My overflowing half-empty glass.

Here it has been almost two weeks since I wanted to post something for your reading pleasure and yet each time I sat down to write, nothing was springing to mind. That's so not like me.  I can always summon up some witty little thing at a moment's notice, but not this time.

Mmmm.  It's not as if my life sucks.  Au contraire.  It's very, very full.  With only four weeks to go until our spiritual community's annual Christmas celebration, I am in the thick of it all, being one of the senior elves on the event-planning team. I am working 5 to 6 days a week, playing lots of gigs, and building my sideline business with Isagenix. I have no context for the words "day off".  And I'm in good spirits.

Still, a malaise of sorts pervades my space.  I've been pondering this for the last few days, and came to a realization that I wasn't acknowledging or expressing gratitude for my life.  And it's funny because I had been nudging a good friend of mine, who has been down in the dumps lately, to write at least 10 things he was grateful for each morning.  He said he couldn't do it.  (Until yesterday, when he came running into my store to tell me he had easily hit 50 things he was grateful for and was still counting!) He totally made my day.

I'll admit I've got a few challenges at the moment but they are all pretty much in the financial realm.  I am beginning to see that I am letting that dark cloud determine the weather conditions for me in the other areas of my life.  So I have decided to try and catch myself when I'm not feeling thankful.  I'm in training, I guess you could say.  I'm rewiring my synapses so my natural response to whatever is going on is to see the silver lining instead of the cloud.

So here's what I am thankful for... (and this is just a sampling)... 

My mom and dad are still alive and living in their own home.

I have three sisters and a brother and we have never known what it is like not to talk to each other.

My son Sean continues to delight me in ways that are indescribable.  (Yesterday, I was out shopping with him. He needed a few things from the drugstore as he was really not feeling well.  He stopped and bought a poppy for both of us and was very kind to the man who was selling them.  I knew he felt really ill, but he still took the time to give this man a huge hello.  I had a lump in my throat watching his tenderness with a complete stranger.)

While Duncan is no longer with us in body, I am so grateful to have had him in my life for 22 years. 

I am much loved by many people.

I eat well and enjoy good health.

I am surrounded by beauty.

I have many opportunities to sing (and I LOVE singing!).

I am in a position to help people better their lives.

I laugh every day.  Full belly laughs usually. I'm grateful for my sense of humour.

I could go on and on.  This, in and of itself, is helping to lift my ceiling.

I guess you could call this my post-Thanksgiving post.

Branded by gratitude,

Love Buns