Appreciation Breeds Balance
I define balance as a feeling – solid, grounded, energized, focused, at peace in mind and body. A living, breathing mountain.
As we move into a week where you might be asked more than once what you are thankful for, a reminder that appreciation (gratitude, if you will) helps breed this feeling of balance.
I like the word appreciation because it feels like something you can stop and do more often during the day.
I try to start most days by writing three specific things I’m grateful for from the day prior (after my 7-minute sit and asking for guidance for the day – more on this later) but it’s the moments throughout the day where I stop and appreciate that really bring the meter back to the feeling of balance.
So anytime you can stop yourself this week and develop appreciation for whatever is around you, try it.
- As I type this I’m in a cozy house on a cold, windy day with a sleeping pup to my right and good coffee to my left. If I’m still for a moment, I appreciate this.
- Later as Mollie my pup and I go for a walk, at some point those trees and the nature that surrounds me will catch me, my body will sigh and fill with appreciation. It might just be for a precious second before Mollie pulls my arm or another dog barks at us, but that second is all it takes.
- Tonight I might drop my shoulders as I stare out the window at Christmas lights, or take in the joy of an evening cooking session with my family or simply smile at the crinkle in my husband’s eye.
And no matter what the day has held, what annoyances or brain noise bubbled up, if I can take a minute or two to appreciate the things I deeply love, that balance meter will creep back towards center. I used to have a hard time with the concept of gratitude. As an achiever, I was concerned that getting too comfortable with what I had would hinder my drive to achieve more. And as most of you I assume already know, it’s the opposite.
Appreciation breeds balance, balance creates space in your mind and your body, this space is what allows you to create more and more and more. And the beauty of this type of creation is it comes from a balanced brain, not from ego or fear or the need to numb another feeling.
And that’s the kind of creation that skyrockets you towards living a more balanced life, full of more of what you want, more of what you need, more you can appreciate. That is my wish for all of you. 💗
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