Let Your Life Bloom

Unexpected blessings

I'll admit, I've always had a hard time keeping a gratitude journal. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept. It seems like a great idea to keep your focus on what's going right, rather than habitually focusing on what's going wrong.

It's just that I'd start to write the same things over and over. While I was grateful for them, they began to lose their punch and meaning because I kept listing them. If only the repeated negative thoughts in my head lost charge like the repeated gratitude ones. Oh the irony!

I'd write things like, "I'm grateful for breathing," I'm grateful for the sun," "I'm grateful for my cats." All true, but this whole gratitude experiment felt a little on the boring side. I wondered how I could spice it up so it felt more genuine, more revealing of my actual day. How could I change my approach so I would actually feel grateful in the process of it?

I realized as I looked back on my day, I had trained myself to notice the same types of things. I wasn't looking for what was different, or what stood out. I had to change the lens I was looking through. So, instead, I set the dial to be on the lookout for "Unexpected blessings."

As I started to notice unexpected blessings in my life, I was continually surprised at how many there were! To think, they were always there, and I just hadn't paid attention to them! No matter how little or large the blessings were, as soon as I saw what was truly happening all around me, I felt big. Expansive. Open. Grateful. 

Yesterday, for example, I went to my local grocery store. Their tagline "The friendliest store in town," is straight up, 100% fact. I asked to sample a soup at the deli, but found out it wouldn't be ready for 30 minutes. I smiled and shrugged, said thanks anyway, and walked away. One of the other guys at the deli overheard the conversation, and walked after me.

He said "Miss (thank you thank you for not calling me Maam, I'm only 37 & do not like when folks approach me in that way), sorry the soup will take so long. If you're still here when it's up, or next time you come in, the soup is on us. You tell them I said so." Wow, thanks!

Since I was grocery shopping anyway, I decided to leisurely lengthen my stay at the store and hook up some free soup for dinner. At the half hour mark, I walked back over to the deli, told them of the offer for the free soup. A different guy asked, "Sounds good, what size would you like?"

What size would I like, are you kidding me? Well, geez, I'd love a quart, but do I dare ask? Is that taking advantage of a kindness extended or just being honest about what I want?

He looked at me patiently and said, "Really, you can have any size you want." It took me a quick second to rearrange my energy and graciously receive the abundance that was being bestowed upon me.

"Thanks! I'd love a quart," I wholeheartedly said.

"A quart it is!" he  replied back.

I was so happy I almost cried. I felt like a won the lottery. This was no $2.99 cup of soup. This was a $8.99 quarts worth. Hot diggity! 

UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS ROCK!!!

I can't emphasize enough how much the quality of my life has changed once I shifted the lens of what I look through as I go about my day.

Is it time to set your dial to the channel of unexpected blessings? Do so, and tell me what you see!

Too good to be true? Depends on you.

There is a sacredness and joy to everything we do. Do you feel it? When you wake up in the morning, do you have a sense of direction for your day? A feeling of groundedness and clarity with how you're looking at your life circumstances? A knowing and trust that your intuition will lead you to the right next step?

It all sounds good in theory, doesn't it?! We'd like to live like this, and we certainly believe it's possible in principle, but can it really be?

When the personal growth/self-help movement initially took off, I was intrigued, relieved, and skeptical. "Live your dream life," "Do what you love, the money will follow." Sound familiar to you? Could what these speakers, authors, and coaches claim to be true really be a reality for anybody? 

I wanted to believe, and was hopeful. I wanted to experience something different in just about every area of my life, and I certainly felt stumped on how to make that happen. Did they have the answers?

Early on, I remember having a conversation with a coach where I felt this underlying insinuation that if I didn't wake up with a huge grin on my face everyday, and spent my every moment in the rapture of bliss, then clearly, there was something wrong with what I was doing. I didn't need anyone to blatantly tell me or imply that if I wasn't happy all the time, something was flawed within me. It was enough to feel like that in my own head.

It wasn't until I went through some years of educational training as coach, gained experienced working with clients, and chose to change my own life, that I began to understand both what it meant to live a more fulfilling life and how to do that.

For anyone out there who has changed their life in some significant way, you know there is a process to it. You have to pay attention to what you think, feel, say, and do. If something is not working for you, you have the blessed responsibility of choosing otherwise, shifting gears so it all flows more smoothly.

