I'm grateful for clouds this morning. I'm grateful to know that even when the clouds provide a low ceiling on my world the sun is still out there shining beyond. I'm grateful for the calmness that clouds seem to instill, causing me to move just a bit slower and perhaps be a bit more mindful. I'm grateful for the colors that pop as the clouds shade them from direct light. I'm grateful for the new color of the house and the wonderful workers that have been helping us. I'm grateful for the pieces of us reflected in our home. What is your favorite thing about clouds? Many people consider the perfect day to be one of comfortable temperature with full sunshine. As we consider this the "perfect" day or "perfect" weather we also set high standards for our own perfection. Yet in each moment we are imperfectly perfect just as we are. There is beauty to be found in us in each moment just as there is beauty to be found in  our world. What is your cloudy perfection? What traits do you love and honor in their own way even if it is not your favorite way to present yourself to this world? I'm grateful to smile, laugh and be silly. I'm grateful to be sensitive and cry. I'm grateful for every mood in between even the quiet contemplative one I feel this morning. I'm grateful to feel. I'm grateful to be. And I'm grateful for my own imperfect perfection. May your day be blessed with the beauty of your own perfection and may you see it reflected in your world.

Lately there has been more focus on our young women and the self-esteem and self-image issue that has arisen in our society. Dove did a wonderful campaign to help build self-confidence. As part of this there was a video call the Real Beauty Sketch. It was so powerful. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk ) It made a huge impact on me. More recently Always has joined in this movement. They have a commercial called Like A Girl that I saw recently. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs ) It opened my eyes to how negative "like a girl" has become. I will admit I was one of those women. I grew up thinking "like a girl" was an insult and that femininity was basically weakness. It wasn't until just a couple years ago that I started healing that in myself. Until I saw the video I didn't realize how prevalent it was to feel that way. My passion is now so focused on helping women love themselves in all their imperfectly Perfect beauty. I'm so grateful that more people and companies are joining in this crusade to stand up to the negative self-talk and the societal conditioning some women experienced as children. I'm so grateful to be a part of this movement and spread the word to women (and men) about how perfect each one of us truly is in each moment. I'm grateful to be facing some of my own fears of weakness that I didn't realize I still held as I heal. I'm grateful to remind myself that I am strong even when I experience pain or fear. I'm grateful for a sensitive man in my life that sees my struggle and reminds me how tough I am. My beauty does not make me weak. My femininity does not make me weak. In fact, these make me strong. My sensitivity that gave me the nickname "tender heart bear" as a child is actually a strength for me. It is a strength in empathy and compassion. So what are your strengths? What does "like a girl" mean to you? For that matter, what does "like a man" mean to you? Last time I checked men struggle with these societal "boxes" as well. Perhaps as much as we need to make "like a girl/woman" a positive connotation we need to let men and boys know that to be a man is not synonymous with being tough as steel. You don't have to be Superman to be a super man. I'm so grateful for my own super man. I'm so grateful for my inner super woman. And I'm grateful to see society finally trying to break these old belief boxes. May your day bring to light your own amazing strength and beauty. May you take at least one step toward honoring your perfect nature. Have a beautiful day!

I'm grateful for the reminder this morning that I am resilient. It can be very frustrating to not be able to do the things I normally do so easily. I'm grateful for the lessons my thumb continues to teach me. I'm grateful to know that it will heal soon and in the process will heal some old fears as well. I am calm and confident. I am capable. I'm grateful to know the truth of who I am does not change because of my situation. I'm grateful to have my laughter and great people in my life to remind me to laugh. What are your strengths? What have you built resilience toward through your experiences? How can you honor yourself today? I will continue to move toward my dreams today. I will do everything I want to do and I will find modifications when necessary. I am smart and resilient. I'm grateful for positive self-talk. I'm grateful for the reminder to come back to the basics when I forget. I'm grateful to have so many supportive people in my life. I'm grateful to learn new strengths. May your day be blessed with love. May you look in the mirror and see all your beauty and strength. Have a beautiful day!

