Don’t Wait
This year for me, Thanksgiving came a little early. Allow me to further explain. For the last few weeks, I’ve been in a quiet state of unrest. I was mostly just trying to get through the day and complete all the necessary functions that keep my life going smoothly. I remember the mind paralysis I felt right after I finished writing my to-do list. It was a lot just looking at it all on the page. As an incentive to dive in I said to myself, by the time I finish this list, many things about my life will be different.
Some of the things on that to-do list were fun. This was also by design to give me incentive to dive in, but it never fails, when my to-do list gets too big, there’s a feeling of overwhelm until it’s either smaller or all done. Usually, by the time it's “all done,” I’ve accumulated another to-do list and the process is wash, rinse, and repeat. Does this sound familiar? The perceived impending doom of the never ending to do list can be extremely paralyzing and even scary, especially with the string of holidays coming up; but it doesn’t have to be (keep reading).
Knowing that something needed to change because the things on that to-do list needed to get done, I innately went looking for answers, and before I knew it I was watching a Youtube video. I thought that video was totally unrelated to my to-do list issue until I heard Erin Lyons (fellow Black woman and mystic) talk about gratitude and the level of abundance that came from that for her. I, too, wanted abundance through gratitude. Most importantly, I wanted an abundance of time. I set out on my gratitude journey, and do you know I found that time?
It was through gratitude that I was able to actually look at myself and pinpoint what I needed and what was most important. I found the time because I chose to table the list. My life didn’t revolve around that list, and I shouldn’t have given it that much space to the point of being overwhelmed. Gratitude guided me to take care of myself, especially before the holidays, and shifted my entire mindset. I also realized that my abundance of gratitude is infinite. I could spend the rest of my days counting my blessings and never run out because our Divine Creator is a never-run-out-of-blessings type God.
Whether you’re grateful or thankful, whether you run, skip, or sashay to the blessings, know that they’re coming. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to count your blessings and don’t allow yourself to get swept up in the holiday overwhelm. You get to decide what’s important, and it doesn’t include being pressed or stressed. Walk away from that giant to-do list, let yourself breathe, and always remember to count your blessings.
xoxo,
Chaila