"It is not happiness that makes us grateful; it’s gratefulness that makes us happy.” - David Steindl-Rast All of us would love to live happier lives. It is a common desire that binds us together - the search for more joyful living. Often this search is what brings us to a spiritual path, committing to our daily spiritual practices and investing in a life of more peace, more joy, more love, more kindness, more connection to our highest self and to the Divine. And when we feel

Lessons come to us when we most need to learn them, often in surprising ways. I learned a few things recently from one of my favorite teachers - Mother Nature. Let’s rewind a few weeks, and you’ll find me praying for angelic help and a little extra time to meet my deadline and put the finishing touches on the forthcoming Every Day Spirit Gratitude Journal. (Which I can't wait to tell you about soon!) Meanwhile, Hurricane Dorian was an enormous, swirling mass of destruction ta

This week, in the book and on social media, we've been talking a lot about staying in the present moment to feel better and to live better. I am reminded of the "Wasp Story" from my time in the cabin while I was writing the book. If you haven't gotten there yet, or forgot the gist, it's a good reminder of how we get sidetracked by our worries and miss the gifts. And we could all use a few sweet gifts today. Hint: All of the best stuff is in the moment we are in. So here's for

No matter what you’ve done or left undone, no matter who you’ve hurt or who hurt you, no matter how it might seem like an exercise in pride and hubris—gently set down the self-judgment and remember that you are infinitely loved and magnificently beautiful just as you are. No excuses, no caveats, just love yourself in this very moment. Love lives right here. And this love within you will naturally radiate to everyone on your path. How beautiful is that? Yes, sweet friends, lov

Early this morning I opened the back door to look around. I noticed the tree limb that was broken by the bird feeder. Under the overgrown hydrangea, I spied red ants taking up shop in the jade plant. Algae needed to be scooped from the pond’s surface. The table begged for washing. Wandering in, I checked to see that my scheduled post made it to my Facebook page. The day's inspiration read, “Search for something beautiful in every day.” In the comments section, this message aw

One of my writing heroes, Sarah Ban Breathnach, writes in her daybook Simple Abundance, that she has never been turned down when asking for her daily portion of grace. She asks each day, with a heart of gratitude, and grace is always delivered on joyful wings - in surprising and unexpected ways. We, too, can ask for our daily portion of grace. It's a simple thing really. We take a quiet seat. We calm our noisy thoughts. We focus on radiant Divine Love. And we start talking. W

This morning I share with you a beautiful morning prayer, along with heartfelt wishes that your day unfolds with calm joy and hopeful anticipation. We are unconditionally loved and powerfully supported by Divine Grace beyond our wildest dreams. Let's rise to that vision and pour our brightest love into this precious day. May this day be especially blessed. May this day be grounded in the radiant energy of Love. May this day make use of my gifts for the work of the Divine. May

Today, let's take a minute and slow down a little. Notice more. Breathe it all in. Give thanks. We are rich with gifts, right where we are, when we look at this day through the eyes of gratitude. After all, this time of year is about the gifts, isn't it? Not the kind we shop for, but the kind of gifts that are right here in the room with us. If gratitude has slipped down the priority list, let's begin now to register the sight of natural beauty and linger over small moments o

“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” From one of my heroes, Maya Angelou, this beloved quote illustrates how she not only had a way with words, but a way with gratitude. Her poetry, books and wide variety of other creative offerings drove at the truth with such force as to make us all wonder how we had missed so much depth in our own lives. The beauty of her inspired literature swept us away into her experience and lifted us up with the hope of rising t

Just think. There can be a precious day of the week when we don't wake up and look at the phone. A day when we can linger longer in our morning meditation. A day when we can stretch, breathe and align without a phone chirping on the corner of the yoga mat. There can be a day when our gratitude practice is not confined to a time of day, but a joyful lingering with the gifts of this precious moment. A day to read, to contemplate, to welcome, to rejuvenate, to be and to allow. A

A friend called yesterday and shared how she was suffering from daily anxiety and panic attacks. She was the third person to relay a similar story in past weeks. This can't be good. Embodying calm seems like an elusive dream, but have faith. It’s not out of reach. In fact, it's right here within. Before we accept anxiety as a companion, there are tools that can bring us closer to our always-calm center. Yes, there is peace in there. Promise. Sometimes waaaaaaay in there as th

If you woke up today feeling less than beautiful, remember, that no matter what is going on with you, the soul is always beautiful and radiant beyond imagination. And not only that, it is capable of rising above any challenge you may face today - to gain a higher perspective. Like being on an airplane high up over the clouds, the humans on the ground experience a rainy day, while the real you is getting all of the sunshine. Yes, the soul has the overview, the big picture, the

I wake at dawn, wrap in a blanket and head out to soak in the last sights and sounds rising up from this sleepy, hallowed ground. Today is my last day on Hunters Road. I nestle in at the little table, and everyone shows up for the going-away party. The woodpecker provides percussion while the breakdancing goldfinch flips around on the closest tree. Male and female cardinals dart by in flashes of crimson. Throaty croaks come from the pond as the rooster, who has it right this

This morning I wrap in a blanket and pad out the back door to be with the sunrise. The early birds begin in the dark with tentative melodie