The Shadow Hunter

I used to think of gratitude like I was quickly scribbling out a thank you note to a friend (...my doctor's-esque scroll is  mostly legible...its the thought that counts!).  I’d be thankful for something that a person did for me or gifted to me, so I’d shoot off a quick and friendly thank you to that person and move on to the next thing. It was efficient and polite, but rather…short lived.   Or, I’d sign an email with “thanks!” — but is that really gratitude? Are we grateful for them reviewing the document and sending detailed feedback? (In advertising? Probably not…!) Then, there’s Thanksgiving. The day when we’re supposed to be grateful for everything. But that’s only one day a year, and we’re often on a turkey-high so the gratitude fades a bit.   This year, I learned that gratitude is so much more than that. It’s actually a way of life, an energetic current.   When I’m grateful for what I have on a continual, daily basis, good things flow. And when I’m not actively practicing gr

Happy Christmas season, friends! As everyone gets ready for Christmas, you're probably thinking of all the things you need prepare for others by the end of the week.  Do you have a list of things to get done?  I know, it can be a lot! However, take a moment and think about this...what gift are you giving to yourself this year?  Have you thought about what YOU want?  We're often so hard on ourselves. We often ignore what we want in favor of what others need from us.  And what we deliver to others needs to be "perfect". I get it. I'm a Virgo, it is literally in my nature to be a perfectionist. I used to judge myself by my own standards of perfection: at work (I once had a client tell me I was "overly thorough"...wait, that's not a good thing?!)... at home (I used to own 4 vacuums and religiously clean every Saturday. I had a friend tell me once they would feel comfortable eating off of my kitchen floor haha)... in friendships or relationships, etc.  If