Unknown Blessings, Gratitude & This Bumpy Journey To Satisfaction

Ever see a sign this time of year that reads GIVE THANKS and say out loud “don’t tell me what to do?” No? Never mind. Hahahaha. New to the blog? Behind all of the inspiring curation is a fleshy one woman show grateful her followers read her with tenderness and take her with her unsavory moods. I hope this Thanksgiving you’ll gather with souls who love you. I hope it is easy to count blessings. But if this is a season of disappointment or grief, I’m holding space for you. No need to fake it. If I were near you, I would encourage you to allow yourself to grieve. To maybe offer a faint yes to grace and unknown blessings already on their way. How would I know they are on the way? I don’t. But I have faith.

Unknown Blessings, Gratitude & This Journey

I write from a spirit of unknowing so maybe this stream of consciousness will float you closer to gratitude…or maybe it is simply a personal exercise of self-expression.

What a year for so many of us!

I think I was ready for a new year back in March…hahaha.

I Always Have Big Goals

Each year I hope to mature to new depths, to see with more clarity and evolve with higher consciousness.

And each year, I find myself unsure whether any of those things are on the horizon and even wondering if maybe I have regressed.

Right where I am, I’m thankful for opportunities for humility!

On any given day, our sense of hopefulness may waver.

If you’re me, you’ll stand at the kitchen sink, watch the sun rise, and sense all will be well, with confidence that everything (even suffering) belongs.

But oops. Consume too much media or guacamole, and…bloop, you may find yourself out of the flow.

I’ll work too many hours, lose sleep, or battle another GI infection.

It will be difficult to not see doom or scarcity.

Goodness gracious, why is it so hard to stay in the flow?

Mental Wellness in Modern Times

And what does it even mean to be mentally well, energetically balanced, or spiritually fit these days?

What does modern life look like for someone claiming to feel SATISFIED?

Has it truly been a whole year since I began thinking about satisfaction?

Wow!

Because here I am a year later, ever perplexed at the degree to which satisfaction still seems to elude so many of us.

Yet each Thanksgiving, it is quite easy to see the many blessings in our midst.

If only I could begin to develop more confidence in the unknown blessings already on their way.

Because they are indeed on the way.

For me and for you.

Yet I’m wired to think fearfully about what curses may come.

As if rehearsing the doom offers protection!

(At this point in the post, some of you are whispering: read the book of Romans again, child or maybe switch to decaf, girlfriend or have you talked to the doc about anti-anxiety helps, hon?)

And the thing is, we all have our blind spots.

We’re ever filtering experiences and emotions through our unhealed wounds.

The Messy Middle is Vulnerable

Which is why it is always so vulnerable to share the messy middle.

It is one thing to share wisdom and perspective when you are on the other side of the messy middle…

But during? Where all the combustion and mixed feelings are being felt?

How does satisfaction begin to bloom into thanksgiving, connection, and hope?

Could other things bloom into thanksgiving?

What makes a friendship, a romance, a marriage, a vocation, a life’s journey sufficiently satisfying?

Will these questions be a good ice breaker around the 2024 Thanksgiving table?

They weren’t a hit last year! Hahahahaha.

Pondering the questions in our hearts may lead us closer to what it means to live with greater integrity and see the areas where we need to mature.

How might I grow to embrace a more humble spirit of unknowing?

What changes might bring deeper satisfaction for what is noble and true?

How can I turn away more often from harm and what is not mine to control?

What will quell my reactivity so I may respond more intentionally?

How can I grow more self-compassionate?

Bless all these questions. And these mysterious energies flowing between blogger and reader. Bless us as we explore gratitude and satisfaction. This journeying is the honorable work of a lifetime…and I’m so thankful to not be alone on the journey.

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Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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