There are many experts speaking about gratitude. They invite us to find gratitude in what we have and where we’ve come from, and for what is to come in the future. I agree this is a powerful aspect in a gratitude practice, and that it will do wonders for increasing your vibration and bringing you into alignment with your desires. I do however believe that one powerful ingredient is missing.

It’s having gratitude in a higher power. Source, Creator, God, Buddha, The Divine, Love – whatever your belief system is around it isn’t important. It’s the fact that you do believe in something greater than you and that you are thankful for it.

Being thankful every single day that there is a force guiding you and showing you the way. A source available to help you expand your gifts in a positive, loving way to those in your life. A force that knows ho to get sh*t done. Showing you the exact steps and action to take.

That is what I’m thankful for. I’m also thankful I don’t have to figure it all out my self. What a relief right?! The pressure is off and I can just be guided. I can ask for help, a shift in perspective and to be shown the next steps in anything I want to be, do or have.

Just the other day I put a note out on facebook about looking for a nanny. This was on the private page of a residents group I belong to for our area. I hadn’t scrolled through the other posts for awhile and just “happened” to while I was on there. I saw a gal had posted about being a nanny and so I contacted her. It turns out her Mom taught Ella’s choir class last semester! She plays the guitar, basketball, loves the beach, and has extensive experience with kids. I could not have asked for a better fit! Well, actually I did. I put out exactly what I wanted, instantly found her and she is starting next week. This all happened in 2 days. It can be that simple if we let it. The only thing that gets in our way is the “second guessing” and the trying to figure out the “how” of making things happen on our own. In essence we fall out of faith.

For me what helps to stay in faith and trust, is to feel good and stay clear minded. Self-care, exercising, a spiritual practice and doing the things I love (in both my personal life and business) help me to stay in this place. Do I slip? Yep. Do I feel “off” sometimes? Yep. Do I get triggered and yell at my kids? Yep, sometimes I do. We all creep into fear sometimes and let things slip. We all have old emotional wounds pop-up from time to time.

What I can say is the more I practice the above (self-care, etc.), the less I revert to these old behaviours. Instead, I’m filled with love, have a clear perspective, and can live in that place of a magically created and divinely led universe.

When we do what we love, and love ourselves enough to do it, life is great.

Do away with the “shoulds” this year and truly step into what you want to be doing in ALL areas of your life. What does that look like for you?

What practices are you going to incorporate into your life that are just for you? To ensure that you thrive this year?

I love choosing a word every year that describes what I want to have more or practice more of. Last year it was surrender and boy did I do that. There were some rough lessons along the way, but so well worth it. I finally “got” what it really takes to manifest, and it’s what I’m sharing with you today.

If it resonates with you to choose a word for 2016, I would love to hear what that word is for you. Reply back to this email with your word 🙂

This weekend I am going to spend some time at the Yogananda Mediation Gardens here in Encinitas (where the Beatles stayed for awhile to gain peace and perspective), and I will be thinking about what my word is for this year. I’ll share that next week 🙂

I will also do my annual practice of mapping out what I want 2016 to look like, and I invite you to do the same. Spend some time acting like it’s a year ahead (2017), and that you are looking back over the course of the year. What do you want to achieve? How do you want to feel and who do you want to be? Make sure you capture how you want to feel while going through this exercise. This will help you to attract more of what you want, as well as to serve as a practical goal setting exercise.

Wishing you a fantastic 2016 because you are worth it 🙂

~ Chris xo