It's November and the time for a renewed focus and uplifting of Thanksgiving and ThanksLIVING. It is a favorite time for me for various reasons; primarily Gratitude is the most powerful and favorite of all my spiritual practices. I find the transformative effect very inspiring and in short--It feels good. I invite you as you peruse this that you consider gratitude as transformation vs. information. Actually, deepen your own practices or begin anew.

Don't be picky, appreciate everything:

One of my favorite gratitude memories is from several years ago when we were writing daily gratitude lists at church for 90 days and NOT repeating anything on the list. My friend LaVerne would show up at church every Sunday and show me her list, of which she was so proud. Her list included such practical and profound clarity about life and living. Her list included a mop, broom, toothbrush, etc. It was so moving to me that I often refer to it. It is a grounding wakeup call each day as I proceed through the day. Eyes, feet, standing, hearing, functional alarms, warm/cold/hot running/safe/pure water, showers, soap, hair, great hair, etc. It keeps me in a very well-developed perspective.

Gratitude doesn't have to be saved for the "big" things in life. The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for. Even if it is as simple as appreciating the clear weather or how quickly your mailman delivered your mail last Friday, don't leave anything out when practicing your gratitude.

Find gratitude in challenges:

October was breast cancer awareness month. It has been 10 years since the diagnosis for me. I navigated that experience by heightened focus on Gratitude. Holding a broader perspective of what was actual and not going off into terrifying "what ifs" made all the difference. In the big scheme of things, I cannot be anything but grateful. It was small in comparison to what others have had to navigate.

Practice Mindfulness:

Daily think through five to ten things you are grateful for. The critical step is that you need to picture it in your mind and sit with that feeling of gratitude in your body. It is a meditation process. Doing this every day will rewire your powerful brain to be naturally more grateful. It only takes eight weeks of gratitude practice for people to start showing changed brain patterns that lead to greater empathy and happiness.

Also, I once called Silent Unity to pray gratitude for 30 consecutive days for this re-wiring time. 1-800-NOW PRAY (1-800-669-7729) to restore your practice.

Write daily list or gratitude journals:

Write down your positive thoughts and things you are satisfied about! Keeping a journal of all of the things you are thankful for can help you keep track of and refer back to the positives in your life. Energy flows where attention goes.

Volunteer/Give Back/Pay it forward:

Giving back to others makes you more grateful for the things that you may take for granted, and studies have shown that volunteering for the purpose of helping others increases our own well-being, and thus our ability to have more gratitude.

Scientific testing with all kinds of variables that help improve our well-being found that volunteering is the single most reliable way to momentarily increase your well-being. In other words: helping others helps you!

Express Yourself:

You can increase your feelings of gratitude by expressing that same gratitude to the people you care about. Writing notes and calling directly to express appreciation has been proven to increase levels of happiness. Some of my favorite things are writing notes of thanks and appreciation and speaking it aloud during phone calls, sessions and visits. I transform myself and am blessed to witness the transformation of others receiving gratitude. Not only does expressing your gratitude for someone make their day a little brighter, it can do wonders for increasing your own levels of gratitude and happiness.

For many more ways to practice, click here.

On a logistical note, I'm facilitating the last of the eight powerful retreats I've been blessed to facilitate this year and formulating the group processes for 2019. Besides my family and close friends' families, these groups are of highest priority for me. I'm blessed to explore, learn, and lead in transformative ways. If you are interested in participating in a 9-month Immersion process, monthly online class, private sessions with me, and an annual retreat, meeting January though September, please email me directly at [email protected].

My gratitude is deep, abiding, and truly unspeakable. I invite you to deepen what you already experience as gratitude. I am grateful for you and our shared journey.

Love,

"Gratitude is the best preventive medicine."

~ Martha Creek

"Nature's beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude."

~ Louie Schwartzberg

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

~ Melody Beattie

Uppa Creek Art

For a complete list of Martha's events, please visit 

www.marthacreek.com.