Change, in essence, isn't actually that complicated. It's more about being willing to do what's necessary, in a way that suits your soul, and utilizes the best of the support you have around you. To guide someone through that process is a huge part of why I wanted to become a coach.

Yet, there's a fine line between personal growth and self-absorption.

Also, a fine line between choosing to see the positive aspects of a situation and being fake happy all the time.

In all my years of doing this work, here's a few gems I tap into whenever I feel stuck:

The longest and shortest distance is from your head to your heart. Change comes easiest when you combine the wisdom from both and use their connection to each other to inform your decisions.

Your intuition never, ever, ever fails you. Ever. Just because situations don't turn out how you want them to, doesn't mean your intuition didn't work. It means that there's many other factors and perspectives that shape your results. Your spirit knows best, and will always put you in the "right" circumstances as sucky as your ego might think those are.

Nothing beats simple kindness. We can be incredibly cruel to ourselves, judgmental of others, and pretty wound up about our lives. The quickest way to feel at peace again? Be kind. Do something kind for yourself or another. Accept a kindess shown to you. Kindness is one of the most generous, compassionate acts we can do as humans. All of us are capable of this.

Between the three of these gems, I have found that there is no such thing as too good to be true. Life is a glorious and grand adventure. It's also sometimes really hard and challenging. It depends more on where you're at perspective wise, not circumstance wise. How many times have you been in an idyllic setting or on vacation, yet felt ruled by negative thoughts? Or in a tough spot, but somehow you felt peace? Too good to be true is like anything else, it's based on us and how we see it.

What do you close yourself off to because you think it might be "too good to be true?"

And more importantly...

What would open up for you if you decided to embrace and allow the goodness that life has to offer, and is always offering up to you?

It's time. You are ready. Go!

Breaking habits. Goals. New Year's resolutions. Whether you are purposely creating change in your life or life's changes came up and bit you on the butt...hard, there's no better time to start than now.

As in, now, right now, this moment, yes now. Go ahead. Do something different. Scrunch up your face. Wiggle your fingers like you're casting a spell. Click your heels three times.

"But Coach Vanessa, that's just one little thing, and it's not even related to the ginormous changes I need to make to get my messed up life back on track."

Hold on, a little magic can go a long way.

No matter what form the change comes in, whether the task at hand is little or big, ANY movement in a different direction wakes up all the cells in your body and they start vibrating with joy, singing "Ah, newness!" Try it, it works. It takes a little practice and some deep listening, but eventually you'll hear and feel their little voices too.

Even if you don't know what the big plan is, haven't got the how figured out, are overwhelmed, burnt out, flabbergasted, or not sure what comes next...just do 1 thing differently. Repeat. Three times is a charm. A new thought will enter in. The light bulb will come on above your head. One of your Angels will whisper in your ear.

Yes, I think plans have their place. It's good to make goals. Great when you follow through with them and get the results you long for. And I have a soft spot for having a vision for your life, embodying your values, being of service, leaving a legacy.

But here's what's most important to me:

I want you to feel better.

Even a teeny tiny bit.

Sure, sometimes it takes awhile to turn things around, especially when they've been moving in a direction not of your liking for some time. There is a process to change, and it's good to line up the support you need to help you create the change you want.

In the meantime, while that process is unfolding and you are becoming more clear, I want you to feel better. Where you are. With what you have.

Now.

It's time. You are ready. Go!

My 2011 prayer for you

Happy 2011, Internet!

I hope it's gotten off to good start for you. As for me, I appreciate the spaciousness I feel at the beginning of the year. A spiritual renewal of sorts, which I find to be the key for any kind of lasting change.

Now, before you think I'm about to give you the typical resolutions blog (I'm not), the coaching cheerleader "You can change your life!" speech (why tell you something you already know?!), or the health educator lecture on starting your year off right with good food (hmm, wait a minute, maybe I should mention more about this...), let me first say this:

In 2011, may you celebrate your strengths, follow your inner guidance, experience love and support, enjoy your life, and have a heartfelt impact on others.

If you do decide to make resolutions, reinvent yourself, or revolutionize the way you do what you do, that's awesome too. I say go for it, and while you're at it, keep in mind the following:

1) You are a living, breathing miracle. Each day is filled with countless examples of this. Let yourself see the magic of life and everything becomes both more meaningful and much clearer.

