It was 5 a.m. when I opened Facebook to pull up a yoga warm up that had been posted in a private group the day before. Seeing that a friend that rarely posts was on top of my feed, I paused to read.

“Have you ever noticed that when you are about to type a post here, Facebook asks you, “What’s on your mind”? Well, prepare yourself as I may go long, but for me, right now, the thing on my mind is thankfulness.” 

He spoke about how he had been lying-in bed thinking about the last few months and how hard life was: aging parents with declining health, feelings of rejection after a job upheaval and whatever else “woe is me” soundtrack his monkey mind was playing. It was then he had his “Come to Jesus” moment. 

He realized that he was not acknowledging all he had and thanking God for it each day. He was focusing on what his mind saw as negative and taking for granted what was in his life. 

That post stayed with me the rest of the day. I even called my friend to tell him that. 

I know firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in a cycle of being a victim; how easy it is to take something that happens in the world personally.  

I am grateful for my friend’s post because it was a reminder to be grateful, to pray and to not take the world personally.  My morning practice of prayer and yoga helps me stay grounded, positive and grateful. I notice a difference when I get away from this form of daily self and spiritual care. 

 I use variations of this prayer every morning and throughout the day: “Mother Mary, be with me, guide me, protect and assist me, that I can serve love. Thank you.”  

Considering what I focus on is directly related to how my day goes and what I attract to me, guidance, protection, assistance and gratitude are my go to prayer. I feel that the strongest connecter to Source is gratitude.

After a bad day, I often find myself digging into the undesirable drama or situation. Surly I am not the only one that has won arguments or delivered perfect, witty but scathing retorts at home while showering. I have figured out that I can tell myself, “enough” to stop the monkey brain movie loop. Then I can shift my focus to what is good. It is ok if the best I can come up with is kisses from my dog and dinner in the fridge, because that is gratitude. Gratitude is what it’s all about.

Over time I have come to see that often challenges are teachers that lead me to course corrections or new ideas. Challenges bring growth and changes. Hence, gratitude for the challenge.

Resources:

The simple prayer above is from the Mother Mary Oracle created by Alana Fairchild. The cards can be found on Amazon. There is also a Mother Mary Oracle app. 

As part of my morning practice, I like to start my movement to music. Mindy Smith’s “Come to Jesus: is a favorite. https://youtu.be/NxIsKcdy3Jk  https://open.spotify.com/track/406LSuMcNIjwHEwlrFxVS9?si=660a95528554484a 

Morning playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7td7Z27MI0X33tfcaSlYAc?si=e48580ddbf0a4bb2