Classes

I feel as if I'm making a little progress. The second book study I started went well at the first meeting. There were about 15 people there and most of them were enthusiastic. Of course, if things go as they usually do, there will be drop outs as time goes on. But "Drop the Rock" is a very challenging book and some people will not like being challenged and will quit. I'm hoping that others will join as the word spreads and attendance will be good throughout the study. I re-scheduled the coaching workshop so I'm hoping I will still have a good number at that. That one is a big experiment so I'm a little anxious. But it is so good to actually have the energy to get through a day without having to rest!

Prayer

"Prayer is a good thing to wrap around us every day. Whenever we get in a jam, get confused, need help or don't know what to do next, taking a minute to talk to God and ask for guidance is a good call." Melody Beattie. 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact

This is pretty easy to forget. I grew up knowing from a young age that I needed to rely on myself. That's pretty scary for either a young kid or an adult of any age. If you're not scared when you're relying on yourself, you are under a delusion because none of us can do much alone. There is a part of me that reaches out to God and the ideas that come to me are based on love. I'm taken out of the fear that I'm in and put back into the knowledge that all is well despite appearances. This is what I'm using as a tool as so many changes are taking place in my life.

365 Project

Change is taking place all around me right now and I am feeling unsettled. I created some of the changes and some of them are being created by other people (and they didn't ask my permission!). But all in all it was a good week. The class members of the "You Can Heal Your Life" book study on the last night. It was good and it was timely.

If you look closely you can see the back end of one bird trying to get some bird seed before the squirrels come back.

All the Christmas decorations are ready to be put away.

My friends Sharon and Claudia on New Year's Day at the big party.

A very long time after the snow fell, it's still sticking around.

Once a week for 10 minutes I get my Vitamin D

Practice

"Practice being grateful for everything you don't like every day, five times a day for the next month. Force it. Fake it...But you've been practicing misery about these same things..That hasn't worked. Why not give gratitude a try? Melody Beattie. 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact.

According to Melody Beattie, gratitude has power. So I'm going to be grateful for the freeeezing temperatures and the light dusting of snow that will make everything slick again and the cat urp on the carpet. Well, just trust me - I'm working on being grateful.

An Art

"Learning to want what you have and be where you are is an art. So is learning how to get to wherever you're going to." Melodie Beattie. 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact.

I've never really been successful at anything if I wasn't first grateful, at least a little bit, for where and who I am. Usually I wasn't even aware of it, but it was still there. The thing is, if I'm in a terrible funk because things aren't the way I want them to be, I am simply unable to move forward. I lack the energy, enthusiasm and hope that are necessary. Beginning this new year with gratitude will go a long ways to helping me make the changes I want to make. I'm finally able to give my physical well being a little less time and energy which can then be given to some new activities. And for that I am truly grateful.