Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers, happy belated Thanksgiving to the Canadians, and happy Random Gratitude Day to all others around the globe! This quote from the Dalai Lama is one of my all-time favorites -- for two years I had it printed on a piece of paper and taped to my bathroom mirror:
Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.
—Dalai Lama
After every yoga practice when I bow forward in namaste, I give thanks. I pause while my hands are touching my forehead and the ground in prayer-position (bowing forward over crossed-legs) and take a few minutes to cycle through everything I am grateful for.
Today I'd like to share some of the thoughts that come up most frequently:
- I am grateful for my body, my practice and my health.
- I am grateful to have all of my basic needs met so that I can focus on doing work that inspires me and others.
- I am grateful for my wonderful family; for how much they teach, inspire and support me. For their health and happiness.
- I am grateful for my friends and for this incredible community.
- I am grateful -- so grateful -- to be working for myself because of all of you and now to be living in New York City.
- I am grateful to be giving myself the space to stumble, fall, get back up and keep climbing up the steep learning curve of this phase of my life.
- I am grateful for my yoga teachers who create such an amazing space for me to relax, release, transform, and fly.
A giveaway to express my gratitude for YOU
Hopefully you all know by now how much I love you. If you forgot, read this post from the day I sent my book off to press.
After almost four years of blogging, you have been my rock. You have been the constant in my life, and the very source of my freedom.
I feel humbly indebted to this blog and to all of you for helping me reach my lifelong dream of being an author/speaker/coach/yoga teacher/entrepreneur extraordinairre.
Thank you for being so wonderful, compassionate, positive and loyal.
As a small token of my appreciation, I am giving away ten $10 iTunes e-certificates (courtesy of JBE!).
Music makes my life go 'round (I've made a seasonal playlist every quarter for the last 10 years), and I'd love to help you refresh your collection -- whether it's for running, car blasting, working, or dancing around the house in your underwear to Mariah Carey's version of All I Want for Christmas is You.
To enter, leave a comment stating something small or unexpected you are grateful for (ie you get a free pass on saying health, friends or family :)
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Since I realize you may be in a tryptophan hangover and/or spending precious time with friends and family instead of commenting on blogs, the deadline to enter will be Wednesday, November 30. In the meantime: go grab a water bottle or hairbrush, turn it into a microphone, jump on the bed and blast the following video while singing at the top of your lungs:
[youtube id="yXQViqx6GMY"]