is for intentions. And inspiration.
I think one of the most fun ways we get to play in this Earth walk is following our inspirations. It’s like being tuned into the GPS of our heart and following the delightful little clues placed on our joy path.
And so while I think it’s important/helpful/truly wonderful for a myriad of reasons to have a gratitude practice, I also think it’s fun to open it up and know it doesn’t have to look one particular way. It’s my hope through this gratitude abecedarium series you get a peek at the different ways it’s possible to play with a gratitude practice. That you open to your inspiration and create what’s deliciously wonderful in this moment, and then choose again in the next moment, tomorrow, next week. And that becomes another way in which gratitude expands us – by inviting us to expand how we dance with it.
One of the fun ways I like playing with gratitude is with intentions. I love to set an intention, call in an energy stream, and then see what shows up.
For example, yesterday I set the intention for a day filled with happy surprises, and I called in the energy stream of fun. And here’s what showed up:
I found a feather; found a delightfully funny little plastic skeleton hidden in the leaves and uncovered while I was raking. Had a last minute inspiration to bake a pineapple upside down cake which was the perfect accompaniment to an impromptu celebration. I found a missing earring; delighted in looking at felt flower brooches when I had no idea I wanted a new one; had an unexpected conversation about what gibbous meant while moon watching with friends; decided not to do something and without a shred of guilt experienced a great lightening and clarity that it was not only an okay thing but a wonderful gift for myself. A perfect song came into my awareness; a friend proposed an idea that has my donning my thinking cap and delighting in possibilities; and I was inspired to take action on something that’s been sitting on my desk for longer than I care to remember.
How fun is that?
It can be fun to set an intention in the morning and record it in a journal, and then at night’s end look back over your day and write down all the ways it showed up. And right there you have a gratitude list you can further delight in, sending back ripples of appreciation, love and blessings for all that transpired. And isn’t that a perfect inspired way to dance with gratitude?
May your day be filled with delights like these beautifully mysterious wildflowers.
I’d love to hear any ways you’re inspired to shape your gratitude practice. Where does intention fit into your life? What happy surprise has shown up for you lately? What are you grateful for today? Do tell – you know I love to hear.