Dear Dovanna,
I have been thinking about you and these words came to mind: Gratitude requires stepping back and counting your blessings, celebrating your challenges, and taking the time to “be” in your day to day life on a planet aligned PERFECTLY to sustain life. Our current society can be designed to make us feel alone. Some of us sit in front of a computer, stand in an assembly line, or run around day to day organizing the needs of our family. All this while trying to make sense of a world out of tune because we “are civilized” (remember this is the opinion of the author). I find it challenging on some days to feel grateful – especially if I’m calling up the landlord to fix the plumbing for the 6th time in 3 months because I get down on myself for the mere fact that I should have owned this by now. However, I remember this word:
grat•i•tude: )grăt′ĭ-too͞d″, -tyoo͞d″►
- n. The state of being grateful; thankfulness.
- n. The state or quality of being grateful or thankful; a warm and friendly feeling in response to a favor or favors received; thankfulness.
Shifting to gratitude, I get happy to have a cozy home filled with love, plants, animals, art, family, roof, walls, no threat of violence, and really loud and loving neighbors. I become thankful and this mental shift changes the negative voices trying to control my essence.
Gratitude is the slayer of bad vibes.
Take time to reflect on a couple of things which make you feel good! There is love, learning, organizing our household to farm with our forks, giving hourly belly rubs to our furry pride of rescued cats and dogs or other animals, watering and feeding plants, cooking and sharing meals, hanging out and video chatting with those who love me and I love, or just clowning around with the staff at the grocery store. Sitting in silence, closing my eyes for fifteen minutes in the middle of the day. At any time these can be my therapy for optimal mental rejuvenation. How could I have forgotten MUSIC? Especially good old fashioned house music.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For the next fifteen days I will makes sure to be extra grateful. It is good for everything that is me and extends to the well-being of those in my inner circle because they do not have to fret about me. We get the space and time to thrive together. I am grateful for you and want you to remember that you are not alone on this abundant planet. Be well, my friend.
With love and gratitude,
Dovanna
Karma Compass 
Lovely and timely piece. Anyone could fill in their name “Dear …..” and make this apply to themselves; I know it spoke to me!! Thank you for sharing this at just the right time!