Gratitude & Forgiveness Are The Keys To An Abundant Life~

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite American holiday. I love the concept of giving thanks for blessings and sharing good food and laughter with family.  While Christmas has morphed into a culture of commercialism, spending and creating the expectation of gifts, Thanksgiving is still reserved for celebrating what we already have.

Learning to live a life of abundance took a lot of work rebooting my mindset, recalibrating my expectations, letting go of negativity and resentments, accepting people as they are, surrounding myself with positivity, avoiding toxic people, and treating myself with kindness and love. Fortunately there are readily available tools to help all of us on the path to an abundant life.  I was helped along the way with finding recovery in Al Anon, the inspiration of Louise Hay, the guidance of Doreen Virtue, the peace & serenity from practicing yoga, permission from stylist Brenda Kinsel to celebrate who I am with clothes and accessories, and making the decision to accept that I deserve love, happiness, good fortune, excellent health, joy and abundance.

Interestingly, all of the tools that brought me a life of gratitude and abundance presented similar paths to enlightenment. The most important thing that I've learned it to let go of resentments and be willing to forgive those who have either harmed or just annoyed me. That includes letting myself off the hook for past actions, reactions or inactions. I've found it really is healing and cathartic to periodically let go and forgive each person, place or thing that I've allowed to cause me angst in a ritual way. I performed this exercise most recently over the holiday weekend and felt uplifted when I completed my emotional cleansing.

It really is true that holding a grudge or a resentment is toxic. Letting go frees us for living a lighter, happier, more joyful existence and gives us the space to see the abundance we already have in the people we love, in the ability to hear birds sing, see a sunset, smell the rain, feel the warmth of a beloved pet curled up next to us on a chair,  and to celebrate the small miracles of the everyday.

It isn't always easy. But when I remember to be grateful, to let go, and to accept abundance into my life - it flows.