family in countless ways. To watch him sleep is to witness real peace, to smell his newborn scent is to be filled with the fragrance of purity, to hear his cry is to know the wonder of life and to witness family and friends in awe of such a tiny creation is to see the Divine in all who hold and love him.

My daughters and grandsons are a huge Blessing in my life, but I also count the little Blessings. Here is a short list; the smell of coffee in the morning, the scent of roses (reminds me of my Mother), the taste of a vine ripened tomato, the smell of the ocean, ladybugs and butterflies, the feel of freshly laundered sheets, belly laughs, doggy nuzzles, handwritten cards and letters, star light. I could go on and on and on . . .

If, just for one day, we make a list of the Blessings we experience ~ our lives will be enriched and have a little sparkle!

Writing 'Love' Notes

Writing a note, card or letter seems to be a dying art, yet who doesn't simply love getting a hand written card or letter in the mail. How long has it been since you've received one, and more importantly how long has it been since you've written and sent one?

With the technology age solidly embedded in our everyday lives, many of us prefer to send emails or e-cards. It saves us time, we can do it at the last minute, and at least we remembered the birthday, anniversary, etc. Right?! And then we can move on to the next task at hand.

But let's pause for just a moment. How long does it really take to write a few meaningful sentences to let someone know that we love them, miss them, wish them good health, thank them, congratulate their success, welcome them into our world - our lives? It's really about letting them know they are loved. "Love" notes are for everyone. Wouldn't you like to receive a note that let you know someone was thinking about you and took a moment from their busy life to express those thoughts in their own special way. Wouldn't that feel good? And how much better to be the one bringing that joy to someone else.

Most of us only recieve bills and ads in the mail and who really wants to open those?! I bet if we each took a few moments today and wrote someone a 'Love' note, it would add joy to their day and to ours!

You don't need a fancy card or paper, just a simple handwritten note. Today's the day to let someone know how you feel. The rewards are great!

Listen to Yourself

Who or what do we listen to most of the time and on a regular basis to the exclusion of our own voice? Our family, friends, "professionals", the media? Why? We have our own absolute truth waiting to be heard if we're ready and willing to listen.

That voice inside each of us is sometimes called; Intuition, Conscience, Higher Power, Inner Voice, our Soul, even our Gut . . . whatever you call it, we all have it. And, it's there for a very good reason, to guide us on life's path. I believe it comes from our Divine Source and is there for the good of ourselves, others, the planet and all of life.

Many of us have been taught not to pay much attention to it. We've been taught well by our families, teachers, religious leaders, friends, the media. And, many of us are very good learners. We've learned to ignor, rationalize away, bury, question and ridicule those important messages from deep within us. But we intuitivily know in a deep sacred place that it speaks the truth. AND we can choose to listen!

Listen to what your body has to tell you.
Listen to what your thoughts have to tell you.
Listen to what your soul has to tell you.

Be still, ask questions and listen for the answers. Do this again and again until you 'know' your truth. If your body hurts talk to it and ask what is causing the discomfort. If your thoughts are not lifting you up, ask where the negativity is coming from. If your soul is whispering to you, what is it saying?

By ignoring or discounting these soul messages we can become ill of body, mind or spirit. We become unhappy, make decisions that don't serve our highest good, hurt ourselves or others, and feel disconnected from our own lives.

But when we LISTEN to our inner voice, which only tells us the truth, we tap into the Divine Knowledge of the universe. Wow, how awesome is that and what power it holds!!

Listening to Others

Really listening to another person with our full attention is a gift.

We all want to be heard, but what does that require of the listener? That they be present, without distraction, and fully engaged in the conversation. Looking directly and deeply at the person speaking and paying fulll attention to what they're saying isn't always easy. We are oftentimes distracted; phone calls, text messaging, thinking about what we want to say, etc.

What if - we actually listened without interuption and connected to the person speaking?! What if - we were so fully engaged that listening to what the other person was saying was the most important thing at that moment?! What if - we listened with compassion, love and friendship?! When engaged in conversation let's offer the gift of really listening and hearing what others have to say, of connecting on a deeper level, of truly paying attention. The gift we receive may be even greater; we may learn something new about ourselves as well as the other person.

It feels great to be heard!