“Usually” this is a practice I keep on Facebook, or in my journal – simply a daily witnessing of the abundance & joy I find around me…. Talking with a colleague today, I’m feeling inspired to more visibility of this practice. More accountability. More sharing….

Gratitude shared has a power and a depth to it beyond what is experienced in isolation… It uplifts, inspires, creates opportunity to see beauty through another’s eyes… And gifts perspective on my own. For years I’ve listed my gratitudes on FB, sharing within my community there. Just the list. It kept me sane, kept me actively looking for things to be grateful for whilst I navigated challenge after heart wrenching, gut clenching challenge… The last year I’ve been inspired- watching with awe and delight – & participating with such heart cracking joy in the Gratitude work with Kevin Monroe.

Feeling into it. Feeling into gratitude. The power of this within my own life, witnessing transformations in other’s lives. There is such power in this – FEELING into gratitude… When the experience of gratitude moves from a list, into a feeling. Expressed and shared….

Within all of this, there is a radiant JOY-full depth… A profound cracking open of my heart and BE-ing – and a willingness to express, to experience, to see and be seen…. Deeply healing, deeply nourishing.

Finding and seeing Beauty everywhere- and being seen as I share this.

Gratitude practice has been a fundamental core practice of my life since I was 6 or 7. It was a survival tool, and a coping mechanism- to look for things to be grateful for and appreciative for in the midst of changes, lost shipping containers, rootlessness and moves around the globe… It connects us – well me – with a sense of potential, of ” the more” out there and it fills me with a child like curiosity and anticipation of beauty, joy and bliss as I navigate through the world. The underlying sense of “what else is possible, what else is out there….” Looking at the challenges I see “out there” in the big, wide world, I recognise – KNOW – that going forward, the practice of being grateful is a vital tool for positive, focussed, sustained and sustainable future designs. That future we are all working towards, dreaming of, actively working towards creating.

Do you know the one I mean? Where people are kind to each other, smile at strangers and share…

So then. My Gratitudes today as I feel into what has or is touching my heart and soul these last few days…

Gratitudes….. 😉❤️ Life is so busy… For all of this and so much more… I am grateful, Thank You.  A huge garden tidy up over the weekend, mowed lawns and mowed pathways through the wildflower bits… The living willow circle-bender / outside room.  The sound of the wind rushing through branches – and watching it whilst my garden is held in this protective wee space of warm sunshine… Loving conversations with an old Lover. Or two… Remembering the shared experiences and the shared love – that reverence for another even if life has taken us in different directions… Feeling the love, without the angst… Celebrating of now, just because.  Delayed Braais / BBQ -just because we are too damn tiered this weekend… Shared Gratitude practises with a wonderful group of women – and the inspiring conversations which develop from within that space.  Swings.  Shouted laughter.  Ball throwing and a dog loving the chase… Balancing between weed pulling and swing pushing. Sprinklers in the garden… Herbs – weeds – turned into medicine. Frilly smelly roses. Ox Eye Daisey and Lawn Daisey – cousins! Iris growing in front of my window whilst I record meditations… Woodpecker family on the bird feeder… Pasta dishes and stir fries. Hot chocolate mixed with coffee.  Coffee. Falling asleep with a child’s breath tickling my ear.  New friends and LONG conversations! Talks with the wonderful Carrie Ekins about the science of Seeing Beauty… – the insight gathered and the inspiration to put that challenge together at last. Missing pieces found… Tales of sharks and tears dripping… Synchronicity at 12:12 and conversations with a friend… A clean kitchen, a dishwasher completing it’s cycle and a tumble-dryer… Hot water. Running water! Electricity.  A river on my doorstep, a promise of reflexology tomorrow and a coffee date with friends… Oh, and ice cream in the sunshine – Mango and Raspberry sorbet sheer deliciousness…  For all this and so much more… I feel grateful, inspired, awed, joyful, heart-cracking openness gratitude… Thank You. ❤️