Leading With Gratitude

I've had opportunities this week to talk with friends who have the wonderful and supersonic learnings that come from being in relationship. I judge them to be brave and committed to their own personal increases in spiritual and emotional growth. I think that romantic partnerships up the ante a great deal when it comes to going faster, deeper, bigger in ones own path to "righteousness." And I put that word in quotes because it has a very fun and powerful energy to it for me. Rock music is "righteous." A good joke is "righteous." Seeing someone take a safe and unsuspected fall is "righteous." And also, finding a way to express from essence (the very spiritual and enlightened part of us that is unconditional love) is "righteous." Ah, but I digress.

I have a couple of very close friends who have challenged themselves this week with big learnings about themselves through the vehicle of romantic partnership. As they've called on me for love and support, I keep coming back to the energizing, exciting and very simple practice of appreciation. "Speak your truth with love. Lead with appreciation." I found myself coming back to this again and again. This is a very simple practice and "come from" when relating with someone and at the same time can be as easily forgotten as remembering the first word we spoke. When we're in the heated dance of negotiating relationship with love while in conflict it can seem insurmountable to lead with appreciation. And just like our first spoken word, the practice can be remembered because our essence knows how to do this. Always has and always will. You wouldn't know what your first word was unless you had someone, probably one of your parents, remind you. And after a reminder or two you probably didn't need them to remind you anymore. And so it's the same with leading with appreciation. I am offering a reminder here to remember that essence wants to love, essence wants first and foremost to lead with gratitude. Gentle, authentic gratitude. In my personal experience, appreciation is the quickest and smoothest transition from pointing my finger at someone to getting curious and shifting into loving accountability. Appreciation is the quickest and smoothest way to the biggest, brightest and most powerful energy of all....love. 

This week at The Appreciation Circle we will be playing with leading with appreciation so if you'd like to play with this concept and be reminded of it and have an experience of it, a body-centered learning, come join us this Thursday night.

Thanks for being!

Mary