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Gratitude is a Super Power!

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I am grateful to be looking at gratitude yet again this blog!
Gratitude is an awesome superpower. I read recently that one of the most powerful statements you can make, feel or think is ‘thank you’. Thank you to others and yourself too.
 
It is so helpful to remember to be thankful to all those people in our lives who have been motherly, kind and caring toward us, including of course our own maternal mothers, to whom we owe so much, including our lives. Remembering to be thankful to friends, family and strangers too for the kindness they show us in all sorts of ways is powerful to promote our happiness and peace of mind. We'll talk more about gratitude for mothering kindness next blog, as it will be Mother's Day weekend. I'll be on board travelling from Canberra to Sydney!
 
It is also great to be thankful to others who give us the opportunity to be kind to them. This includes, friends, family, pets, strangers and of course our children or anyone we care for.

It's great to remember to tune into our wise selves to be kind and thankful to ourselves too. Seeing ourselves be a positive force in the world, being kind and grateful creates a happy perception. We can reinforce this goodness by being thankful to ourselves. We can be grateful to ourselves for doing our best to be a kind, positive force in the world. Remembering also to forgive ourselves and others for all those so called ‘mistakes’, more helpfully known as learning opportunities. 
 
The opportunities to extend kindness do not always come in the ways we expect and sometimes these kind acts are received without thanks. I find it helpful to thank myself, especially during those times like when I have spent a lot of time and effort doing something like making a family meal which is received with 'I don't like this!' Resting in my intention to have prepared a healthy meal and thanking myself helps to prevent resentment. A space I  have known very well. 

Sometimes extending kindness, especially as parents, can be in the form of a strong boundary like ‘please, don’t speak to me like that’, or ‘no, you can’t do that’. Such Kindness always has the intention to protect others from harm.

I can remember the need for such a strong kind boundary many years ago when I needed to enforce the ‘no sleeping with phone rule’ with my then thirteen-year-old. As I was saying goodnight to them, I discovered the phone under their bedclothes. I removed the phone and there was much subsequent protesting.  I needed to check in with my wise self to remember that my intention was to prevent harm and for them to get a good night’s sleep. I was then able to thank myself for being courageously kind, as the protests continued.  
 
More about gratitude and its awesome benefits next blog.
With love, appreciation and very best well wishes to us all 


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Embrace Uncertainty - Opportunities Abound!

6/26/2021

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As I said last blog my focus has been on allowing and accepting all the feelings that are popping up. And acknowledge which part of me is experiencing them and needs my love. I love the quote by Kim McMillan which reminds me do just this.
 
When I loved myself enough…..
I learned to ask ‘who in me is feeling this way?’ 
When I feel anxious, angry, restless and sad.
If I listen patiently, I discover who needs my love.
 
Would you believe the other day I opened Kim’s small book to discover another quote that was so apt for how I was feeling. It read……
 
When I loved myself enough…….
I could remember, during times of confusion, struggle or grief 
that those too are a part of me and deserve my love.
 
So, these times of uncertainty, loss, confusion and struggle are an opportunity to explore internally, with curiosity and compassion. It is so tempting to push down these feeling and to look for something to fill the gap that loss leaves and miss the opportunity.  
The anonymous quote below has helped me to stop, trust and wait during these times! This is something I find tricky to do as I am so tempted to dive head first into my next care taking project. So instead I trying to remember to…..
 
Trust and wait. 
Embrace the uncertainty. 
Enjoy the beauty of becoming. 
When nothing is certain, anything is possible
 
I am trying to remember to keep checking in with my wise self often for what to do, what I need in any moment and what I want to create more of in my life. This connection is so important and well wort the time and effort to strengthen and trust. I am grateful for this internal guide and also my external guides and all the wonderful guidance, support and love they give me. Heartfelt thanks to you all. 
 
Loss is a timely reminder of the finality and uncertainty of life, that time runs out and to focus on what is important and what has meaning. It is up to each of us to find our own meaning.  Loss is an opportunity to explore this internally and not be tempted to miss this chance, by busyness. I am talking to myself here. 
 
Before losing both my parents, relatively recently I didn’t realize just what it means and how deep emotions can run. As my friend Shadi reminded me this is a lifelong connection and when it’s gone it is not replaceable. That said, I feel very fortunate indeed to have many valuable resources both internally and externally to help me through this time of loss. I now understand how important it is to be present, conscious, connected to and supportive of both others who have lost people close to them and ourselves. 
 
Many times, I have not known what to do or say to others who have experienced loss. I still often don’t really! A card I received from my friend Pip expresses it beautifully. It reads – ‘wrapping you in love at a time when words fall short.’
So, while I am tempted to give myself a hard time for often being busy and unavailable to others and myself during times of loss, I am moving forward to try to remember to be more present connected and available and more accepting and appreciative of the kindness of others. 
 
I am trying to remember to take time to be available for both others and myself! Time to share special moments and memories and be grateful for everyday and the little things. I can remember nearly 30 years ago now when our twin boys were born very prematurely and had a huge struggle to remain alive, I made a promise to myself to never take them for granted. I’d like to be mindful to remember this goes for everyone and everything. 
 
So instead of being tempted to jump right back into things and make myself busy I am taking this time to…..
 
  1. Rest 
  2. Accept whatever feelings turn up and work with them with curiosity and compassion. Checking in with my wise self often for what I need, how to act in the world, and what I want to create 
  3. Journal to explore, again with curiosity 
  4. Be grateful for every second and every day of my precious life and all those wonderful people in it. 
  5. Embrace uncertainty – opportunities abound. 
  6. Create Joy 
 
My husband and I are flying to NSW today (not Sydney – phew) today. Who knows where we will end up, who knows we might get to Queensland. I am grateful for this break and I will be doing my best to remember to keep these 6 points in mind.  

With love, appreciation and very best well wishes to us all 
Maree xx
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