In keeping with my intention to create new, supportive rituals this year — both in my life and here on this blog — this is my first Saturday Gratitude post.
I’ve been noticing the connection in my life between gratitude and creativity, and here’s what I’m discovering: creativity does not flow from a place of lack. And when I have a “not-enough” mentality, I end up putting a ton of pressure on my creativity to make me feel better, make me money!, make me feel successful.
But (as I’ll talk about in my next post), we are in relationship to our creativity. Imagine putting pressure on a person to make you feel better, make you money, make you feel successful. My hunch is that person (if they had a decent amount of self-respect) would run from you pretty quickly.
The same goes for creativity. It loves us when we express gratitude for it, but tends to hide from us when we pressure it.
So every Saturday, I’ll be winding down my week with a focus on three things I’m grateful for. And I’d love it if you’d join in, if that feels good to you!
Here’s this week’s list:
* My computer died this week, and I managed not to completely freak out. (And I’d backed up my work — something I haven’t always done in the past.) AND, money flowed in from an unexpected source to partly cover the cost of a new computer.
* My 13-year-old cat is in wonderful health. In fact, my boyfriend and I refer to him as “the kitten” due to his youthful acrobatic abilities.
* Here in Chicago, we have beautiful, gentle, snow-globe-quality snow in the air this morning. I didn’t think I could stomach more snow, let alone be grateful for it, but I have to say, it’s just so pretty. So I’m grateful not just for beauty in the world, but for my capacity to see it and appreciate it. That capacity is a renewable resource, for all of us.
What’s on your Saturday Gratitude list this week? I’d love it if you’d share. And most importantly, notice how you feel after you make your list.
the artist's nest 
Oh Jill I love this post and you are so right! I have great faith in gratitude, and this is a wonderful reminder as I’ve not written in my gratitude journal for ages. I love your choices, and soooo admire you not freaking out when your computer died! As for me right now…I’m grateful to my friend who just sent me flowers in time for my birthday in a couple of days AND for the very warm and appreciative feedback from the group I wrote with today AND for the chance to enjoy the beautiful sunshine this morning on the local marina, watching mini waves on the water…life’s good:-) Love, Harula xxxxx
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Beautiful, Harula! Such wonderful things. I especially love the thought of the flowers from friends — hope it’s a lovely, joyful birthday for you! Thank you for participating with me today! 🙂
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I am grateful for my daily meditation today for three different reasons: One, I really reconnected with my breath today during meditating- and got out of my head (the song “reunited” actually came into my head lol- but entirely appropriate!). Two, I am grateful for meditation starting to feel normal now, where it doesn’t feel right unless I do it sometime during the day (yay for a new habit). And three, I am more consistently calm now, which has made a noticeable positive difference in my health & mood (started a little over three months ago- just simple paying attention to my breath meditation). Thank you for sharing yours too!!
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Kathryn, I love that! Yay for truly integrating a new habit! And for more calm on a daily basis … yes. And it sounds like “Reunited” was the perfect song to bubble up from your subconscious at that particular moment! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
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I’m grateful my friend came through her surgery. I’m grateful for the rain we need so badly. I’m grateful for the solitude of my bedroom at the top of the house.
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Ahhh … those are all wonderful ones, Fredrica. I’m so glad your friend made it through her surgery, too. And rain and solitude … lovely. Thank you for participating with me!
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Jill, I enjoyed reading your blog. I too try to daily embrace the things/ moments in my life I’m grateful for. It seems as if the more I acknowledge the gifts and daily little miracles, more appears for me to be thankful for.
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Great to see you here, Alexa! I so agree — the more I consciously intend to see things to be grateful for, the more there are. And it affects my whole life. Thanks for sharing that!
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