The backyard is a 45 degree angle or more of honeysuckle overgrowth. It is on the to do list and we go out and clear as much as we can as often as we can yet there is still the majority of half an acre to be cleared. I honestly wish we could win a backyard makeover. But because I have built it in my mind to be one more thing on the to do list, I rarely pay attention to its beauty in its present state. I focus my attention on the front or the fish pond or other beauty instead. Last night, however, as I was playing with the dogs I started truly paying attention to what was back there as I mentally formed how I wanted it in my head. I was grateful to see the sections we cleared are not regrowing. I was grateful to have that area that is cleared for the dogs to play. And I was grateful to see them bounding around after squirrels and the chuck-it. That is when my eye caught something amazing. At the edge of where we have cleared there is a patch of Naked Ladies, pop up lilies, flowers that have no plant base to alert you they are there before they bloom. They are the best surprise. Now when I look out in the backyard it is all I see. A straight path to beautiful flowers. I'm grateful to notice this detail yesterday. I'm grateful to refocus on the beauty of the yard and not the to do list. I'm grateful to begin paying more attention to detail today and notice other small flowers popping up around the backyard as well. There is beauty all around us if we are willing to take the time to see it. Usually this is a strength of mine; always seeing beauty in nature that could be overlooked. It was a beautiful lesson to find it in my own backyard. A beautiful surprise. What beauty is whiting in your life to be noticed? What beauty is hiding within your list of to dos or stress. How can you pause to pay attention to the details and find the beauty in the situation? I'm so grateful for surprises. I'm grateful for this gift of flowers. I'm grateful for such a special present that the yard and mother nature gifted me. I'm grateful that in all their playing the dogs steered clear of the flowers. And I'm grateful to see all the beauty in the backyard that had been there just waiting to be seen. May your day be filled with beautiful surprises. May the details in your life show you hidden beauty today. Have a beautiful day!

Last night was a New Moon, starting a new cycle of intention and creation. The next Full Moon will be a Super Moon which will provide extra support for taking the actions required to put those intentions to work. I hope you were able to join and listen along last night for the New Moon Celebration Meditation that is up online at www.ReyofGratitude on the Events Calendar page. If you were unable to listen last night do not worry, the energy is still high and the audio will be left up for several days. I'm grateful to set intentions last night. I'm grateful to believe even when those around me do not believe. I'm grateful to know I have the power to create my reality and my life, building it any way I want to see it. I'm grateful to see the times I manifest my intensions and I'm grateful for the lessons I learn when I let my mind stray and those intentions are not fully created. I'm grateful to set intentions in all aspects of my life as I continue to strive for balance. I'm grateful to know that I am always loved and supported in these intentions. Last night was beautiful. Driving home under the stars next to the woman who brought me into this world was beautiful. I'm grateful for spending time with my mom. I'm grateful to be home on Earth even as I know I will be grateful to go truly home when that time comes. I'm grateful to know that while I am here, I can play and create and be fully supported in love. What intentions did you set for this New Moon Cycle? What dreams would you like to see manifesting in your life? What actions will you take over the next several weeks to see them come true? May today bless you with insights and intentions. May you see the true power you hold in creating your life. Have a beautiful day!

Good morning, friends. In my life I like to try and take time to find gratitude in the things that we tend to take for granted. Today I'm grateful for thumbs. Yesterday as I raced home from work I contemplated stopping by my mom's office to have a quick lunch with her but then decided I had too much work to finish up at home before my afternoon plans. I got home and began preparing a quick lunch for myself while also trying to get a quick chat in with a girlfriend via text. In my rush to slice my vegetables I also sliced a small portion of the end of my thumb off. As I rushed upstairs to get a bandaid it became apparent that wouldn't be enough. I decided to call the expert, my mom, to see what she would recommend. During this phone call I had a whole conversation in my mind but what came out of my mouth was not nearly so clear, calm, nor informative. In fact, I had passed out. In waking to see blood all around me and my phone counting time everything seemed surreal. I called my boyfriend as my poor parents raced to my aid. With his calm, guided questions I was brought back to awareness and the situation at hand. This was an entirely new experience for me. I've injured myself many times and blood has never before effected me but yesterday was different. I'm so extremely grateful for my amazing parents that rushed to my aid. I'm so grateful to have made a call, even though as I dialed it had seemed silly, there must have been a part of me that knew I would need some help. I'm grateful for my amazing boyfriend and his ability to keep calm and bring my focus back as well as his gentle touch when helping me redress it last night. I'm also grateful for his patience and help as he helped me with tasks I'm temporarily learning to do one handed. I'm grateful for my dogs that laid by my side as I waited for help. I'm grateful for thumbs and that mine will heal and I will regain use of it. But as I sat on the sofa after the dust settled and everyone returned to work I noticed two thoughts floating through my head. One began as embarrassment that all that panic had ensued over my thumb as I refocused that on my gratitude and blessings (though I will admit there is still some embarrassment I feel as I share this story with you all). The second was "what is my lesson?" I believe there is always a lesson and the most obvious one yesterday was patience and mindfulness. Obviously if I had been paying a little more attention to where my finger was on the mandolin and slowed down my task this may not have happened. But the bigger sign to me was in patience for what is important. I couldn't help noticing the irony that in rushing home for a quick lunch it took me an extra 2-3 hours dealing with this injury than the hour lunch with my mom would have taken AND both ways I was clearly meant to see my mom yesterday. I made the choice. Next time, perhaps I will remember this lesson in patience and taking time for what, and WHO, is truly important and I will slow down to spend time with the people I love. I'm grateful to have learned this lesson and grateful that the injury will heal. I'm grateful to be so blessed with so many people that love me. I'm grateful for thumbs that allow me to do so much that I sometimes take for granted. (space bar). And I'm so grateful to share my lesson on patience with you so that perhaps you may learn from my lesson instead of choosing it yourself. What lessons will you choose today? Will you take the time to learn that lesson gently or will you need something eye opening? May your lessons be gentle and loving. May you take the time to be mindful and give gratitude for all your blessings. Thank you, have a beautiful day!

