Want more of the good stuff in life? Expressing GRATITUDE is your currency

by Denise Harris | Nov 21, 2017 | Uncategorized

Don’t be afraid to CHANGE, you may lose something good, but you may gain something better.

-Jim Rohn

I left my corporate job sixteen months ago, and the positive changes in my life that have taken place, have been much more impactful than the last several years, I spent in corporate.

What I’ve learned, is that the experience of reinventing yourself is one of the most intense forms of personal development you can go through. When you take risks, you can become vulnerable and begin to question your decisions and the moves you make. It’s so important to not let saboteurs, like skepticism and self-doubt get in the way, of forward movement.

Expressing gratitude is one of the great ways to crush your inner-critic.

A ritual, I developed over time is to express my gratitude daily. I start my morning by writing down a few things that I am grateful for and I do the same thing in the evening.

This practice of gratitude has provided clarity for me on what’s important and helps me to bring joy to life everyday

It’s opened up the small and insular world I had been managing my life in.

I’m thankful for the now toned muscles of tenacity and resiliency I am frequently using. I understand the need for compassion and connection with others, and the importance of having an open mind, especially now, when things around us, are in flux. I’m grateful for possibility and the freedom to start my day by asking myself “What if…”

Sixteen months ago, I made a big, hairy and audacious decision and walked away from all that I knew to be certain. And fear, was by my side, the entire time. I did it anyway. I summoned up all my courage and took the leap.

Now, I live my life with intention, listening with my heart and making choices with no regrets.

I’ve learned that everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and when I make a mistake, I learn from it, and start over again, without judgement or criticism.

I’ve learned how important it is to keep learning, and to stay curious, because if you don’t pour back into yourself, you won’t have anything to give to others. I’ve learned that what I give my attention to grows and prospers.

It’s not that being grateful is a skill or something that you have to learn to do, but what I know, is that not practicing gratitude is like riding a bike with only one wheel. It can be done, but it takes so much longer to find your balance.

Change Begins Within…

by Denise Harris | Nov 7, 2017 | Uncategorized

“If you aren’t in the moment you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret”

-Jim Carey

Like many of you, I am often left wondering about the state of affairs of our country, our communities and our lives. In today’s world, we’re constantly exposed to attacks, shootings, major tragedies and  political conflict. It’s almost impossible to ignore what’s going on. It’s everywhere- in the newspaper, on TV, and social media.

We are all living and breathing human beings, experiencing change and uncertainty every single day of our lives. We live with fear, self-doubt and judgement, and those emotions are often compounded by who and what we see, around us.

Yet, what we know for sure is that there are 24 hours in a day, and 365 days in a year. What we know is that we have the ability to make choices in our lives and decisions that affect us right now, and in our future. We can choose kindness over indifference, good instead of evil and love over hate.

As former President Obama said “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”

We can choose to be angry, resentful and hurt over things and actions that we have no control over, or we can live our lives, embracing the beauty that surrounds us, and the possibilities ahead of us. We can take matters in to our own hands, and do our part to make the world a better place.

A question I often ask myself is “what can I do to make a difference today?”

We know that bad things will continue to happen in this world, in this country and in our communities.

We can react to these situations with the first impulse that comes to mind, or we can choose to live intentionally, embracing our differences, sending love to those who need it, and practicing compassion instead of judgement.

Simply put, what we need isn’t more division but instead greater connection to each other. Open the windows of your soul and let your curiosity flow. Practice replacing judgment with empathy.

And as Gandhi so eloquently said “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him…..We need not wait to see what others do”

Be the change you wish to see in the world.