Gratitude

The Gratitude of Loss (Part One)

Grief is a good thing. Don’t get me wrong. Grieving is really hard work, but ultimately it’s a path to better understand buried parts of yourself. In American culture, it’s taboo to spend too much time and energy
dwelling on loss. Instead, you’re encouraged to get over it and move on with your life. During the course of your recovery, you’ll face a series of losses, and each of them is a growth opportunity within itself. In spite of the heavy emotional work required, I invite you to explore and process your grief because it’s a prime opportunity to learn about a valuable part of yourself.

Doors Opening, Doors Closing

A lot of celebration takes place around new beginnings such as weddings and births, but the dying process and the grief that follows . . .

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Cultivating Contentment (Part Two): An excerpt from Chapter Seven, It’s Not About the Sex

By reminding yourself of what you’re grateful for in your recovery, you’ll build perspective against what hasn’t gone right in your life. Tracking gratitude also builds your capacity for deeper connections with others and decreases your tendency toward shame and comparison. Dr. Seligman suggests specific action steps to promote an “attitude of gratitude”: Begin by writing down three things you’re grateful for every day before going to sleep. Secondly, write a gratitude . . .

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Cultivating Contentment (Part One): An excerpt from Chapter Seven, It’s Not About the Sex

In her book The Wealthy Spirit, author Chellie Campbell adopts a brilliant sea metaphor as she suggests that you surround yourself with dolphins. Her financial stress reduction workshop teaches students that there are your people, and the rest of the world; it’s your job in life to find your pod. If you have too much of a need to be liked by others, this will cause suffering. Campbell explains . . .

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Gratitude: A Daily Practice

Last weekend I traveled to Boise, Idaho to attend my little cousin’s college graduation. In all honesty, my little cousin is now 6’5”, but he will always be my “little cousin” because I met him at the hospital when he was born, and he was quite little at the time! Although he now towers over me, he’s a gentle giant with a heart of gold. And to celebrate alongside of him brings me so much pride and gratitude.

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