Thrive As You

It's that time of year again, I can feel it brewing. That time when people see the month of November right around the corner and are preparing their facebook pages for an onslaught of gratitude.  For the entire month of November, the time of year that graciously hosts the holiday of thanks, we see lists and "challenges" and daily reminders.  Every social media outlet will be barraged with thanks.  Instagram will do their photo challenge, facebook will be loaded with "Day 7 of things I'm grateful for...." ad nauseum.   Our feeds will be full of thanks. And that makes me so happy. Kind of. This has been a rough year for me,  a rough 3 years in fact.  And what I've learned, what I KNOW is that the only way I have survived it, and in fact THRIVED it, is through the practice of gratitude.  Now hold up.   Before we start talking about "gratitude practice" I want to talk about that phrase.  It's kind of "hip" right ...

Just yesterday I was talking to a very dear friend of mine and I asked him what his word was.  He answered "Believe."  Which is, of course, as mentioned here,  my original word.  I let him have it, both because he played the "I'm older than you," card and because, I'm starting to learn that our words can change, and for that matter should change, just as the seasons of our life. Doorway will of course always be my "thing."  And I love the word " doorwa y" and all it represents, but but it never quite sat with me that my word...... was a noun.   You would think after getting the word "Enough" tattooed on my wrist that, in fact, would be my word for this season of my life, but it's not.  "Enough" is the word I need to read every day, several hundred times a day as a reminder.  But it's not, "My word." My word, is fearless.  It seems virtually impossible, doesn't it?  To live without fear...

Is that sometimes, the hinges are f#$ked up.  And even when you try to close them, they pop right back open.  Damnit it. Suffice it to say, the doors have been swinging wildly in my life, hence my temporary near-miss, almost slip, my pinky toe might have visited, "the hole" for awhile.  I've mentioned this daily affirmation/meditation book I have -- and today it says, "Often God shuts a door in our face, and then subsequently opens the door through which we  need to go." Catherine Marshall and although I'm not a religious person so to speak........all I can say is........... AMEN .

I haven't written since September 24. "Dear Diary, I haven't written since September 24...." ha ha ha sometimes writing a blog is like confession. A few days ago, a friend paid me a ridiculously high compliment. She said I was a great writer and that my writing touched lives. I'm going to be honest about one thing. I don't take compliments well. I can hear my friend Michelle laughing. Because I don't take compliments period. But, that conversation is for my therapist. Let's just say -- I was honored but not sure if I totally believe her. Either way, she told me to write a book. Well I don't know about all of that because truth be told I can barely keep up with my blog! September! What's wrong with me people? I told my friend that sometimes it's harder to write when there's an "expectation" there. When you know people are out there kinda waiting for you to write something "life changing." Ok, maybe not ...