Today I feel like listing the 25 things that first come to my mind that fill me with gratitude.

1. Life.  This is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of what fills me with gratitude.  I wouldn’t have anything without the life energy that flows through me and all things.  In that life energy I am alive and beautiful and always flowing … ever expanding.
2. Love.  Love is a gift.  Love IS that life energy that flows in and around and through all things.  It is healing, and expanding in nature.  It blesses when it is given.  In focusing on love, my life has been given new life, new meaning, and an ever increasing purpose.
3. Joy.  Joy is a pleasure and a beautiful energy that is everywhere.  I see beauty and love in the world and it fills me with joy.  Joy bubbles over and influences, in beautiful positive ways, all who partake.  It is a magnet and the truest expression of life; there is MEANT to be joy!
4. Light.  Light is warm and inviting.  It helps give understanding through its being … where light exists, darkness cannot.  Light shines in the spaces within me and it takes away the burden of life and in place of that burden the beautiful light is there guiding me to the love and joy that life holds.
5. Human connection.  There is something essentially important about the connection we have to the human family.  We are inseparably connected … in an unbreakable and unchangeable way.  Through the connection we have to each other and all things, that beautiful life energy that flows through all of existence, we are able to bear each other’s burdens, to help and to serve, to lighten the pathway, to bless and to love and to expand together in joy.  It is the way.  It is the reason we’re here.  We cannot change that fact that we are connected to each other and in this truth it creates a beautiful unity with all people.  It is impossible to harm another when we understand how connected we are to the whole.  My brother’s peace is my peace.  It is always the way and understanding this has brought joy.
6. Comfort.  I really appreciate the comfort that exists in knowing who I am, knowing what life’s purpose is, knowing and understanding the way of life.  It is a comfort to me to understand that through my belief and my desire, all good things will be.  Miracles abound in God and that brings comfort.  There is not worry and fear in that place.  Only faith, belief, and joy.
7. Convenience.  I love electricity, cars, stoves, my bed, the clothes I have to wear, the money that enables me to “move around” in this world.  I appreciate cell phones and wifi and computers.  I feel grateful every single day for my washer and dryer and my hot water heater.  These and all other conveniences (the literal roof over my head) fill me with gratitude.  I am grateful to have them.
8. Knowledge.  I really love knowledge.  I love seeking and learning truth.  I love when a certain truth or principle solidifies within me (“distills upon my soul”) and it just clicks.  It makes sense, there is no other way … it’s a remembering.  I am so so grateful for those moments and that they continue to come.
9. Faith/belief.  Faith can move mountains … I’ve been hearing that my whole life.  And I sort of believed it but had never heard anyone’s experience of moving a mountain.  I have seen now, and know that faith certainly DOES move mountains … Faith creates space for miracles to take place.  I’ve experienced miracles and am so grateful for faith and belief, in truth.
10. Nature.  There is something miraculous indeed about the beautiful existence of the nature of the earth.  Trees, flowers, fruit, birds, animals, water, clouds, the sun … it all serves a purpose for reminding and replenishing.  I LOVE just sitting quietly outside listening and just being.   There is not need for comparing and judgment and worldly junk … just love and joy and being.
11. “Divine” Nature.  This to me is so important to understand and when you do you WILL feel grateful.  You are SOMEBODY!  You are SPECIAL!  I am, you are, we ALL are divine … beautiful, whole, completely worthy of all goodness and light.  This is truth.  This truth makes my heart burst in gratitude and REALLY believing it can take some time, but once it distills upon your soul?  It’s a priceless treasure.
12. Children.  Aren’t children wonderful?   They are so excited about learning and life.  They love regardless of what you look like, or what you sound like, or what you do … they just love to love.  They are happy and joyful and fun.  I was thinking just last night while I sat in my bedroom listening to my kids doing their things … they were playing and talking.  I thought to myself, “most people have 2 or 3 or 4 kids … and they are their life, their joy, their purpose … they feel that blessed human connection in one of the most pure ways through their children.  I have 7!  I am more blessed than most and I understand that parents view their children, usually, as a gift and can’t imagine their lives without them.  I have 7 of those gifts!  What a blessing.”  My joy in this particular role is full … “my cup runneth over.”  I feel so thankful for being a mother and understanding life through these eyes.
13. Laughter.  Laughter truly is healing.  Every person should have a good solid laughing session at LEAST every day.  More than that would be preferable.  It lightens your load.  It releases the negativity within you and allows for more of the flow of lightness and joy.  It is so fun!  I find that my kids are really good at laughing.  I smile just thinking about how frequently teenage girls have really good solid laughter moments … I am grateful for and LOVE laughter.  It is so relieving.
14. Creating.  Creation is our nature!  Whatever way you create … feel the joy in that!  I really love sewing, and crocheting, and writing, and playing music … and so many other things.  Using my mind and body to make something feels good … feels like a positive “outlet” and helps create a continual flow of that “creative juice” that is positive healing energy.
