Thanksgiving 2011

I’ve wanted to write a blog to capture some of my feelings of gratitude this Thanksgiving of 2011. Where do I start? How about my CalmUp® Journey question from this morning?

How can I write a meaningful “Thank You” blog?

I began to question if I’m thankful for just the “good stuff” or if I’m honestly thankful for the “yucky stuff” too. I teach acceptance of both the dark side and the light side in the Daily Ascending Tool™. Am I really thankful for the chaos I experienced during the publishing process? Am I really thankful for the challenges and the financial pressures that are part of a new business launch?

On this Thanksgiving holiday, it’s easy to be thankful for the “good stuff” related to the launching of CalmUp®. I’m thankful for the comments that people are posting on the website (www.Dr.LorieGose.com). I’m thankful for the emails I’m receiving offering congratulations. I’m thankful for my connections with people. These are, of course, just three of a much larger list of reasons I have for giving thanks.

It’s not easy to feel thankful for the “yucky stuff,” and it doesn’t happen overnight. I can’t even guarantee how I’ll feel tomorrow! Yet, the more I’m open to being thankful for “all of it,” and not just the parts that please me, the more I’m able to accept others’ shortcomings and my own imperfections. Inevitably, the less chaotic and more peaceful I feel.

When I was in the midst of developing CalmUp®, I told myself that if even just one person benefits from using the CalmUp® Journey, then the energy put into my work will have been worth it. Ok, so that’s not completely letting go of the outcome! Through questioning, teaching, and writing, I’m finally able to feel thankful for the challenges, delays, and financial pressures I experienced with writing, publishing, and engaging in an entrepreneurial venture. These are, of course, just three of a much larger list of laborious experiences along my path!

Being thankful isn’t about focusing all of our energy on the lighter side. When we’re open to accepting the dark with the light, we can experience greater levels of peace and joy. My own CalmUp® Journey rating this morning changed from a “6” to a “9” on the 1-10 scale (10=highest level of peace and joy). How about you?

IT’S ABOUT YOU:

1. If this notion of being thankful for the whole, rather than just a part, seems absurd, imagine being close to death and looking back over your life. How did the painful events help to define the person you became?

2. What are a few of the events and conditions that you are and are not thankful for right now in your life?

3. What would it mean to you if you were to open to being thankful for all events and conditions in your life?