2) All your life, you've been getting signs, experiencing successes, and having talks with your inner guidance. Set up a journal tracker or special treasure box that helps remind you of all the support you already have at the ready.

3) It usually isn't until something big happens that you realize that all those other things you made such a big deal out of, aren't really a big deal at all. Let this be a year of keeping things in proportion. If something is bugging you as you go about your life, either choose to delve deeper into it so you can transform its hold on you or let it go.

4) Eat pie, cake, chocolate. Go jump on a trampoline. Laugh at a joke that you normally wouldn't. Make eye contact. See the kindness people extend to others. Silently acknowledge the hurt or imbalance that's underneath the surface for someone which prompts them to act unkind. Have compassion. Take care of yourself. Have a good time.

5) Realize, on some level, that there are a lot of changes going on in the world - physically, emotionally, mentally. We are playing hospice to the old systems that are dying and midwives to the new systems that are emerging. The whole collective is on a wild ride energetically, and it can be easy to get buoyed up or buried under all the changes. Let love lead and fear won't grip you as intensely. You are infinitely more supported than you realize and have all the resources you need to deal with whatever is in front of you.

And on that note...let the games begin!

 

Liberate yourself from...

What's holding you back? Bringing you down? Standing in the way of moving forward? And more importantly, why do you allow whatever it is, to grab a hold of you in such ways and keep you there?

It's a question I've been asking myself as of late. 

If you've come to the same conclusion I have, you may also realize the absurdity of asking these questions in the first place. The answer I've come to is...nothing. That's right. Nothing is holding me (or you) back. Nothing worth giving any energy to is bringing you down and keeping you there. Nothing is standing in the way of you moving forward. Nothing.

That's pretty funny, isn't it?!

I actually didn't think it was. It didn't strike me as absurd either when I first realized this. It felt overwhelming. And big. Way too open.

The conversation in my head went something like this:

Me: What do you mean I can do anything with my life?

Wiser me: I mean, you can do anything with your life.

Me: Anything?

Wiser me: Yup.

Me: Really?

Wiser me: Really.

Me: Like, you mean, anything I want to. You mean, all the things I've ever wanted to do and be and have and experience. All of it?

Wiser me: Yes.

Me: And nothing is standing in my way? Nothing ever was?

Wiser me: Nope.

Me: Well, why the heck would I have been fighting for what I want as if there was a big boulder there?

Wiser me: Does it matter? You're here now. And now you know. The field is wide open.

***

I didn't know what to do with that information. I felt dumbfounded. In resistance. Scared to believe it. Life seemed easier to manage within the confines of limited, self-created boundaries. I knew how far I could go, because I set up the finish line.

If there are no limits, what holds me in, keeps me connected, and guides my way on? 

It wasn't until I started changing the questions that I began to feel more equipped to charter this new land of freedom. To have gone through this (yet again) gives me a much deeper understanding of why people feel scared to change, to let go of control, to open up their lives to what is possible, even if they don't know what that looks like.

No matter how many times I've experienced grace, magic, miracles, synchronicity, and the like, I still feel surprised when "known" insights start settling into the cells of my body, animating my movement through and perception of the world.

What about you? What's calling out for liberation in your life?  You may have an intellectual understanding of freedom. Read books on it. Maybe even tasted it in the juiciness of the moment. But do you live it? Do you choose it?

Remember, nothing is holding you back and the only thing you are liberating yourself from is your own fear.

Let Your Life Bloom on the Oprah Winfrey Network!

Hi Blog friends!

Last week (with one week left to enter), I felt inspired to audition for my own TV show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Check it out here.

As you know, I'm passionate about getting as many people as possible living healthy, fulfilling lives. I believe the way to let your life bloom is by always being true to yourself, following your intuition, and taking good care of your health. Healthy choices = healthy people = healthy planet = Happy Coach Vanessa!!!

I could say so much about the experience of just making the video itself  (and I probably will soon in another post, ha!). For now though, go vote your butts off, a million times or more, every day until July 3rd! This is very important. Consider it part of your daily self-care regimen.

What's that? You want to know other ways to help spread the word? Glad you asked. Here are some ways to do so:

* Send an email out to your friends, coworkers, & family encouraging them to vote.

* Remember, you can vote as many times as you want, you don't even have to watch the video to vote. Feel free to leave a positive comment under the video.

