Grace | Gratitude | Grit

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Happy November!

I hope this finds you well as we begin a new month and officially move into the last couple of months of 2023. This year has been a bumpy one for so many people and as we prepare to start this new month, I wanted to share the messages and themes that I’ve received for November. You may be receiving these messages too because as a highly sensitive soul, you’re aware of the subtle energies and shifts happening around and within you.

In the states, we celebrate Thanksgiving in November and there’s a large focus on the theme of gratitude at this time of year. You don’t need to live in the states to embrace or focus on gratitude in your life, this month or any month. However, this practice can help to shift our focus to a place of reflection on what it is that we’re grateful for and research shows that this practice can reduce stress and increase happiness. These are only a couple of aspects or outcomes that people report when participating in active gratitude activities. I often find that it also increases love and opens the heart chakra for clients. I’ve often found that it can help to clear and open up stagnant or slow energy as well and help to get energy, inspiration, and even creativity moving for people. There are lots of ways to participate in a gratitude practice and there are videos, blog posts, and entire books devoted to the topic. However, what I know for sure is that there are no right ways to do this; there are the ways that work best for you,  your schedule, and personal style. If you feel guided to participate in a gratitude activity throughout the month of November, this is a wonderful day or week to start. You may want to document how you’re feeling on day 1 of your process including stress levels, health, and overall well being so you can reflect back on that at the end of the month to see all the takeaways that you personally receive from the process.

You may be thinking that gratitude seems like a very prescient theme for this time of year and may wonder how it stands out as a specific message for the month. The big themes that have shown up for this month include a deep focus on taking care of the nervous system, immune system, and our inner personal strength or constitution. When we look at these themes, one of the biggest aspects that ties all of them together is stress or stressors. I know, not a very flowery or fun topic. However, this has been the strongest theme for us as we move into this month.

The nervous system is the first line of defense for us as we go about our daily lives and when we are overly stressed we can experience an overwhelm or even an overload on our system. This can create a lot of different experiences for people including but not limited to exhaustion, fatigue, lethargy, and feeling as if you have limited bandwidth for stress. This experience can have an impact on your immune system as well and can lead to feeling off or unwell or even experiencing a lot of the cycles of sniffles and yuck. Both of these can impact your personal strength or constitution by making you feel like you don’t have enough get up and go to get things done. This can lead to feelings of self doubt, worry, or even passing on positive experiences or opportunities.

The good news here is that each of these aspects work together, hand in hand as a team. As we pour into and take care of one of these aspects, we automatically help to support the other aspects at the same time. As we invest in these areas this month, even in seemingly small ways, we’re more easily able to move through the energy, news, and day to day experiences that are happening within and around us. When we look at the overall message, we can see that it’s about taking good care of ourselves.

Another word for Grace is Kindness.
Another word for Gratitude is Appreciation.
Another word for Grit is Determination

  • When you see and feel the impact of these words, and think about how to apply them to yourself, what kinds of images, thoughts, or feelings show up for you?

  • When you think about ways that you could support and honor your own systems and personal well being, what things show up for you right away? Why?

  • Which of these three words do you feel you’re being guided to focus on the most right now? Grace, Gratitude, or Grit? Why?

  • Which of the three words feels the most challenging for you to honor or pour into for yourself?

  • How can you find ways to increase this aspect in your life even in seemingly small ways?

Hopefully by answering these questions, you’ll be able to better understand the areas or themes that are especially prescient for you right now. Like most things, you may find that you share common interests with people in your circle about how to honor these aspects of your life. However, you may have a different style than some of the people in your circle too. This is about finding the ways that work for you because these will be things that resonate with you and your lifestyle and allow you to continue to practice them in your daily life.
I’ve included some items below that can help to support these themes of Grace, Gratitude, and Grit while we work to honor our systems this month. Please remember this is not a be all end all list in any way. This is just a small list to help inspire you to create a practice or system that is right for you.

Grace | Kindness

  • Using positive words to describe yourself to others and to yourself

  • Making space for rest and relaxation even if for only 15-20 minutes each day

  • Treating yourself the way you treat others

  • Watching a favorite movie or show that you love, just because.

  • Reading for pleasure

  • Listening to or playing music

  • Enjoying a creative project

  • Taking a nap or going to sleep early if you feel tired

  • Using the fancy dishes, table linens, or candles that you always save for someone special. (You’re someone special)

  • Make a meal or a special dessert that you really love just for the fun of it.

  • Ask for help when you need it and allow someone to help you when it’s offered.

  • Drink more water

  • Eat nutrient dense foods

  • Add broths, ferments, and other nourishing foods to your meal plan

  • Take vitamins and minerals

  • Learn a new skill or hobby that you’ve been wanting to try

  • Laugh out loud, for real, watch or listen to things that make you laugh

  • Play and have fun

Gratitude | Appreciation

  • Participate in a gratitude practice (in any way that resonates for you)

  • Get outside into nature to see and take in the beauty and changes that are happening all around you.

