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Coming Full Circle ~ New Moon Gratitude Giveaway
Yesterday marked the end of our eight day journey into self-gratitude and I heard from people how challenging it had been, but also what a gift it was so far – igniting the very key they felt they had neglected. Remember that if you did officially participate and want to be part of the giveaway and accountability, please send in your shares by end of today, Tuesday June 11th.
A reminder on the guidelines can be found here:
New Moon Gratitude Giveaway With a Twist
We had far less people participating with this challenge than the general Gratitude Challenge, as it was tough and not something people felt as comfortable with. That’s exactly why I felt to put it out there.
But we did have a great group, both officially and unofficially joining, as well as some people that joined mid-way who hadn’t seen the challenge until it had already begun. They really resonated and decided to incorporate it into their lives and begin it from the day they became aware of it.
We’ll see how many actually do send me their shares, but in any case, I want to say thank you to anyone who did join in whatever way you felt called or able to, and who felt the value in this.
It was interesting to me that at the same time, the local meditation group here had decided to have “self love” as their monthly theme, but in the first day of the month’s gathering so many continued to voice being challenged by it and having difficulty in finding clarity between self love and ego or narcissism. Teachings out there even help support this idea with spiritual bypassing or tricky definitions that make it hard to get to the core by keeping you running in circles around yourself.
And then there’s the mind that is really good at analyzing and dissecting, keeping people in intellectualizing mode, rather than going into the abstract feelings that simply want to be acknowledged and felt.
In some cases it simply revealed itself as a concept a lot of people hadn’t really explored and journeyed in depth, although had heard about it, and in most cases people didn’t know where to begin or what to do in order to get into the emotions beyond the mental thoughts and concepts.
I could understand why and also saw the connection this has to disconnect we experience with others, global issues, our emotions, and so much more.
I decided to join this even though I have and do a lot of inner work, because cycles in life reveal layers and being at another key point of change that has brought new things to surface, I have been feeling deeply within and implementing new approaches.
I found my list to have some wonderful insights about myself that I don’t daily think of as gifts, as well as experienced a lot of sweetness and softness in how I was relating to myself simply by acknowledging some tender parts of me.
I also noticed that during this time period I experienced more possibility stream in (perhaps as reflection of seeing more of myself), my days relaxed more and I ended them earlier in terms of “doing” things (perhaps as reflection of making more space for me), and I experienced others around me opening more too and having new experiences even though they weren’t doing this with me (as within, so without).
In general, an even greater experience of alignment seems to be in motion.
I’m curious to hear what others have experienced.
I’m still sitting with everything and in process of implementing changes that have come through during this time, but I do feel grateful I did this and am curious where things will go from here.
Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: Being Seen & Seeing Expansively
I’ve noticed a shift in a lot of people who have been more inclined to remain behind the scenes and perhaps struggled with being more public and sharing their gifts, now stepping out in bigger ways. There seems to be a shift of welcoming more vulnerability and more connection and I’m sure it is happening both as others continue to light the way for us in this regard AND as the collective shifts into being more ready, or more in need, to receive those of us who may have felt more like the minority or outcasts.
It’s not that everyone will do this in some huge or flashy way, but even if it’s just opening to connecting more with local community, finding yourself opening to a small circle of friends or sharing more with your family than you have before, or sharing your work through different channels you may not have ventured into in the past, there does seem to be a move toward allowing yourself more space in the world, feeling more safe or courageous, and ultimately creating more connection through opening to being seen.
And as this momentum of “being seen” more unfolds, it seems to be going hand-in-hand with seeing more expansively – meaning perspective shifts are taking place and more options are presenting themselves, which boils down to a feeling of being open to entertaining greater possibilities and feeling more safe to take up space.
Astrid wanted me to share how even she is stepping “out” more, as she just yesterday debuted alongside me in a short video I posted via social media as invitation to our New Moon Gratitude Challenge Giveaway.
She’s not shy in sharing messages, but she isn’t always too keen on videos. Photos have been alright, but anytime I try to capture her on video she either just stares me down, moves away, or stops altogether whatever it is she was doing that caught my attention to capture on video in the first place.
