Thanksgiving gratitude ideas

Create an “Appreciation App”

November 18, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

Create an “Appreciation” App

“Grateful kids look outside their one-person universe and understand that their parents and other people do things for them… prepare dinner, dole out hugs, buy toys, etc. Lewis continues saying “On the flip side, kids who aren’t taught to be grateful end up feeling entitled and perpetually disappointed.”~Charlotte Latvala

Despite the darkness of what may happen in the outside world, the tinkling sounds of angels voices and the energy of blessings can still be heard as a five-year-old shared what made her “happy and grateful” during the day.

The light in her eyes and the joy in her voice lit up the room at the dinner table. Hers was a simple gratitude – one of picking clover to share with each of us. She had so much fun picking clover earlier in the day.

With great anticipation she turned to her Dad, then her mom, and asked each what they were grateful for and what made them happy.

The two-year old was not to be left out from the five-year old’s happy, probing question. He, too, was able to share his gratitude in his two-year-old language. It was wonderful to be in the moment of Now when many are already ahead into the Christmas Season.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, November is known as a time for children and adults to focus on being thankful and appreciative. Unfortunately, this may be the only time of the year many children, and teens, think about things for which they are grateful, value and hold dear.

This season of thanks is a perfect time to start a new ritual or expand an existing one with your children or teens to create a deeper sense of gratitude, kindness and appreciation that lasts the whole year.

It’s a great time to create an Appreciation ‘App’

Have fun creating appreciation apps that last all year,

Bonnie

Gratitude, the Magic of Blessings

November 25, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving option 1

Gratitude opens your heart and the space for more miracles and magic to show up in your life. Pausing during the day, at night or in the morning to express a quick prayer of thanks, or appreciation for whatever has happened is powerful. Expressing gratitude and appreciation on a daily basis connects you to the deepest most powerful aspects of you-your divine self. Gratitudes pave the way for your life to move with more grace ease. Researchers in the Positive Psychology arena continue to find that people who practiced gratitude on a regular basis were happier, healthier and yes wealthier.

“Gratefulness for all of our many blessings – this month – the month of November is the time that most minds and hearts tune into the energy of gratitude – and so the influence of our personal gratitude statements increases because the over-all vibration of gratitude on our planet is so high.“ Unity Minister, Lauren McLaughlin, author of Go to Elf Special

If you already have a gratitude practice how can you expand it. If you or your family doesn’t have a regular time. Make this the year you start a gratitude ritual. For some ideas.

https://www.facebook.com/angelvioletsmagicwings/posts/466271280179741

Happy Thanksgiving! Safe travels! Enjoy those treasured moments with family and friends,

Bonnie

PS “Everyone has angels that are always around them. You can’t always see them but your heart knows they are there.” says Joy and Dan from Angel Talk Cafe.

I am delighted as Joy and Dan come back on their blog talk radio show Angel Cafe to be their guest on December 1st at 9:00 PM ET. Mark your calendar. The show will be recorded. Monday, December 1st at 9:00 PM http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angel-talk-cafe

Illuminate True Holiday Spirit

November 11, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

LIGHTen UP Stay Calm and Carry On

L-Love yourself
I-Illuminate the true spirit of holidays
G-Give the gift of love to yourself and others
H-Honest appraisal of how you feel and what’s going on
T-Trust your inner knowing to guide you

I – Illuminate -to shine light on something, brighten something, clear and easier to understand, spiritually enlightened

When you see the beautiful colors of the clouds and the sky illuminated by the setting sun, doesn’t your heart open and don’t you feel illuminated with light and love?

Or the light shining in a child’s eyes as they see something for the first time, the brilliant light of a full moon, or opening your Facebook or Pinterest page and seeing an inspiring image and beautiful words that touch you?

Don’t you feel illuminated when you see the light of understanding dawning on someone’s face or seeing something as simple as beautiful, decorative lights at Christmas time?

How do you start to illuminate the holidays?

What is truly important to you? What messages do you want to give to your family and those around you during the holidays? How do you want to highlight the holidays this year?

Illuminate yourself from the inside out! Illuminate your true spirit.

Listen to the answers with your heart. Don’t listen to the voice telling you what you should do or that you must repeat what you have done in the past.

Joy comes from heart-felt giving and living. You can’t be LIGHT and carry a sense of dread thinking about the holidays. (Remember to be LIGHT you must start with L – Love yourself in the first two blogs).

Remind yourself to be light in your movements through each day with the additional tasks, errands and all that comes with the holidays. Check in every now and again to notice how you are holding up and reacting to things.

Are you moving through the holidays tired, with an “I do it all” attitude, or with the energy of the Grinch? You can complain about the commercialism, focus only on the external holiday meal, parties and gift giving or illuminate what is truly the spirit of the holidays.

Ideas to Illuminate Thanksgiving and Create Gratitude all year around

Thanksgiving originated as a day “to set aside time to express our blessings”. In many families there is sharing and celebration over a meal to give gratitude for the blessings of the year.

What do you want to illuminate about this Thanksgiving? Do you want Thanksgiving to be the only day that you or your family counts your blessings or expresses gratitude? Positive Psychology researchers have found that people who express thanks for three blessings a day are happier, healthier, and, yes, a bit richer.

How can you cultivate gratitude in your family year round?

Family-Blessing-Jar-Martys-Musings Gratitude Ideas
• Even the smallest children can come up with blessings or things they are grateful for each day. Part of the trick is to vary the routine.
• Some families have a gratitude or blessing jar (great with school age kids). They write what they are grateful for, and if there is a day where it is hard to be grateful they can pick out of the gratitude jar. You can start a gratitude book, paper or photo book. One you can touch or even an album on your iPad or computer
• Or, just simply, each day at a family meal, share three things you are grateful for that day. It’s literally impossible to be grumpy and truly grateful!

http://martysmusings.net/2014/10/family-blessing-jar.html

Good questions to ask:

• What are the core values you want to illuminate during the holidays?
• What do the holidays remind you and your family to celebrate?
• What do you want to illuminate (and have your children learn) about the holidays to remind you of for every day of the year?
• What lights you as a spiritual being that you want to share? How can you bring more of that into your holidays?

heart-holidays-self -empowered-light

Inspire another woman. Post on the blog or on Facebook.com/AngelVioletsMagicWings during Angel Violet’s Pre Holiday Facebook Party Heart Centered Holidays on November 18th-20th and share what you do to illuminate the true spirit of the holidays.

LIGHTen up stay calm and carry on,

Bonnie

PS If you are looking for a special family Blessing Bowl for the holidays you may like this one: http://diamond pathways.com/resources/gifts/