The major difference in my life since the start of November is how much I have brought ceremony consciously into what I do on a day to day basis and to be a lot more thankful for just the most fundamental elements of life because of this.

Of course we are all capable of creating ceremony for our lives, it can be as simple as showering first thing in the morning and last thing at night or brushing our teeth as we get up and go to bed, such acts frame our day in the ritual of everyday life.

Other traditional ceremonies occur around our birthdays, christenings, confirmations, weddings, funerals and even Christmas itself when we generally celebrate the beginning of something or the end, but how often do we celebrate and give gratitude to life itself?

Whatever belief system we have, if we can find a way to be thankful every day for what we encounter, be that through prayer, meditation or just conscious thought I believe our lives automatically start to become and feel better because we change our mindset.

For me it is the nature based ceremonies that most strike a chord with me, they seem to resonate with me at an archaic level that seems most harmonious with my soul. There is something about gathering in circles that just seems the most natural thing in the world to do and when you start to honour the directions of that circle as well as what occurs above and below it and in the centre of it too it is like as if the whole Universe starts to take note.

It seems such a fundamental thing to do to both appreciate and give thanks simply to the sun and the moon, the Earth and the stars as well as the air we breath, water we drink, ground we walk upon and fire we keep ourselves warm by, let alone all the animals, plants and minerals that thrive as part of that relationship too.

When taking just a simple pinch of tobacco and giving it back to the Earth by way of a thank you it seems at first to be a pretty innocuous act. Practically every walk I have been on in my life I have taken something home for myself from nature never batting an eyelid, be that stone, shell, feather, piece of wood, glass or even eggshell. Taken of course being the most appropriate word without ever giving back. Just to stop myself now and think, and be grateful for that gift is one thing, and then to honour it myself another. It feels good and just. Place that gift within a fire and it takes a deeper meaning again.

Fire is such a great cleanser and when used in a sacred manner can be used to clear a whole load of negative energy stored up in unhappy memories, bad relationships, unhealthy attachments, so on and so forth. I have got rid of a whole load of negative energy this past month through the act of fire ceremony, and even without it, chucking out all that no longer serves me, welcoming in the new.

Before signing off today I'd like to give a little gratitude to a few people that have helped me more than they may imagine recently. My good friend Tony Cobley who is doing his best to resurrect his photographic business after pretty major back surgery. Through his 12 week recovery he listened to a Native American Meditation CD that aided him in his healing, when gifting me a copy it seemed to open up my own tear ducts enabling me to connect to nature like never before. I now use it every morning from 6.00am connecting me to all life around me before I start my day. I may well use it in a meditation evening I have planned for the new year.

Secondly I must thank my marketing experts Andrew Knott and Lucy Hutton who have happily exchanged their services for my coaching recently and they really do know their stuff. Andrew has transformed what I put out via my website and my approaches to companies focusing far more on benefits for customers than my business features and own take on life I had there before. Lucy too is the bees knees when it comes to market research, formerly working in such a role for the Arts Council. I feel truly blessed that both have come into my life recently and I can't recommend them highly enough, they can turn your business around too.

Finally I will thank my other good friend Richard Lawrence-Oaks for providing me with a check in once a week and vise versa since the personal development programme we did together six months ago. Giving mutual support to each other over that period has proved invaluable and what we all need in our lives to be able to excel I believe. He is a fantastic musician bringing a new genre of music to our ears as you can hear for yourselves via his link too.

Together we are all creating what I believe to be the right relationship to ourselves, others and the planet through 'A Constant State Of Gratitude.'

If you wish to do similar maybe it is time to attend either my Coaching Club tonight (Thursday), Men's Circle this weekend (Saturday) and Transformation Day upon the winter solstice. Together we can be the change we want to see in the world and rediscover our ROAR!

Otherwise until next time.

Much love Sx.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude - Louie Schwartzberg

No finer example of what
'A State Of Gratitude'
can bring!