Gratitude (practice)

As this months second blog, I thought it would be fitting to build on my last blogs subject of Optimism.

A dear friend of mine has helped me immensely over the past year in simply reminding me that gratitude is a gift to those who can take the time to acknowledge the good that exists, to them, for them.

Gratitude is a path, a path I'd like to find myself taking more than less. A choice to recognize all that is good.. not because there is no bad but because the good will always be there too.., Just as long as I take the time to recognize and appreciate that it is exists.

Gratitude has in many ways, been my longtime saving grace.

Gratitude in what I have worked for & committed to reminds me that all that is for me right now is more than enough. If it doesn't feel that way, it's possible I am not taking proper time to realize all that is good.

I woke this morning with a full heart.....,

It could have been Christmas.

The contentment in my soul felt so deep & wide, aspects of the happiness unrecognizable (but still wonderful).

My gratitude started small & grew quickly this morning.

A realization I am writing down so that I may remember for the future.

A little really can go a long way.

Among gratitude's that have meaning to me this morning have been:

1)

A gratitude for the hair I have been growing out for the past 6 months, naturally & without modification.

Over the years I have modeled for several hair shows......

As much as I've enjoyed that process & the creative people involved, my hair is always cut & reshaped/colored, made to fit someone else's visions or ideals.

Over time It's reminded me of my love for the natural. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a model at & for those hair shows, but now, I am grateful to be able to grow my hair out exactly how I'd like it to be, just for me, without compromise.

2)

A gratitude for progress in practice..

(I may do an extended post on this subject. )

I've never really considered myself great at Makeup, but lately I've been feeling extra creative & inspired to accentuate my facial features.

Simply put, it's been a process I've come to enjoy.

For years it felt like daunting & "extra", time consuming process.

I feel my eyes have been opened to the gift that creativity can bring to most parts of life.

Perhaps I never thought to try in the past.

Perhaps I've felt stigmatized about the "girlish" color of pink.

Overcoming these view points and staying open helped me realize pink is & can be a great accent color and way to help accentuate features.

3)

A gratitude for & to work.

I've had many thoughts about & towards work over the years.

I'd like to think many of these thoughts have been progressive & have helped me uncover opportunities I would not have otherwise thought to seek or find.

I hope to use progressive thinking to continue to grow and learn as a working professional.

I am grateful for the current opportunities and connections I have in the "work" sector.

Many of the work related tasks I do are so pleasant & enjoyable for me that It's a challenge for me to consider them work.

There are many other subjects and beings that have provoked a deep gratitude inside me today.

It's been a wonderful experience & I hope one I can come back to & build on more and more as time progresses.

I see a strength in optimism & gratitude I don't feel I have ever been quite so aware of.

A few photos from the month so far below;