She is ready to be seen more and accompany me as a team. So I’m allowing her that safe space to venture in as she feels and by doing it together, it seems to be a way for us both to open to more and share in a new way to others.
It is also her way of letting me know that she is going to be upping her game. And I know that means I better get ready, because if she’s expanding that means I’ll be rising to the occasion to continue matching vibrations for the work evolving for us with these shifts.
I’m not sure if everyone will be able to access the video, but here’s a link just in case.
So that’s a wonderful new development for her and for both of us together.
It all seems to speak to a movement of greater visibility within and without. People are seeing and experiencing themselves more clearly, finding more courage, and things are rising to the surface.
As this happens, our vision is shifting and we’re also more capable of welcoming and inviting in new options that we weren’t so keen on before or weren’t vibrationally a match for before.
This leads to being willing to try new things – just like Astrid is opening to being in videos with me. Even her having her weekly blog is part of this greater visibility, as she steps into a new role herself.
And each time we allow something more into our experience, greater possibilities are available. We realize we aren’t confined to just one or two ways to do something, but that there are many ways we might express the same desires and gifts we have.
Choices are more prevalent and of course that means making decisions can be more challenging. Yet, since the choices are simply varying ways you can express a similar essence and energy, then truly there isn’t a wrong choice – just choice.
When we are more willing to see ourselves and be seen, to extend ourselves in new ways, we find greater courage to make choices without feeling they limit us.
Choices take us to the next step.
They are a bridge.
And from there we can make another choice.
Astrid encourages me to share about my recent experience, so here it is.
Lately I’ve felt more inward, for various reasons having to do with life changes taking place – I may do a separate blog on that upcoming – but after having a much more public presence with my work in the past in terms of teaching and so forth, I have pulled out of that for some time now.
I still have a public presence online for sharing my new creations and anything Astrid and I feel might be helpful or inspiring, and for nurturing special connections, but I have felt drawn to be more by myself, otherwise, and especially so in the physical – preferring to stay home or do things separately, rather than attend lots of gatherings and so forth.
Wednesday night, however, I stepped out (just as Astrid did yesterday) and decided to go to a meditation group with Dave. It’s one he meets with regularly each week. I’ve not been nudged to go because I have my own “walking meditation of life,” because of feeling I needed my own space, and also having a lot of things I wanted to use the time differently for.
This evening would be different, as one of the people was inviting everyone for dinner after and it was the end of the month’s theme before a new one would be coming – I didn’t know that until I went.
I decided to re-immerse myself in a group setting, which is reminiscent to my teaching days, to see how it would feel.
It’s a wonderful group, great people, good vibes, and peace filled.
What was interesting is that normally they have about 5-7 people usually, but of course the day I decide to go they have the most – 13. No coincidence.
It involves a meditation, either in silence or guided for about a half hour, and then an open discussion around the month’s theme – mindfulness was May’s.
Other than introducing myself and why I was there, which was a round-circle intro at start, I didn’t say a peep.
But I was very present and listened and felt into how I felt being there.
At the end of the conversation one of the facilitators asked if anyone had ideas for the next month’s theme. Five or six ideas were thrown out and when everyone was done brainstorming I suddenly was nudged to speak.
It was surprising to me that I did, since I just don’t speak just to speak and mostly stay in observing mode unless I’m teaching, which puts me in a different position. But the feeling was so strong that I just honored it.
In a nut shell my theme ended up being self-love. I detailed why, taking into account everything I’d heard from everyone that evening, the questions people were exploring, answers searched for, and even the themes they came up.
Self-love, to me, was the umbrella for all of them and I explained why.
I was the last to speak and they took a poll after and they ended up unanimously choosing my topic.
I had no idea that my thought would have that impact.
Later that evening at dinner, a few people thanked me for the topic, as they felt challenged by it and knew it was important because of that. Another thanked me for the reminder, as it felt exactly what they needed with things they’ve been working on and had forgotten. Another reiterated that it was an answer to the example he’d given about how to permanently clear a glass of water that’s dirty – symbolism used during the evening’s discussion.
I was grateful I had gone that night and listened to the nudge to allow myself to be seen again more, but in a different capacity.
