Blessings Everywhere!

12 months ago 48

This time of year, it�s easy to be caught up in the hustle of holiday preparations � for Thanksgiving and for the busy holiday season that follows. Many feel the pressure of year-end upon us, with the need to...

This time of year, it�s easy to be caught up in the hustle of holiday preparations � for Thanksgiving and for the busy holiday season that follows. Many feel the pressure of year-end upon us, with the need to tie up loose ends, put solid plans in place for 2024, and, ultimately, finish the year strong. With all this �have-to-do� pressure, it�s easy to lose sight of the amazing daily blessings we experience, both big and small.

For others, we enter this season of light hurting. I think of my daily prayer list and the wonderful people I know and love who are working to overcome setbacks, battling illness or injury, caring for someone who�s ill, or grieving the loss of a precious loved one. I continue in my grief journey without my mother, Della Lee, and sometimes I can only see and feel what is lost. Inside the weight of worry or sadness, many of us miss the glimmers of hope that shine around us.

So, this year, my gratitude message aims to focus on the rays of light that shine in my life daily, in the hopes that it�ll bring yours into focus for you.

Today, right now, I�m grateful for:

The fun igloo that�s back up on my deck, as one of my alternate workspaces for the winter months The rain that�s falling on the igloo as I write this, after so many months of drought The miracle of hot coffee and the healing power of hot yoga My dear friend, Jamie, and his steady recovery from a scary, but could-have-been-so-much-worse accident The progress of a precious toddler, who�s been behind in some areas for no identifiable reason, who out-of-the-blue pulled herself up to standing and said, �Mama� this past weekend The almost-constant laughter of my 93-year-old dad who makes me feel like a stand-up comic All the time I get to spend with dad The sweet smile of my husband and his ever-present support for, and time given to, his family My beautiful, very-different daughters, and the privilege of witnessing their growth and transformation My HUGE family � 51 and counting � and our commitment to our parents and family as their legacy My loving, leaderly team at ConvergenceCoaching� who support each other, and me, and our clients with all the love, power and intensity they can muster Our trusting clients, fellow collaborators, and friends with whom we get to innovate in the super-cool accounting profession we are so lucky to be part of

There is so much more to be grateful for, even when we can make a long list of challenges, or even fears, that we face. For many, we run the negative list more often and forget to list the amazing blessings that appear in our day-to-day lives, in nature, and in the kind acts and love of others.

There are all sorts of studies that suggest a daily gratitude practice can improve our psychological outlook even our physical health. Won�t you join me in listing the blessings you are experiencing today?

Gratefully,