Gratitude

Thank you 2021.

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Thank you for making me the person I am today.

Thank you for your disappointments, as I now see they were a necessary part of the plan.

Thank you for the fear you evoked in me, as it challenged me to face them and find strengths I forgot I had.

Thank you for showing me it is okay to disappoint others, particularly when it allows me to stay in alignment with my authentic self.

Thank you for the little joy that steadily lit the way, as I realized how watching a tiny human grow is the very best balm for the soul.

Thank you for teaching me how to show up for others, reminding me that small gestures can make all the difference.

Thank you for your uncertainly, as I found so much of what I needed in life while wading in the abyss of the unknown.

Thank you for introducing me to a new definition of home, as it’s far more about the feeling I get than it ever was about the place I was.

Thank you for helping me create tradition and the comfort that comes along with it.

Thank you for teaching me how to honor healthy boundaries, both my own and those of others.

Thank you for reminding me to lean into life with open arms and malleable expectations, to focus on life’s blessings as they come rather than the disappointment of how I thought they would show up.

Thank you for allowing me to step into womanhood, learning how to balance all the daily complexities of being a wife, mother and myself.

Thank you for being you 2021. This time was meant for my journey and for that I am forever thankful to you.

~C.A.~

For those who are leaving this year with grief, heartache and pain, my heart is with you. Sending you much light and love.

Wellness Check-In

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I have to be honest. Focusing on wellness this Autumn has been so incredibly difficult. I’m honestly at a loss. How in the season that inspires me so much, do I also get so far off track?

My eating, sleeping, exercising regularly, personal development focus, staying in the moment and staying in prayer have all been off over the course of the last few weeks. I mean I haven’t been awful I suppose but I’m certainly not where I want to be in all of those areas, among many others.

Although several reasons as to “why” come to mind, if I’m being really clear with myself then I’d have to say this is the season for me where I am finding it easiest to “slip”. And by “slip” I mean come up with an excuse to avoid making a disciplined decision.

As an example last week I wasn’t feeling great, which usually happens for me when the weather starts to change from hot to cold each year. Over the week it was so easy for me to pass on going to the gym, order no-so-healthy takeout (because I was too tired/sick to cook) and let my house clutter quickly to build up (because I was too exhausted to manage it). Instead of pushing through the current state I was in, I gave myself a little too much grace, that ultimately negatively impacted my health and wellness even further. And this is just one example of how off track I have been this season.

Now as much as I want to beat myself up over this, I realize it will only waste more time. So my action plan is simple. Go back to the basics and focus on the little decisions each day. Because each little decision adds up and makes a big difference. I will get reacquainted with my vision board, daily goals and my gratitude daily recaps.

I am refocused and ready to take back my Autumn.

~ C ~

Focus on Gratitude

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One of the daily rituals I am focusing on this season is taking time each day to reflect on all that I am grateful for. This habit is something I started doing on and off this past summer. A couple days a week, right before I went to bed I wrote down everything I was thankful for. After a while I noticed that I was more fulfilled at the end of each day when I took the time to sit in silence and reflect on all the blessings that occurred, both little and big each day.

Now I recognize this is something we all typically do around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. But during the other 363 days a year, I have noticed that on a regular basis I have easily allowed the responsibilities and daily happenings to take over the focus of my day. And I often found that I didn’t quite reset to a fresh new day because I was carrying the weight of the yesterdays.

When I focus on gratitude it is a reminder to be in the present. That I have all that I need and I am blessed no matter what has happened to me in the day. When I focus on gratitude, I feel it is opening me up to possibility. As Autumn gets underway, I am reminded of how grateful I am for all that I had and all that has made me who I am today.

~ C ~