It reiterated to me what I find to be my strengths in groups, which one of them is my ability to hold a present and neutral energy.
And I found it interesting that the theme everyone felt was exactly what they needed, whether it felt comfortable or not, was also the one this year’s Challenge ended up being about – of which I had just hours before posted on my blog.
In self-love and nurturing, finding those depths within to appreciate and bring to light, we do indeed shine our lights more, open to being seen, and invite more expansive ways of seeing what is possible.
So, both Astrid and I had a “stepping out” this week. We stretched beyond what was currently our comfort zone, which merged both an inward growth that had an outward reach.
We embraced our gifts and made space for them to grow and see where they might lead next.
And that leads us both wanting to leave you with the reminder of our New Moon Gratitude Giveaway Challenge.
Originally we said to let us know by end of today, May 31st, if you felt called to join us, but we’re extending that to the end of this Sunday, June 2nd.
We already have a lovely group of people officially joining and a couple who are joining, but on their own, yet want to do it during the same time so that they combine their efforts and energy collectively.
I know it’s challenging to look at yourself and perhaps challenging to think how you could possibly come up with 10 things a day to be grateful for and why about yourself. It’s okay if some might pop up more than once throughout the 8 days, as perhaps that theme is speaking a lot and it’s an important thing getting your attention. It’s also wonderful if you actually have unique things each day. It challenges you to shift your perspective and find the things you’d easily be able to “out there,” but now do so “in here.”
You are a creative being and that makes you limitless in how to be curious and look at yourself.
They don’t have to be profound things.
They simply need to be about you.
You are beautiful and worthy of this.
I believe fully if you embrace something like this – even if not officially by joining us – that you will feel and experience a shift and may find greater clarity to directions you’re contemplating, perhaps less doubt, more joy, a positive outlook, feel even more compassionate, and even see things shift outside of you or become clearer because of the new way you’re relating with yourself. It may just make you feel much better about you and that makes your experiences with others much better.
If you do want to join us, please let me know either in the comments or message me directly through my CONTACT PAGE.
Wishing you all a beautiful weekend as you anchor into the New Moon energy.
New Moon Gratitude Giveaway With A Twist
You may remember my Summer Solstice Gratitude Giveaway from 2018, almost exactly a year ago. It was the second giveaway I hosted and was extremely well-received, as well as had far-reaching effects and benefits to all who joined. I still hear from people who have continued implementing their practice and how it supports the shifts and challenging times they go through, while helping them to expand and live more abundantly.
Well, I’ve been strongly nudged to offer this again, but with a little twist.
I’ve been feeling into the collective energy and listening to what people have been sharing, as they navigate current big changes once again cycling through.
In the midst of challenges and trying to figure things out, it’s easy to forget your practice and rituals of gratitude, but especially of self-care and creating space for you.
So this time the challenge, if you so choose to accept it, will combine a gratitude practice with self-nurturing and love.
This is only an invitation, so if you don’t like the guidelines or resonate with following the structure of it, you simply can choose not to participate or use it as inspiration to create your own practice, add to one you already have, or simply use it as a reminder of mindfulness.
If you do feel a draw to participate and feel like accountability would be helpful, then I welcome you to join.
Here are the guidelines for the Giveaway that will result in implementing changes relative to your life, experiencing more of what you want in your life, and may even see you receiving a gift from me.
New Moon Gratitude Giveaway:
1. Accountability: Please let me know by this Friday, May 31st that you have decided to commit to this challenge. You can either let me know in the comments of this blog post, or CONTACT ME ***** If you find this through my posting it on Facebook or Instagram, please STILL ONLY CONTACT ME ABOUT JOINING VIA THESE 2 OPTIONS. It helps me out a lot to have everything in one place. I know people tend to miss details due to a lot of info to take in, but hoping this helps.