* If you have a Facebook account, you can post the link onto your wall by clicking on the link icon in your status update, inserting http://bit.ly/CoachVanessaOprah and encourage your Facebook friends to share the link and vote multiple times.  

* If you have a Twitter account, tweet about it! Here are some sample tweets -

Getting connected with your intuition on national television? Yes! Vote here http://bit.ly/CoachVanessaOprah

Ready to be an empowered health consumer and shape the culture we live in? Find out how by voting here http://bit.ly/CoachVanessaOprah

Are you a bright light person sharing your good vibes with as many as possible? Become one by voting here: http://bit.ly/CoachVanessaOprah

Let Your Life Bloom by voting for @CoachVanessa's debut show on Oprah's OWN TV http://bit.ly/CoachVanessaOprah

* Also important: Hold the vision of me being picked as one of the final 10 contestants to be on Oprah's reality show which will determine who will get their show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Send good vibes and lots of love around this for bringing Let Your Life Bloom to millions of viewers. Onward & upward!


Thank you thank you thank you!

When forgiving yourself feels like the hardest thing to do

This morning I woke up at 4:44 a.m. I don't know too much about the symbology of numbers or numerology itself. But I do know that the number 4 reminds me of my great grandma, Grandma Alta. Right before I woke up, I had been dreaming about her.

I could list a whole slew of memories I have of her. From her holding me & twirling around, as a 1 year old, singing "I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck," to being in her 90s while she laid in bed, waiting for death, reading The Red Tent "Just a little light reading, Dear."

The one memory that surfaces almost every time I think of her is the one where she offered me her wedding ring, and I refused. It wasn't because I was trying to be nice. Or that I was too honored to accept. No. It was completely, utterly due to self-absorption and a lack of knowing how to be a gracious receiver. The reason why I refused? It was gold. I, at my ripe old age of 19, didn't like gold. I liked silver. When I dreamed about my wedding ring, it was silver not gold. What a jerk, right?

That's what I woke up thinking, and crying about, this morning. It is one of my life experiences that I have the hardest time forgiving myself for.

This is my grandma. My grandma who came to the U.S. via horse and carriage when she was 5. My grandma who was revered in the Oakland community for her volunteer fundraising service, so much so that the Bay Area chapter of the American Cancer Society threw her a party for her 90th birthday and called her an angel. My grandma who had kids and grandkids and great grandkids. My grandma who was married to my Grandpa Meyer for 62 years, who kissed his picture every day since he died and said, "Hello Dear, I miss you sweetheart, how are you doing today?"

She offers me her wedding ring... and I say no with the stupidest reason ever to back up my decision. This does not add up in my mind. Even the minute after it happened, my response made no sense to me. But I couldn't change it, the opportunity had been lost.

I have been carrying a heavy dose of shame, regret, and anger at myself, for years over this. Seventeen, to be precise. I hadn't realized to what degree until it showed up for me so strongly this morning. Part of me feels like a big dork for holding on to it, and even more so, for sharing it here. But hey, if my disclosure helps you heal, then, worth it.

At what point do you choose to let something go? Something you've been holding on to for so long that it feels like it's a part of you versus just an experience you had. Logically, I know holding things in isn't healthy. Nor is emotional regret and baggage. Logically, I also know that being willing to forgive is the first step in being able to. I'll be honest with you, I didn't want to let it go. I didn't want to forgive myself. I didn't even want to be willing to. Through my tears, I really, really, really wanted to stay angry at myself over this.

Have you ever felt this way?

Over the years, as I've worked with people and listened to their reasons as to why they think they're stuck or what they think is in the way of them moving forward, it was completely obvious to me that those issues were self-created and could therefore be self-transcended. Each of those reasons though, were tied to some memory, some aspect of their life experience that they couldn't seem to forgive themselves for. It was like they were frozen in time when recalling it. The details were as vivid as if they were happening right then in the moment.

I knew, that until they were ready to forgive themselves, they would keep bumping up against that experience and use it as a stronghold to justify where they were in life, as if to say "See, I'm a bad person, I don't deserve this good life I know how to create." Which really means, "I don't deserve happiness." In order to have/allow that, there was some self-forgiveness in order.

Apparently, I found out this morning, I'm no different.

