Thanksgiving Quotes to Share Today and Every Day

I pulled a full quotes in preparation for Thanksgiving Day festivities at my future in-law's house and wanted to share my favorites and hope you'll share yours too. Whether you're spending today with friends, family, or faraway from home, take time to give thanks and express gratitude for all that you have, big or small. If you haven't started a gratitude practice, why not start today and fill up on the abundance all around you? It's amazing what a little gratitude can do!

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action." ~W.J. Cameron

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice." 

~Meister Eckhart

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."  ~Edward Sandford Martin

He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd

"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"

 ~Henry Ward Beecher

"Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds."

~Theodore Roosevelt

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven." 

~Johannes A. Gaertner

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."

~Cicero

"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart." 

~Seneca

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."

 ~W.T. Purkiser

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
  

What are your favorite Thanksgiving Day quotes? What are you grateful for today?

photo by Francis Mariani

My Guest Post @ Yoganonymous | Gratitude Practice: Cut the Stuffing Out & Let Life Overflow

 

“Let the thankful heart sweep through the day.” –Henry Ward Beecher

I really love this photo. For me it is the perfect representation of the practice of gratitude. If you can imagine your Self as this bowl, or sacred vessel, then you can visualize filling it up with sentiments of gratitude until your bowl is overflowing. In this way, you’re able to experience the abundance of life all around you.

I recently posted about the overwhelming daily messages of need more, want more in our society. Yoga practice gives us the tools to fill up on all the good stuff the universe has to offer and by so doing, we become more present, aware, and enriched.  Filling up is more than just an exercise. When done consistently it becomes a way of life.

Look at this picture and see the bowl as your Self. As it is right now, it’s an empty vessel. But when you get to the bottom of it, it asks “what are you grateful for?”...

Read the full article here!

Navigating Transition with Patience and Acceptance

A week has gone by since I took a big leap to transition from my toxic work environment to more satisfying work. Overall I'd say the experience has been pretty good, but as always, there have been a few hiccups along the way. Having been in this position before, I was prepared for last minute changes, knowing that everything sounds good in theory, but ideas, plans, even people can change once you really get down into the nitty gritty. I prepared myself for this weeks ago, releasing any grandiose expectations of what I thought my ideal day would be like and bracing for the nuances that would inevitably pop up. I think this practice has served me well and I'm finding that each hiccup, rather than being a nuisance, is a new layer in which I have to navigate. It's been a wonderful practice.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to give this all a try. The hardest part about this transition is going from the nine to five business hours to coordinating my own days. Whereas before, someone else was creating the structure in my day, now I'm the one making my day-to-day work. In some ways it's completely liberating, in other ways, it's completely overwhelming and yes, even some doubt started to creep in this week. However, I keep reminding myself that it's all a part of the transition and that in a few weeks time I will find my groove. It will happen. I just need to be patient and accepting of what comes my way.

new office view!

I don't want to lose sight of why I made this change--which is to teach and write more! This week as I started work with one new company and caught up with projects from another, I found myself inwardly saying, "hey wait! I've got a blog to write and manage, people to get back to, and ideas to share for Capricious Yogi." While all of this is important, let's be realistic, it's also necessary for me to get acquainted with my new responsibilities as I have bills to pay and health care coverage to maintain. This week my mantra has been "I'm figuring this out" and it's helped. Again, the practice of patience and acceptance has been crucial for me during this period.

So that's where I'm at. This weekend I plan to do a little reshuffle on my calendar, catch up on some personal projects and get organized for the week ahead. Given that Thanksgiving is around the corner and my dad is coming to visit (yay!), I'm not sure how much I'll actually get done, but it is my goal to do what I can to the best of my ability. That in and of itself is it's own practice, no? As long as I stay grounded and allow myself to ease into this process, rather than tearing through head first, I'm already ahead of the game. That's right,  I'm going to allow myself to have a little fun and enjoy the process rather than getting all stressed out by it. Otherwise, what's the point of all of the change and upheaval if I can't find enjoy the work I'm doing?

Have you ever made a change and thought you've bitten off more than you chew? How do you stay grounded through transitions?

Photo by AlicePopkorn

I Really Love My...Energy Charm from Energy Muse

health energy charm

As my practice progresses, my interests continue to grow. One area that I'm always keen to learn more about is crystal energy healing. So when Energy Muse contacted me to test run their energy charms, I jumped on the chance. Not only are their pieces fashionable, but they make crystal energy accessible. The pieces are affordable and can be seen being worn by many top-notch celebrities. Charms are available for Health, Wealth, Love, and Protection. Just in time for the holidays, I asked the makers of these awesome little gifts a few questions so I could learn more about the charms and their uses. Here's what they had to say.

****

How did Energy Muse come to be?

It started with one piece, Prosperity and the partnership of two long time best friends, Heather Askinosie and Timmi Jandro.

Heather was a Feng Shui specialist that decided to explore her creative design side. She produced a necklace she named Prosperity, then gave one to ten of her friends and asked them to come back with news of what they experienced after setting their intention and wearing for the certain amount of days she specified. With nothing but positive and outstanding reports, that necklace became the staple item to prompt the start of Energy Muse Jewelry. Heather then joined forces with Timmi and they started spreading the word to their friends, selling jewelry out of their cars, and creating a buzz in Hollywood due to the powerful results. Today, Energy Muse is sold worldwide inspiring many different cultures.

What are energy charms and how do they work?