2. Gratitude in Action: Starting June 3rd and for the next 8 full days until the end of June 10th please begin a daily practice of gratitude – even if you already are – in which case go further. This is where the twist comes in: Rather than creating a list of at least 10 things you are grateful for and why about just ANYTHING (which in many cases will result in being grateful for things “OUT THERE”), I am going to ask that you look for things to be grateful for that are about yourself ONLY. (things “IN HERE”) – (Please read through the end of this blog to see why this is important and for examples). At the end on June 11th, you’ll send me this list just like you did last time. You can either type them up or take a photo of your journal pages and send that to me. I know this can be vulnerable, so I understand people not wanting to participate, however that is also a hugely empowering part of this and of course anything you share with me stays between us. I’m a Reiki Master Teacher and have also coached with clients so I honor that relationship. This will give you at least 80 things and reasons you are grateful for something about yourself. The more heart connection you can create with this, the more you increase the frequency of this experience, depth of healing, and expansive magnetism it creates.
3. Giving in Action: This is an important one! For each of these 8 days I’d like you to do at least one thing in the way of giving and/or nurturing to yourself that you wouldn’t normally do. Please make note of that in your journal next to your list of things you’re grateful for and why about yourself.
4. Responsibility: Send me your Gratitude and Giving lists by the end of the day on Tuesday June 11th. I would also love to hear how this experience was for you and anything you noticed shifting in your life during and/or after the 8 days.
5. Integrity: All of this truly is between you and yourself on whether or not you actually do these things and how much you invest of yourself in them. And with that said, it would be wonderful if you can make a promise to yourself to continue this forward long after June 10th. See this New Moon energy as the portal to make a huge life shift – even if it is simply in fine-tuning what you already do. For some, this may be a new experience. Either way, I assure you that you will experience positive and enriching shifts in your life during this time period and as a result. And if you maintain this as your daily walking meditation you will experience things exponentially, but most importantly your quality of life will be enhanced, as will everyone and every experience you come in contact with. There are so many ways you can fine-tune this process and challenge yourself to rise to greater levels with it by going farther with it all and in every circumstance. You will learn creative ways that gratitude now is simply aligning you with probable realities your frequency is matching. The choosing of the realities is up to you, but they await you realizing them.
Of course adding this to a gratitude practice, in general, about ALL of the things you are grateful for would be truly powerful too, but I tend to see how self love and nurturing continues to be neglected and so this is why I’m focusing this particular challenge on YOU.
I think it can be easier to find things about others or things around us to be grateful for, but is harder for us to look at ourselves with the same loving eyes of appreciation and love.
So, why am I focusing this on you?
Since we know the power of “what you embody within will reflect without” this alone is reason.
We also are well aware of the thought that you can’t give what you don’t already have yourself – or at least perhaps not as fully.
We’ve also heard, “if you can’t love yourself, how can you love someone else?”
And, if you’re always giving out, but never open to receiving, then you aren’t fully exercising truly living in abundance. When we give to and receive from ourselves as well, this gets an extra boost.
We get messaged in every which way about how mission and service is of utmost importance. That you need to think in this vein, “how can I be of service?” And while I agree that taking into account the highest good for all concerned is key, the word “all” remember is inclusive of you, too!
We tend to bypass ourselves because we’ve been told that is selfish. We’ve also been told about the ego and to have any of that would also be a taboo. But the “you” I’m talking about is not about some ego-trip, nor is about not caring about anyone else.
It’s seeing everything and everyone connected.
What it’s not about is being a martyr and self-sacrificing.
What is about is authenticity, showing up, living out loud, expressing your unique self and fullness, and being the best version of you within the collective tapestry. And in order to do that, there’s a level of self nurturing, love, and care that is needed. There’s a level of appreciation for the beautiful gifts you have, for your life, for the ability to shine your individual light. There’s a need for you to have space, time, and value.
Because when you are doing these things, it automatically translates as the highest good for all concerned.
When you disregard yourself, push yourself aside, diminish your light, relinquish your right to express yourself, feel bad about or hide your gifts, and believe you aren’t worthy of things, then others feel that too.
Others receive your example, as permission to do the same – what ever that is. And they act accordingly, which may look something like a lot of people yearning for self love and finding ways to fulfill that hopelessly and endlessly, or even defend or lash out about that missing piece hopelessly and endlessly.
Gratitude is a powerful thing – you can read the link from my last post, above, about this. And having gratitude for, and appreciating your uniqueness, accomplishments, and value can take things a step further.