  • Walk or participate in gentle movement or exercise. Taking care of the body is a deep appreciation practice.

  • Practice something that you love and is intrinsically part
    of who you are

  • Tell someone in your life what they mean to you

  • Read through old letters or look through old pictures of people and places that have deeply impacted your life.

  • Ask someone you trust (or as many people as you feel guided to include) to share 3 aspects about you or 3 words to describe you to help you better understand and appreciate your impact on the people in your world.

  • Focus on increasing the aspects of your life that bring you joy, happiness, glee, and overall peace. (Only you know what these are and any increase in them in any amount counts as an increase.)

Grit | Determination

  • Focusing on one step at a time

  • Having a clear focus on what you’re working toward and continuing to make concerted effort toward that goal.

  • Reaching out for support from people in the area of your focus

  • Saying no to demands on your time and energy if it’s draining you or creating extra strain and stress.

  • Saying yes to positive opportunities and experiences.

  • Celebrating small and big wins

  • Saying yes to support and love from people in your inner circle and even from your outer circle

  • Knowing when to take a break and when to begin again.

  • Resting when you’re guided so you have the energy to cultivate momentum again when you’re ready.

  • Taking inventory of how far you’ve come as a reminder that everything you’ve been through in the past is proof that you’ve gotten to where you are today from determination and taking things one step at a time.

I hope this will inspire and support you as we move through this month, together. Remember, it’s not about how many things you’re doing, it’s about finding the ways that are right for you to honor and support you through this process. It may be 2 or 3 things that you know you’re being guided to do that make you feel great and add value and joy to your life right now. As you pour into any of these aspects, you will automatically support the other aspects as well, cultivating a positive experience for yourself and supporting you as you move through these themes, this month.

As always, I’m sending you love and support from my teeny tiny corner of the world straight to you!

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving this month, I’m wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.

With love and gratitude,
Kristy~xoxo

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Gratitude Gift

Just For Today

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As we begin to round the corner on the end of 2020, with the finish line in sight, sometimes it’s this last bit where we need a little more energy to get through the last lap.

If you’re feeling a little meh or a little burned out, trust me you’re not alone.

You know everyone is collectively feeling this way when as a planet we are fine with not knowing what day it is or what time it is and we’re all just riding this wave of one day transitioning into the next.

Most people I talk to are ready for restrictions and lock downs to be finished while we’re simultaneously hearing about the next round coming up; and watching second rounds already happening for people in other countries.

All of this intensity takes a huge toll on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Even if you’re doing all the things and taking great care of yourself and your loved ones. (Awesome job by the way!) This still takes a toll on all of us.

So, if you’re feeling a bit beleaguered today, please know that you’re not alone.

Please know that it doesn’t mean that you need to push harder, do more, or that you’re aren’t trying hard enough to make things better.

  • It means that your soul is tired

  • It means that your body could use a bit of genuine rest

  • It means that you are emotionally taxed

  • It means that you are mentally at your capacity and could use some self care

It means that you’re going through an extraordinary experience and it’s a lot, a whole lot, and you’re doing an incredible job.

A powerful way to shift some of the heaviness you may be feeling individually and collectively as a highly sensitive person is Counting Your Blessings.

While this may seem too simplistic to make a shift or impact at the level you want or need; I promise you, it will create a shift for you.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make this most significant shifts.

When we focus on our blessings, even 1 thing, anything, we open ourselves up to grace, receiving, and gratitude.

We automatically shift into our heart center and this helps us to shift to a place of gentility, love, and healing.

Sometimes it can be easy to get stuck in the thinking, fixing, and problem solving space. There’s a time and a place for that, absolutely; however, staying in that energy can disconnect us from feeling and noticing what is working, what is good, and what we do have in our life that we consider a blessing.

This isn’t a Pollyanna painting over our reality type of thing.
It’s an opportunity to name and feel grateful for our blessings which helps us to come into our heart center, to lighten our load, to reset, and to have more insight when we go back to solving a problem and creating solutions.

This exercise is like a breath of fresh air.

It literally lightens our load and allows us to come back into our heart, even if only for a few moments throughout the day.

Just for today, try to find and name 5 blessings in your life.

You can choose anything you want, only you know what your blessings are for you.

  • Pay attention to the way you feel when you find and name a blessing.

  • Pay attention to the things that it makes you think about.

  • Pay attention to the memories, insights, and ideas connected to this particular blessing.

  • Pay attention to all the messages that come flooding through for you, today.

Just focus on today.

Be where you’re at right now.

In the middle of the stuff, in the middle of the all the feels, right now, just for today.

Try to find and name 5

Even if you can only find and name 1, it’s still a win!

I’m sending you love and I want you to know that I’m supporting you and cheering you on as we continue to round the corner of this last lap of 2020 together.

With love from my teeny corner of the world ,

Kristy~xoxo

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