On a year that has been very rough, all I can think of is about gratitude and presence. There is no doubt that 2020 has been a whirlwind of a year. A heavy year. Lots of things happened. Loved ones were lost. Jobs were lost. Financial means were changed abruptly. Families have been apart for long periods of time. Travel has changed. Offices closed. And so many other things we had to adjust to.
In this episode I share some stories on why and how we can use gratefulness and being present to help us see the bigger picture. A short 10 minute episode to share with you, that despite all that has happened, we can all find the silver lining if we choose to look for it.
Ex: how many zoom calls and FaceTimes did you have this year?! Wouldn’t you say connection and conversation became a very important part of your year? I think that’s beautiful! So many people from around the world came together!! So many people became more aware of their surroundings, their relationships, and the importance of paying attention, really living life and not taking things for granted.
Or maybe you got to start a new project, moved to a new city, focused on your art, worked on more self love, found more alone time, took more walks, watched more movies, learned how to cook, open up to a friend or family member, and so many other greats things.
And when all those greats things happened, did you take a second to feel present and grateful? Did you take a second to enjoy that moment? I hope you have a great day today and are able to find that one thing you can be grateful for. Big or small.
Thank you to YOU - my friends, family, and this community we’re building! Happy thanksgiving 💛
EPISODE 08 TRANSCRIPTION:
About 2 weeks ago or so, it was a Monday, I had been telling myself all day that I needed to finish recording an episode. I was overwhelmed with how much I had to get done both for my business and my newish job that pays the bills. I had planned to record every Monday so that I could enjoy my time with my family during the week for Thanksgiving. More episodes queued up means more time with my family and less time on the computer. So, I had started recording but for some reason it just wasn’t going very well. Interruptions, tech difficulties, sound quality was off, I did it so many times, that by the 15th time, I knew it wasn’t something I would be proud of when it came out. I had spent so much time and there was nothing to show for it. I was frustrated.
Dinner time was approaching and I closed my laptop in disappointment, “I should’ve been done by now”, I said to myself. I went to the kitchen to help my family cook and as I started helping, a part of me kept thinking “you should be working” “you could be doing this, or that” “you’re wasting time” “you didn’t finish your to-dos for the day”. My mind just went on and on. My job for dinner was to clean the dishes that were being used to cook so that the kitchen could be clean once we were done.
I’m not sure what it was, maybe it was the wine my mom had served me or the fact that I find washing dishes, very therapeutic. Weird? probably. But I started to loosen up a bit and realized that there was music playing in the background. They were dancing and laughing as they cooked and just as the pasta started to smell good, I started noticing everything in front of me. I was in my house, with my parents who I hadn’t seen in a while and who are healthy thank god, we were gonna curl up on the couch and watch a movie, and I just started to feel very grateful.
Somehow, this became my main focus. I realized in that moment that regardless of all the “to-dos” and frustrating disappointments, I was happy to be there. I was really happy to just be with my family and cook with them and talk with them and hang out and enjoy the actual moment. One that I had longed for all year. I know that not everyone is lucky to be with their families this holiday and so I took a deep breath, thought of all of those people and I knew I had to change my mindset.
It’s much more than the to-do list. It’s about being present. Enjoying the process. Yes, it was very frustrating not being able to successfully record that day, but at the end of the day, I saw the bigger picture. Had I been focusing over and over about what I didn’t do, the moment would’ve passed me by. I’ll remember that day forever, all of us dancing, laughing, and cooking dinner together, despite the state of the world.
We can’t take ourselves too seriously , you see. We can end up depriving ourselves of the moments that are actually really important, and are right in front of us! We sometimes choose to focus our attention somewhere else or we forget to be present. As cliche as it sounds, It’s finding the beauty in those little moments, the moments where you decide to look at the bigger picture. That is what really matters. The podcast can wait, the checklist can wait, the email can be answered later, the phone call can be made tomorrow, etc. That specific moment, where you find yourself really aligned, aware, and present, is more special than any other “I have to do” you could be doing.
To give you another example: I recently finished the show Modern Love on Amazon Prime, it’s a great romantic comedy tv series, based on the weekly column published by The New York Times. It’s realistic, and funny, and made me cry like a baby. Anyway, to not spoil much of the show, there’s an instant in one of the episodes where a woman opens up for the first time in her life about something that she’s really struggling with. After getting laid off of her job, she decides she’s reached the point where it was time to tell someone, so she tells her work colleague over coffee. As she is telling her colleague what has been going on, the colleague get a phone call about a meeting she’s supposed to be at. This is the part of the story where I thought the colleague was going to get up and say that she really needed to get to her meeting but that she’d call later. Instead, she answered the call, canceled all her meetings that day, held her friend’s hand, and said “you want to get lunch?” She made the space for her friend to feel SEEN, which is exactly what her friend needed in that moment. it’s amazing what just that simple act, can do, right?
Had she gotten up and left, who knows what would’ve happened. For some reason we’ve been accustomed to live to work instead of work to live. The story with my parents, shows that I too struggle with this at times. I was focused on working instead of enjoying the time I had with them.
Although these stories are very different, they go hand in hand. They both paint a picture of The importance of BEING IN THE MOMENT. Realizing what is going on. Reading the room and being present. You might miss what’s right in front of you. You might miss helping someone, you might miss learning something, you might miss love, you might miss a magical moment, and you might miss life!!
I think it’s safe to say that this year has really made us think about a lot of things. Personally, it’s been health and family at the top of my mind. I have asked myself “what makes you happy? And who do you feel your best around?” Pretty important questions.
I think this year has been full of opportunity, depending on how you look at it. Opportunity to get closer to people, relate more, share more, breathe more, love more. For me, it’s made me see my friends and family clearer. My work clearer. I got laid off of my job but now I feel grateful I did. Something else came along that was better.
I hope this Thanksgiving you’re able to be grateful for both the big things and the small things. I hope you’re able to be present in seeing all that you have in front of you. Health, family, friends, a job, a home, food, face-time and zoom which have allowed us to keep connected, going on those little walks during the day to enjoy some piece of nature, starting a new venture, gaining more self-love, gaining more strength, finding your passion after getting fired, and so many other things that a lot of humans have gone through this year. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve come really far. I hope you see the beauty in what this year has brought you, even if it was the worst year ever. Is there a way you can find the silver lining? Can you make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for right now? Even 1 thing! What about what’s right in front of you at this very moment as you listen to this podcast. Anything stick out? make you feel grateful? Is there a way you can be more present today?
I hope today is full of those magical moments even if it is a different kind of Thanksgiving this year. I think we can all find at least 1 thing to be grateful for.
I am wishing a happy Thanksgiving and day full of love and light. I am very grateful for all of you that are listening and enjoying the show. This show has brought me more happiness and purpose than I ever thought it could and there are no words to express how much I thank you for being here with me. I hope you feel heard, seen, loved, connected and inspired!