I'm grateful to take the time this morning to sit and wait for sunrise. I grateful to know beauty is all around me if I take the time to notice. I'm grateful to know that there is always light , always gratitude, always love to be seen if I look.  There are days that I get in such a rush to cross off my to do list that I forget to stop and enjoy this world. There are times when I pull the covers over my head and sleep that extra ten minutes rather than to get up to see the sun rising in the sky. Yet I know that when I take the time to recenter and observe my world I am happier. I know when I start my day with the sunrise I feel more balanced and connected. I'm grateful to take this opportunity today. I'm grateful to take this time for myself. How do you notice and honor the beauty around you? What inspires you to take the time to just observe the beauty of the world around you? May your day be filled with enough time to pause and cherish it. May the beauty of the day shine so brightly that you can't help but see it. And may that beauty refresh and reconnect your soul to our beautiful world. Have a beautiful day!

I frequently talk about the signs and messages that I believe we all get to keep us on track. Today I got a message loud and clear. All the signs in the world do not matter if I'm not following them; if I'm not listening and doing the actions necessary to follow their guidance. It is so easy for me to get out of balance by sleeping that extra thirty minutes instead of meditating or eat a quick meal in my hurry to get on to the next task instead of fixing what my body needs. Not listening is taking a toll on me. Usually I pride myself on paying attention to even the subtle signs but as I make wider adjustments in my life it is easier to brush off the "little" warnings. Today I am so grateful to take heed of these messages. I'm grateful to take time to meditate. I'm grateful to go for a short jog to start getting my body back in shape. I'm grateful to activate and put one foot forward towards my overall health. I'm grateful to stop and focus on gratitude and self-love instead of finding judgement in having gotten off track. I think we all get off track from time to time and I'm grateful to begin re-training myself and creating a routine. Life is full of opportunities each day to hop back on the right track. What is your mind, body, and spirit asking for today? Is your routine fulfilling your needs? If not, what simple changes can you make to honor your own needs? I'm grateful to honor my needs today. I'm grateful to have a boyfriend that is supportive and truly tries to give me the space needed to take care of myself. I'm grateful for my dogs that are usually patient when I am meditating and always up for a walk in nature when that is what is needed. I'm grateful for these signs today and I'm grateful to take action towards them. I hope you have a beautiful day. May it be blessed with the time and courage to accept and move towards the 

I'm grateful to put play in front of work today. While I know there is a lot to get done I also see the look on my sweet dogs' faces. They have been so patient as I move us around and sit home working long hours just to turn around and go to work all day the next. Yes they get their one to two walks a day and we try to do special things for them like treat balls but sometimes they just need my attention. Today is one of those days. Dogs are so great because they give unconditional and unending love. I'm grateful to give them my undivided attention in return this morning. I'm grateful to take them to the park and let them choose when they are done. And I'm grateful to have this flexibility in my schedule, knowing that time can be made up somewhere else. Today is for the moment. Today is for unconditional love. Today is for my sweet girls. What are you grateful for today? When was the last time you set aside time for play and let your furry friend dictate the schedule? How can you honor the love they give you today? I'm so grateful for how patient my dogs are with me. I'm grateful for their tolerance with all the changes we have been through. And more than anything I am grateful to share a love so unconditional with them. 

Yesterday I caught myself saying "I don't know" and feeling in a funk again. But that is not the truth. I do know and I believe we always know, at least on some level. The truth is there are signs all around me they just aren't always the ones I WANT to see. And so sometimes I ignore them. I ignore them until I find myself in a funk because I'm not doing what I need to do and I'm ignoring the ways to get me back balanced. These signs show up in my dreams; stressed that I haven't fully released from my waking hours. For me this includes television. I get very drawn into what happens to the people in the shows or movies I watch and so it is generally my practice to just not watch. But lately I have been watching and those things I see mix with my own stresses from the day making me toss and turn. The aches in my legs at night, another sign. I have not been getting the exercise my body is used to and obviously craving. I have stepped away from balance again. So today I'm grateful for all these signs. I'm grateful to finally listen to what my body is telling me. I'm grateful for all the ways my body provides me the ability to do what I want to do and so today I return the favor. Today I will give it the exercise it is wanting. I will drink more water. I will unwind with my book that has just been sitting on my nightstand and during the day I will work hard to move toward the goals I have set for myself without letting tempting distractions get in my way. I'm grateful for my goals. I'm grateful for the signs that keep me on track. I'm grateful to honor my body in return for all it does for me. What signs have been showing up for you? How is your energy level? How have you been sleeping and feeling? Which signs do you recognize and which ones do you try to ignore? May your day be blessed with many signs. May you choose to follow the ones that are best for you.