15. Synchronicity.  I love the things that God sends to show me I am loved and I am known.  And they always show up RIGHT when I need them.  A perfect sunrise, a heart rock in the middle of my pathway, a hawk dancing on the wind overhead, a cloud in the shape of a heart, an “I love you just because” from a friend … all of those bring me joy and I appreciate and LOVE them.  EVERY time … every single time I stop, I expand and embrace the joy that that particular moment brings, and I send love and gratitude to the universe for the ever continual supply of abundant beauty that is everywhere.
16. Giving.  Do you realize that when you give to another person, without expectation of anything in return, you open up a space where giving is the way, and you allow that space to flourish in the world.  And then, without question you DO get what you need.  I give just to give.  Because I love to give.  Because I love to serve.  Because I find joy in other’s joy.  And then the beautiful truth of this “universal law” is that because a space within existence has been created, by me through giving, where giving is the energy … I receive what I need.  It is absolute.  I know it is truth because I experience it every single day.  It is the way of miracles.
17. Healing.  What can be said about healing except that it IS a gift, it IS joyful in receiving, and I DO feel immense gratitude in the healing that occurs every moment of the day. And I don’t have to DO anything to be healed, other than believe that it will be, and have faith in it. It’s beautiful.
18. Choice.  I am so grateful for choice … that I get to choose what is for me, that you get to choose what is for you, and that together, we can create a harmonious world through allowing others their choice and owning our choices.  It’s perfection really.  Truly truly a gift.
19. Forgiveness.  Forgiveness!!  THIS is everything!!!  What good fruit comes from holding on to negative pasts?  What good fruit is born in revenge and anger?  It is poison.  It is not necessary.  To forgive another, no matter their role in it, is truly the only way to have peace.  I receive what I give out … that is the way, and so as I give forgiveness, EVERY time, I receive it for myself.  I can’t expect to look at the world with judgment and condemnation and then think I could receive peace and joy … that doesn’t work.  The only way is to offer to every part of existence that which I wish to see in the world.  I desire peace, healing, forgiveness, and love … so I ONLY offer those. I always give peace for anger, healing for hurt, and forgiveness for all.  In doing this I am truly free.  I know that my peace comes through offering it to all in the world.
20. Abundance.  I always come back to the Adam and Eve story … they were in perfect abundance in the Garden of Eden.  They had all they needed, all they desired, and there was no lack.  In “falling” from that place, they then had work, lack, sweat, toil, trouble, etc.  The real and true way in God is the abundance without lack.  And so seeing in THAT way is the higher perspective I choose to look at.  And as I do?  I see that the world is FULL of abundant God energy … it is love, and joy, and beauty, and unity … and it is available to all without question.  Focusing on those has brought that abundance of energy into my life and it is so fruitful in only positive ways.
21. Truth.  I learn and grow everyday.  And as I connect to the universal flow of God’s energy … I receive.  Always.  Without question.  I expect to receive more truth and light and I continually do.  And like anything else, I look to the “fruit” of what I receive to know if it’s “good.”  And it’s SO beautiful we have a way to gauge whether it’s good fruit or bad fruit!! I am grateful for that.
22. Change.  Change, in the positive direction is SO good.  It is why we’re here … to PROGRESS!  You can not progress if things stay the same … change is required in progression.  I am so thankful for beautiful change, and for the witness of that truth in the world around us. (the seasons, the weather, etc.)
23. Dreams.  What is more lovely than having a dream, a desire, a beautiful “heaven” to look to for inspiration?  I love that I get to choose my dream.  I love that I get to follow my joy.  I love that I receive what brings expanded joy in ME.  It is so perfectly designed and I am grateful for it.
24. Beauty.  The world is a beautiful place.  People are beautiful.  Love is beautiful.  So much of this life is just a beautiful witness to the energy of which we are all a part.  My heart is full every day in the beauty that surrounds me.  I see it, I know it, and I love it.
25. Peace.  I can’t express in words, because words fail to capture my true heart here, but peace abounds.  True peace is found in becoming (connecting to) the truest, most divine potential of yourself.  It’s not in becoming someone else, it’s not in someone else’s dream or thought of what you should be, it’s OWNING YOU!  And in owning the place you have found yourself, in that divinely designed role you are in, because you can’t be anywhere else, and you ARE this, and ARE perfectly so … in owning this spot, you are free.  And you have PEACE in that freedom.  It is the peace that the world can’t give, because the world doesn’t give perfect joy and love and freedom … the world limits and judges.  Beautiful peace comes in the quiet moments of acceptance of God’s plan for you and your place in the world, and knowing that what you find joy in, and what you see as beautiful IS truly joyful and beautiful!  Your joy is not wrong, my joy is not wrong … they are just unique to each person’s experiences, role, dreams, and passions.  Accepting that I am this and this is lovely and my joy IS God’s joy?  THAT is how you have peace.  THAT is what creates a perfect calm within and no one and nothing can take it away or stir it up into a storm.  There is only stillness and joy in that place.  I am grateful for that.