“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

-Joni Mitchell

Day 2 of the Minful 21 challenge and my gratitude cup runneth over. Seriously. Stop to think about all that is good in your life. All of the wonderful things you have going on. The gorgeous place you live. The home you can call your own. Your loving friends and family that surround you. The life ebbing through your veins, pulsating in your chest. The mere fact you woke up and were able to take a breathe.

Ok, this wonderful Norman Rockwell painting of life may not be an everyday occurrence. Life can be messy, and stressful, and chaotic, and we don’t get all of things accomplished we wanted to, and that shouldn’t be what we focus on, yet sometimes can be the only thing glaring us in the face. But try to put it aside, whatever is getting in the way of you seeing all you have. Be grateful. For everything on your plate.

I wanted to start the Mindful 21 challenge to bring awareness to how I am living, how I’m spending my time and energy. Being mindful starts with being present so once we can be in the now, out attention can be tuned in to all we have, right now.

Today, I challenge you to sit quietly in meditation for at least 5 minutes and focus on what you are grateful for. Sit somewhere you feel grounded and calm. Come to a comfortable seated position, perhaps taking your hands to your heart, pulling the loving energy in. Be still with your breathe, without distraction, and be grateful for the air filling your body.

With the holidays fast approaching, the timing couldn’t be more fitting, although this act of being grateful should be a daily practice. We are all given 24 hours. What we choose to do with them, how we choose to focus our energy, our thoughts, our behavior, is up to us.

Go into this day, or perhaps you are ending it, with a full, grateful heart. Cultivating abundance within will lead to good things. And being grateful will allow your heart to go out to others.

What are you grateful for?

Happy gratitude!