Despite knowing that forgiveness can happen in an instant, I'm choosing to let it unfold piece by piece. Maybe that's how you choose to, too. I cried a bunch. I apologized to my grandma. I said I was willing to forgive myself (I didn't totally mean it). I asked my light family (angels, guides, etc.) to help me forgive myself. I took some deep breaths. I thanked my logic for helping remind me that self-forgiveness is good for my health, happiness, and sense of freedom in life.

I do feel a little bit better. I hope you do too, towards anything you need/want to forgive. Because I'll tell you what, the more we can do this for ourselves, the more we can do it for others. It goes hand in hand with compassion. And at the heart of it, isn't that what we all want? To feel loving, forgiving, connected, understanding, whole, happy, present.

What are you longing to forgive yourself for? Do it now. I will too.

When your mind plays tricks on you

Have you ever had the sense that you were lying to yourself about something? That you were running an old habit, and even though it didn't seem true anymore, you find yourself thinking thoughts that once used to disable you? You say to yourself, "Wait, I thought I changed that. It's not true....but maybe it still is?"

It's not. Your mind is playing a trick on you.

Our hearts, and our bodies, know the truth of a situation. And in some ways, they are light years ahead of our minds. Check in with them before you start to believe what your mind is telling you to be true. Your intuition speaks loud and clear through your heart and body. It's up to us whether we choose to listen.

Tricky mind thoughts (also known as lies):

Incomplete "I went to the, well first, and then, wait, what was I talking about?"

Choice-less "I don't want to be in this job anymore, but I have to stay, there's nothing else out there."

Contradictory "I have hope, but I still think it's all going to fail."

Can you see how thinking this way would interrupt the happiness flow? Now, if you've read any of the posts in the Redefining Happiness series, you know that I'm on a quest to create a new understanding of what it means to be truly happy. I believe that happiness is more about inner peace than being swayed by trickster thoughts. Agree?

Your mind, like your fear, is an ally and teacher. Use it as such. Its goal is to bring attention to the dark places within you so you can then bring light to them. As you do so, you help your mind realize that it is safe and no longer needs to use lies or tricky thoughts to keep you closed off from the world.

Ready to remedy the tricky mind?

Here's one of the easiest and most obvious ways to do so - Call it out. State exactly what it's doing (hint: it's close to the title of this post), "My mind is playing tricks on me." It's a huge relief to hear the truth, like you can finally take a deep breath. Sometimes we mistakenly think that it's complicated to change ourselves. Also not true. Just a little shift, like the statement above, makes a big difference. Use it every time you spot a lie.

We are moving into a time where the shadow (the parts of ourselves we try to suppress) is being called forth to be integrated into the whole of who we are. Or in more elementary terms - where we can just be ourselves in the world, without the masks. We all want to be accepted for who we truly are. That process starts with doing it for ourselves, in the simplest of ways. It is the gateway to lasting happiness, change that sticks, and living a life that feels right to you.

Where in your life is your mind playing tricks on you? Call it out and liberate yourself by telling the truth.

Living boldly with wild abandon

Something has gotten into my water. I've taken this redefining happiness for myself to a whole other level. Yes, I have become bold!

Dictionary.com defines bold as courageous and daring, not hesitating to break the rules of propriety, forward, beyond the limits of conventional thought or action, imaginative. Now, I've been called bold before by others, so the description isn't entirely new to me. What's different is that I am now choosing to live boldly as defined by my own standards not someone else's. 

What I loved about working with children (I did so for 8 years) is their wild abandon. While personalities vary, generally speaking, psychologically healthy kids do what feels good, ask for what they want, assume new people are friends, and express their emotions as they arise. They have not yet learned limiting behavior patterns and the variety of masks adults put on.

There's nothing wrong with habitual reaction or hiding yourself, and there's nothing wrong with you if you're someone who does that. If you picked up that habit, you did so in order to keep yourself feeling safe,  loved, and accepted. It was a needed defense mechanism - at the time - if the environment you were in didn't provide that.

What happens though, is, we take that pattern right into adulthood with us, not realizing it is at the crux of all the "problems" we experience. We trick ourselves into thinking that the issue is the money or the relationship or the job or the _____ (insert whatever you are struggling with). That issue then becomes the excuse for why we don't live boldly, why we think whatever we imagine to be, do, or have is not possible.