Energy charms are a smaller version of the jewelry that you can carry around with you everywhere. It’s a cute accessory for your purse, key chain, etc. They hold the same energy due to stones and for three of them, the Ancient Chinese coin, so once you receive you should set an intention and keep close to you for 10 days straight and longer for stronger results. They are also put in our Sacred Room for 48 hours before put in stock, just as our jewelry is.

What are some benefits of wearing Energy Muse charms?

Apart from receiving compliments, as mentioned above they hold energy. So the benefits would be attracting what you intend them to surrounding the concepts of Love, Health, Wealth and Protection.

Happy 11.11.11 and Veterans Day!

In case you hadn't noticed, today is 11.11.11 and what some believe to be the beginning of the Aquarian Age! Whether you believe this to be true or not, you can't possibly deny the once in a lifetime chance to experience this day for what it could be.

Today is believed to mark a change in human awareness, making now the perfect time to step out and take part in your life's true happiness. Now, more than ever, you'll have the opportunity to be aligned and refined and move forward with clarity, while clearing past karmic stains.

Whatever you believe, and whatever you do today, celebrate the oneness we all share! Instead of seeing your neighbor as separate, try to see them as one of the same whole--a higher consciousness aimed at uplifting us all as we come together as one community.

I would be remiss not to mention that today is also Veterans Day. Many thanks, love and support to all of the veterans who serve and do what you do!

photo by Foto_di_Signorina

Now its Time to Say Goodbye...Moving Onwards and Upwards Towards True Purpose

Tuesday was my last day of work.

I left my office with a lot of mixed feelings. I'm really going to miss some of my colleagues, but am happy to be done with the work and projects I was involved in. Given the chilly farewell I received from my boss, I think it's safe to say I made the right decision. Onwards and upwards!  

If you've been following my blog at all, you know that I've been struggling with what to do about my work situation for some time. What started out as a need for health insurance and steady pay, slowly became a major stressor in my life, impacting my relationships and most of all my health. Not acceptable. It is our right as humans and spiritual beings to be happy and allowing my health to succumb to the toxic environment I found myself in, was not worth it to me. Forget all of the other things I've had to deal with this past year or so, the job has been gnawing away at my insides for way too long. So I decided to make a change.

The Life's Hardest Questions Project via Tiny Buddha

sample photo with Lori

Have you seen this new project from Tiny Buddha? If not, check it out!

Lori Deschene, founder of Tiny Buddha, is working on a new book and inviting everyone to be a part of the Life's Hardest Questions Project as she prepares for the launch.

The premise is simple. There are questions that are easy to answer, with simple straightforward answers. Like, helping out a friend or family member or going the extra mile at work. However, there are other times when we are faced with more difficult questions. What do we do with those questions? How do we work through them? What do those questions look like?

Lori writes:
"I spent years isolating myself, dwelling on everyone and everything that hurt me, feeling like a victim and wondering, “Why me?” I felt worthless, and my life felt meaningless. I answered every challenging question with an equally difficult and disempowering one.

I was too busy bemoaning the challenges of my past to recognize and create possibilities in the present.

Ultimately, we have two choices in life: obsess about everything we don’t know, creating a sense of helplessness; or focus on what we’ve learned and what we can do now to live the lives we want to live."

In preparation for the launch on December 8th of her new book Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hardest Questions, Lori is asking us all to come together to share your toughest life question.

Here's how the Life’s Hardest Questions Project works: 

The goal is to create a gallery of photos, each featuring a challenging question that impacts how we live our lives. Your question might be about love, happiness, forgiveness, meaning, money, social change, religion, politics—anything that you’ve struggled to answer.

There are no rules for the photo, except that you must be in it, and your question cannot include profanity.

You can feature your question in any way. You could write it on a piece of paper and hold it, or you could do something more creative, like:

    * Write it on a chalkboard
    * Use a stick to draw it in the sand at the beach
    * Paint it on a canvas
    * Write it on an Etch A Sketch

What matters is that you communicate your question, but creativity is a good thing!

To submit your photo:

    * Send a JPG to questionphoto@tinybuddha.com.
    * Write “Question Photo” in the subject line.

Check out her site for inspiration and more details! I plan to work on my submission this weekend and will be sharing here. I would love to see what everyone comes up with, so please post!

November Flow | Riding the Energy of a New Age and Making Time for Gratitude Practice

So it seems to me that November already has certain kind of electricity about it, don't you think? Perhaps my own transitions are painting it that way for me right now, but I really can't help but feel resplendent in the joys of autumnal abundance.

What's so great? Well, for starters we're kicking off the Age of Aquarius on 11-11-11, effectively heralding in a new era filled with increased spirituality and harmony amongst people and a chance to release past karmas. For more on that subject, check out Nam Hari Kaur's explanation. There's LOTS of information out there, but I like her flow best. Supposing that sort of thing doesn't interest you, how about the fact that it's near time for some great holidays, including Thanksgiving, making this month key in the practice of gratitude.

Personally, I can't think of a better time of year to put my plans and practice into action. I just hope I can find enough time!

November Dates
Nov. 1: All Saints Day
Nov. 1-2: Day of the Dead celebrated
Nov. 1: World Vegan Day
Nov. 6: Daylight Savings Time Ends (US & CAN)
Nov. 10: Full Moon
Nov. 11: Veterans Day and Age of Aquarius
Nov. 15: 10th I Love to Write Day
Nov. 24: Thanksgiving (U.S.)
Nov. 24-Dec. 13: Mercury Retrograde. Take it slow and refocus communication.
Nov. 25: New Moon (Solar Eclipse)

What are you most grateful for this month? What plans are you most looking forward to? How do you intend on incorporating your yoga practice with the energy of the Aquarian Age? 

Photo by amirjina