Stepping Out Challenge - Day 26 - Gratitude's Pt 2

Welcome to today's post, where I will be sharing about the Gratitude's Series

Today I am going to be talking about the second part of the Gratitude's series.  If you are new to the blog post check out Day 2

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Thank you for joining me today, it is amazing to think about where all the time has gone.  We are going to get right back into looking at gratitude's and how to get started.  When you think about your life and the things that you have achieved, how does that make you feel?  Do you feel a sense of achievement or not having done enough?

I believe that we are here for a purpose.  We have a unique ‘mission’ that we need to get on with, that can impact and those around us and ultimately the world.  We have to recognise that we had some help and we didn’t get to this point on our own.  Along side this we are able to do some things without even giving them much thought, discounting them as basic, but if you didn’t have them you would not feel they were basic.

Yesterday I touched on examples of people whose circumstances mean that they have to have assistance to live their day to day life.  Someone somewhere in the world has woken up having to use an oxygen tank, or have to always go down a checklist before they can leave the house, because their life depends on it.  When we think of all the things we take for granted it can change your perception about the things you currently are able to enjoy.  What are you going to do with them?

Spending time in Barbados and in London when we were small, we have experienced power cuts, water outages and it is only at those times do you really value having a normal service.  On a day to day basis we just expect everything to work smoothly and you really don't pay them any mind.  You leave a light on here and there and you run the water for a bit longer than need to, but when its cut off and you have to ration the bottles of water it becomes precious even to do the the simple things.  Your perspective changes when you don’t have.

I think we have to operate our 'attitude of gratitude' and each day think of 3 things that you are grateful for, you will definitely see a shift in how you approach things.  

Why not get a journal and write down these 3 things daily and really give them thought.  Let me know how you get on and what came up for you and what changes you might be making. 

Tomorrow I will share the I Love You Today Series.  I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.

Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

Adorn it - http://bit.ly/AdorAT18

Dollar Tree - http://bit.ly/DolAT18

Blick - http://bit.ly/Blick18

Book Outlet - http://bit.ly/BOOKAT18

Stampington - http://bit.ly/STAAT18

C& T Publishing -  http://bit.ly/CNTPAT18

Dover - http://bit.ly/DOVPAT18

Craftsy Kits - http://bit.ly/CrafAT18

Amazon Store -  https://www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Stepping Out Challenge - Day 25 - Gratitude's

Welcome to today's post, In which I will be talking about gratitude

Listen to the Podcast

Gratitude’s

The gratitude’s Challenge came about after listening to a motivational speaker online, he talked about gratitude and for us to think about what we were grateful for in our life.  He also mentioned the idea of writing them down, and meditating on them daily.  

I started to think of all the things that blessed me, that I know I take for granted, each and every day.  Some of the things would make an impact if they weren’t available to me so I thought about some of these things and began to take note of them.  Some of these things involve areas of our lives that we pay no mind, practical things, creativity, and my studio space.

What are the things that you are grateful for, we can become complacent not only about the what we have but the things that we don’t pay much mind to as it an automatic function, but would greatly affect us if we didn’t have it, like the air we breathe and the beating of our heart.  Someone has woken up with a faulty pacemaker, or has to use an oxygen tank.  Some have awoken and no longer have their sight or hearing, and now have that to deal with.  We can take our health for granted, not looking after our bodies, but wanting to be free from pain.

For years I was convinced there was a problem with my knees, I couldn’t bend down without being in some sort of pain, the doctor offered an anti-inflammatory which was a temporary fix, that I didn’t want to take and be dependent on.  When I started exercising and lost weight the pains disappeared, I had been causing the pain myself through not taking care of my health and then taking for granted what I had.

The challenge was necessary for me, as it allowed me to reconnect with all that was important in my life, not only physical and material things but relationships, and the things we take for granted around us, such as feeling the breeze on my skin, hearing the sound of the waves, the birds, the morning sunshine and much more.

What do you need to take stock of, as you consider the things that you have been taking for granted?

Tomorrow I will look at ways you can incorporate a practice of gratitude into your life.

Tomorrow I will share the second part of Gratitude's series.  I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.

Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some  supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

Adorn it - bit.ly/AdorAT18 

Dollar Tree - bit.ly/DolAT18 

Blick - bit.ly/Blick18 

Book Outlet - bit.ly/BOOKAT18 

Stampington - bit.ly/STAAT18 

C& T Publishing - bit.ly/CNTPAT18 

Dover - bit.ly/DOVPAT18 

Craftsy Kits - bit.ly/CrafAT18 

Amazon Store - 

www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Moments to Ponder - Feeling Grateful

What are you grateful for?

It has been a while I know and I miss posting for those of you who have been visiting my blog.  I think we have all been there where so many things come at us at the same time that you feel that something has to give.  You make choices, and changes and often the very things that you put a pause on you miss the most.

I have really missed blogging and intend to change things up and start my regular schedule again, and will be sharing in another post some of the things that you can expect each week.

For this weeks Moments to ponder which should have been posted on Monday the question is What are you grateful for?

In the past I have done a Gratitude's and Celebration Journal in which each week I posted a journal page and something that I felt grateful for, along with a word for that week.  It was a great way to remind yourself of what you have at your disposal, but what you can do to be a blessing for others.

I am grateful that I have a platform, many that I can share my writing, art and more and be a blessing to someone who may see my work.  I am also grateful to be able to work in beautiful surroundings and feel the sunshine and sea breeze.

Take some time each day to think about what you are grateful for whether you do it first thing in the morning or last thing at night, take 10 minutes out of your day and write something down, do a journal page, record your own video and post it so that others can share their heart as well. 

Let me know how you get on, if you start an art journal or depict your gratitude's in a creative way that is great!  

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Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Dwelling in the desert and images - I just felt like writing....

I felt like writing a piece, it is called 'Dwelling in the Desert'.  I would like to write more often, and plan to try and make a practice of it. I have included some of my past art work, I hope you like it, leave me a comment let me know what you think, if you resonate with the piece.

Dwelling in the Desert

How is it that thoughts can take hold of you - from just a few words your world can be turned upside down.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

The attentiveness wrapped in tender words is what did it in the guise of a stream.  It is now understandable that when you get stuck in the desert for so long, in a parched and dry land where everything seems withered you loose a piece of yourself, ever so slowly until you look in the mirror and don't even recognize your reflection.  Every now and then in what seems like a cycle a stream appears.  You've been parched for so long you wonder if you should drink, laugh, wet your feet or totally ignore it, but the very idea of the stream brings hope.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Every time you look at the stream it reminds you of those unfulfilled dreams, and you are amazed at how you got into the position.  You never thought that you would be surrounded by dry land in the desert for so long and just got used to it, the days rolled weeks, months and then the years and then you looked back and things had changed, you had changed and you were just there.  Your throat aches from crying and calling out "Why".

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Now the sound of the stream as it bubbles over the rocks, caressing the tips of the trees that suddenly gather along its path.  It brings new life, fresh eyes, new ways of thinking and as quickly as the stream appears there is a refreshing to your soul and you are lost in your confusion, feeling guilty, wanting to dip in the stream, and lose yourself, scared that it is only a disguise and the thirst will still remain.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

You didn't realize that you were thirsty until you noticed the stream.  Some say that if you drink from the stream you will never be able to go back, some say a new life awaits.  As you walked along the stream bed, it looks so inviting, enticing, you long to laugh again and feel at ease.  Flowing over the rocks droplets of water rise up and touches your face, absorbed in your skin your senses are heightened as you are reminded of where and who you are.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Confusion now spills into your mind, your heart beating fast.

Stop talking, let there be silence you say, your thoughts needing to be quiet, banishing them to the barren part of your mind so that you can be still, you want your thoughts to be ordered to stop what seems like madness, or is it just your mind playing tricks of yearning from another dimension.

You wait, confusion tries to come back from the banished regions of your mind to taunt you again and you are tempted to get closer to the stream, perhaps you'll just gaze for a while.  You tell yourself that your perspective has changed, and that you'll be stronger, and if you look through squinted eyes perhaps the desert isn't so bad, the years still passing and you can see that the desert has a different cloud formation going on, perhaps there is change ahead, perhaps it isn't enough!