Many spend their whole lives without getting what, at its heart, is a very simple concept. When you realize it is now, not then, and you are safe, loved, and supported by the most important person in your life - YOU - you gain that wild abandon that's inherent to the human spirit, not just children. You become daring and bold. And in doing so, you automatically replace fear with intuition and pain with joy. It is a different way to live. We can all get "there." The way that journey happens is unique to each of us.

For me, it wasn't just my recent move that allowed this to happen. It was everything building up to that point. The relocation became a marker and a physical turning point to acknowledge the difference within me. It helped usher in a new kind of energy with which to live my life.

My way of living boldly includes:

✿ Dancing purposely out of rhythm whenever I feel like it. Yes, that means in public. It's quite entertaining to watch how people respond to this.

✿ Making new friends just because they look interesting to me and I feel intuitively drawn to them. Invited neighbors over, asked a few Twitter folks out to tea, started conversations with friendly faces near me at cafes, and complimented strangers in the grocery store (one of my favorite places to be).

✿ Honoring my emotions. Not stuffing. Not connecting them with the long line of past experiences that evoked similar emotions. Not pretending not to feel. Honoring. That means paying attention to what I'm feeling, articulating it for myself, and expressing it to others in a mindful and heart centered way. How many times have you choked down words and feelings? Not so good for any healthy being. 

What would living boldly look like for you? In what areas would you like to experience more wild abandon?

When it feels too good to be true...

Was your next thought is that it probably is? I often overhear people say "Oh, come on, it can't be that easy," or "It's too good, there's got to be a catch." What if that's not the case?

Last week I wrote a post on claiming happiness as part of the Redefining Happiness series. In it, I claimed how good it felt to be happy in my new location and how hesitant I was in sharing that with people. A small part of me actually felt scared to come out of the closet as a happy person. Fearing I'd be bombarded with "Screw this chick, she's too happy, it must be fake." Or that somehow I'd lose credibility, that I'd then be lumped in with all the other law of attraction pimps, because somehow I no longer "got" what it was like to be unhappy or to feel the hardness of life. Not true.

When I was younger, happy people with no drama or trauma baffled me. When folks would say "It's simple," I'd want to debate them about that (they weren't interested). I could point to all sorts of examples of how life was hard and complicated. I'd put myself into situations where it was unsafe, hard to make a decision, emotionally layered, and so on.

Having had my share of enough drama to last a few lifetimes, my internal optimist always held on to a glimmer of hope - for myself, others, and the world. It was through educating myself and my own healing, including reclaiming my health, that I began to unlearn all the drama, victim based behaviors I so expertly knew how to do. Then, I began to learn how to make empowered, conscious choices, after I realized that the drama and how I responded to the trauma was a choice.

I am forever grateful for my education. It taught me how to recognize and tell the truth to myself. Not only did that save my butt, it gave me the tools to save other people's butts too. Don't you need a supportive, truth telling, helping you live a life you love, coach in your life? I know I did.

After my initial giddiness of moving here began to subside, I started to freak out a bit. Nothing major. But I noticed that I began complaining about little unimportant things. Or would sleep in hours past my normal wake up time under the guise (read: excuse) that I was settling in. I procrastinated on completing anything, whether work or house related. Have you done any of these inane behaviors before?

I whimpered and whined to my husband, "What am I doing?! What's going on with me? I'm acting weird." His response, "It's because there's no drama. You're being resistant to life and creating distractions that get in your way of really accepting that your life is good." Dang it! And God bless a man that can be a heartfelt truth-teller too. 

I have worked so very hard and have done my due diligence when it comes to processing old wounds so they no longer have a hold on me in present day reality. I am also deliciously skilled at daydreaming and envisioning the "perfect" future where I'm living my ideal life. To have it? Hmmm, that's a whole new ballgame.

As a coach, it's baffled me when I'd work with clients to move the resistance, transform the obstacles, and watch them respond to how the good stuff shows up. They'd downplay it. Or excuse it. Or say it wasn't really what they wanted. The hardest part (for clients) wasn't creating what they wanted, it was actually receiving it. Was I doing that? Yup.

So I say, let's practice together - allowing for life to be good to us. To be gracious receivers when we start to notice that grace is, indeed, showing up in our life and always has.

✿ ✿ ✿

This is part of the Redefining Happiness series which will wisely (and sometimes wise-a**ly) explore the ins and outs of happiness not belly buttons.