For several years I've been reading the work of metaphysical writer and astrologer Rob Brezny. I'm not someone who necessarily guides her life by the "stars," i.e. the solar system, I just find what he has to say intriguing and he gets to the heart of the matter in a straightforward, yet mystical way that works for me.
My favorite parts are the quotes he includes from a diverse group of people, all of whom have looked at life, written about their findings, and have ideas worth passing on. I'm occasionally introduced to someone I've never heard of before and that's always fun and often enlightening. Sometimes he includes them in what he refers to as "sacred advertisements," at the bottom of his weekly assessments. It's a way of approaching life that seems to be based on love and gratitude, metaphysical no-brainers, but sometimes I need to be reminded.
He announced this past week, "It's time for the Gratitude Fest. Write thank you notes to the creatures both human and otherwise, that have played seminal roles in inspiring you to become yourself. Who have been your guides along the way, both the purposeful teachers and the inadvertent helpers who have seen you for who you really are? Who has nudged you in the direction of your fuller destiny and awakened you to your signature truths? Who has loved you very, very well?"
In that spirit, I made my list.
I'm going to go back to it now and then to really feel the gratitude I have for these people, for all the beings, including those who have fur or feathers, those who are still in my life and those who, for a variety of reasons, are not. I'm grateful for what they shared of themselves, and in doing so showed me a bit more about myself, things that are coming in handy on my journey.
One of the things I'm deeply grateful for this week is having a room that keeps life very simple, bringing everything back to the basics. It's allowing me the space that's just right for uncomplicating my thought and my life, for reminding me what really matters.
Gratitude heals. It keeps our thought in a place where good can unfold in our lives in a perpetual moving towards the recognition of our true self, the self we were born into, the self we have always been and are in the process of remembering.
Happy, Ongoing Gratitude Fest!
The photo is the view from the courtyard outside my room, last evening, a view to the east, the afterglow of the setting sun.
That's a beautiful picture. What are those hills in the distance? After reading your post I started making my own gratitude list. I may also look up Rob Brezny. Thank you for the wonderful thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Those are the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo's. And you're welcome. Glad you stopped in...
ReplyDeleteTeresa
Oooh...what a beautiful sunset. Still in Taos? This trip is like a retreat. Time to think, read, relax, whatever. What a wonderful time you must be having. I love to travel by myself. Thinking time, I call it... Enjoy!!!
ReplyDeletei was frozen in a space of recognition as i looked at the opening photo, the side "moon light" and the cosmos above the rumi quote.
ReplyDeletethey take me away--to someplace familiar. i recognize their energy, teresa. i browsed coffee table books of the cosmos last saturday. they have been showing up for me to look into...
coincidence is everywhere these days.
also, let's hear it for the gratitude fest!
Hi Lynn, Yes, still in Taos. I'm likin' it. Thank You!
ReplyDeleteHey M, Yes, there is a beautiful energy in those images, I agree. They're such fun, aren't they, these coincidences/synchronicities? I love how Life reveals itself to us.
How interesting to write a gratitude journal and reflect on those positive elements and people in one's life.
ReplyDeleteHi Paul, I didn't actually write out thank you notes, as he suggested, I am spending time in writing down, reflecting and envisioning the good that these people and beings have brought into my life. I think it's valuable even more if we can learn to live in a state of gratitude, make it an omnipresent part of our being. High falutin'? Maybe, but I'm sure we all agree, it's something worth striving for.
ReplyDeleteSometime we forget those powerful words, Thank You. I try to thank all that help me in life, even cashiers who take my money.If they have a nametag Ilike to address them by name. I startle a few animals thanking them for a good pose in a photo. It builds your spirit.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I needed the reminder, too, that's often why I write about certain things, to remind myself... :) Everyone likes to feel that they're being seen, especially in almost faceless jobs like cashiering. I often thank the wildlife that comes into my yard in MN. I am so grateful for them. Exactly so, it builds your spirit. Thanks for reading and commenting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. The mountains are gorgeous, for one thing, and that's a great place to start a Gratitude Fest, in my book.
ReplyDeleteIt's so cold and snowy here that it's nice to be nudged into thinking positive.
Cheryl, I needed the reminder myself.... Stay warm.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, to write about Gratitude. Love those gentle nudges. That was an easy one for me because Marilyn and I talk about gratitude often. My 3 things I'm grateful for are organic food, a dance floor, and a gas stove. The 2 men I'm grateful for are Max Gerson and Edgar Cayce. I had just said, I wish I were young enough to still have babies. I'd have twin boys and name them Edgar and Max. Ha
ReplyDeleteI just returned from Helena.... had to go there for a couple of days. For me that was a trip :) Are you still traveling? Is that what you meant by having a simple room, still at the motel?
Love and peace
Yes, still traveling, Manzanita. And I do like the simplicity of a motel room, for a time, as long as I can get outside and stretch, body and mind. I hope your time in Helena contained some fun.
ReplyDeleteGratitude for the people, places and things that inform who we are, as we make our way down the path. Fest, you bet. My list seems far longer than the many decades behind me. Some listed for goodness, some for providing the challenges that, like you, have helped me to know myself better. And helped me open to change, acceptance and in some cases defining limits.
ReplyDeleteWhen the "who was your favorite teacher" question used to come up, for years I would think of one particular person, who from 7th to 12th grade, made a huge difference in my life. Living far away from where I grew up, I often wondered how he was doing. Wanted to thank him for his generosity of spirit. For making a difference. Assumed he wouldn't remember me if I made contact. Afraid that conversation would be awkward for him.
Thirty five or so years later, at a pivotal point in my life, I called him. Not to talk about my life change, but to share what I had been meaning to say for so long. Thank you. He was there and had recently lost his wife of 45 years. Turned out to be one of the best calls I ever made. He needed that message, in that moment. I agree, gratitude heals, in many ways.
Wonderful, thoughtful post, as always Teresa. Sorry for prattling on overlong.
Hugs,
Chris
My uncle, Floyd McRorey, taught me much. Didn't have any syllabus but the cycle of seasons and working with the land. I like the idea of having list. When I teach and am talking about a certain point, I can remember the teacher that taught me that point or used a certain phrase I use today. We are not self-made. -- Jack of Sage to Meadow.
ReplyDeleteChris, I love your story of expressing gratitude to your teacher. What a beautiful outcome for both of you. Your comment itself is healing for me this morning, a prodding to stay peaceful in my thought, and grateful, so there we are, a perfect example. Thank You. This is not the first time your comments have provided such grace for me.
ReplyDeleteJack, Your uncle Floyd teaching you with no syllabus but "the cycle of the seasons and working with the land," is such a wonderful idea. No, we are not self-made, so many fine teachers we have as we move through life. Thank you for taking time to read and comment. I'm most grateful for your insights.
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