It’s like the layers of an onion we always talk about peeling away.
We can take things deeper and the core of you is a powerful place to focus, alongside the rest of the wonderful work, practices, and gratitude that you make time for.
Here are some examples of things you might find about yourself to share with yourself:
I think this might be a tricky challenge because you might find it easier to say something like, “I’m grateful for the job that I have.”
Now, while that is a wonderful thing to have gratitude for and truly does shift things by expressing and feeling that, it still isn’t personal enough for this challenge.
Your job is something outside of you, or an extension of you.
So how can you make it more personal?
What is it about you that made you the perfect candidate for the job? What qualities do you have that make you exceptional at your job?
So, for instance, “I am grateful for my ability to understand and listen to people and for my sensitivities that enable me to be good at knowing our customers’ needs, find common threads, and be a good team builder.”
These would be more in line with self-love and nurturing. Seeing how something unique about you is a gift. And on top of it, you can see how that gift you have is “serving the higher good.”
It could even shift what you have felt about that gift. For instance, you may have been down on yourself for being an empath or being so sensitive, but in fact those gifts you think are curses, are quite a blessing.
So reach in to find and have gratitude for that gift. Not focusing on the limitations, but the possibilities it provides.
Another example could be, “I am grateful for the way I can find humor in everything, for my silliness and playfulness, and the ability to always see through the eyes of my inner child. I am grateful to be a child at heart because it creates a feeling of wonder for everything around me, helps me to appreciate the little things, and helps lighten situations, as well as gives others permission to have fun too.”
So, rather than say something like, “I am grateful for the children of the world that make me smile,” can you see how the above makes it personal, but still extends out into the world as service, once again.
This all also creates greater self awareness while also nurturing an appreciation for who you are – as you are a beloved child of the universe.
It helps to create presence, supports you to slow down and create time and space for yourself, and helps to anchor in the new with greater empowerment to move forward with.
You’ll likely discover some resistance, icky feelings, blocks, and other feelings dredged up. I encourage you to go with the flow and try not to judge what comes up. Be gentle with yourself. Your inner child will thank you for this.
Again, we’re not in any way negating or stopping the practice of gratitude in general for anything, but we are taking it deeper and extending it to the inner landscape, as a means to create a ripple on the outer one – inside out.
Love as service.
Self-nurturing as mission.
These effect the whole.
They ARE the whole.
Imagine what a world of self-nurtured individuals might be like. Souls that have learned appreciation and value for their uniqueness now interacting in the world and able to really see and appreciate one another’s individuality and value. What possibilities might that create?
I hope this makes sense.
That brings us to the Giveaway part.
At the end, after I receive everyone’s submissions on the 11th, I’ll then be randomly choosing FOUR people to receive a free gift.
If only four or less people join, you’ll all receive a gift.
If more than four people join, then I will do a random, blind drawing of names, likely helped out by Astrid, to pick four recipients.
So, again if you decide this would be of benefit to you to join, regardless of the gifts involved or not, then you can either comment to this blog or use the Contact page to let me know that you are participating.
The four people will be receiving one of our mini magick rabbit faery gardens or magick rabbit baskets as your gift.
These are enchanted little themed worlds that carry an energy, reminder, theme, and inspiration for life.
They are truly mini portals of possibility.
I am going to be taking part in this myself, alongside anyone who wants to join, but of course I’m not part of the names to be drawn.
The Gratitude Giveaway will start this Monday, June 3rd on the New Moon and will go through the end of Monday, June 10th – that’s 8 full days this time.
New Moons are excellent times to begin anew – create new intentions, renew commitments, take action toward goals, and are great for self-awareness to align with your hopes and dreams for the future.
That energy feels perfect for this.
If you choose to participate, please make sure to read the guidelines and follow them exactly as written and don’t forget to let me know by end of this Friday, May 31st, that you’ll be joining.
You also have the option of simply taking part in this without letting me know or receiving anything in return.
You are a limitless being and there are limitless reasons you might be reading this right now and it might be speaking to a part of you.
It’s completely up to you how or if you want to take this journey.
Yet, I assure you, by truly committing and upping your normal approach, your life will take a lovely turn.
Tania Marie 