No time to read today? No problem.
You can listen to the recording while you multi-task! CLICK READ MORE AND JUST SCROLL DOWN A BIT...

I'm sitting here in amazement gazing at the color of fall through my office window.

The breeze carries swirls of yellow, orange, red and magenta leaves that collect in a tapestry of colors on my lawn.

There are crunchy unattractive brown leaves in the mixture too. They enhance the beauty of the colorful leaves.

But I'm staring at the yellow leaves and remembering their significance in a pivotal point in my life. I guess I would say that my life was the crunchy brown leaves at that time. Every once in a while the wind blew yellow leaves in my path. Their gorgeous color  made me feel like everything was working out for my good, even if my life felt like an ugly brown crunchy leaf. The falling yellow leaves in my path reminded me that seasons change.  Life changes.

I was in the middle of a divorce from a raging alcoholic. And I was looking for peace of mind somewhere, anywhere.

I was cerebral, in-my-head, all of the time attempting to figure out future scenarios that may never happen, and they didn't. You know the things, like I'm never going to find anyone again. Well I did. And I'm a bad Mom ruining my children's lives. Well I wasn't. I'm not going to be able to survive. Well I did. And I still am.

 In a series of attempts to find peace I was led to write in a journal, then a diary then affirmations. I guess I was doing it  wrong because I was overcome with more sadness and confusion.

One Monday afternoon, when my salon was closed, I sat talking to myself in my  3-way mirrors. Looks like I was practicing mirror therapy before it was a "thing". I looked through the mirrors at everything I had accomplished.

A wisp of a voice sent a message in the stillness of the salon that day. It  said, not audibly, to continue to write. I was to write 10 different things I am grateful for each day. Because 10 is a challenge.

Of course I argued that I was grateful and  received the message that that was not the point. So I listened, followed the instructions, and began handwriting my gratitude sentences every day. I noticed immediate results of relief. The pressure I had put myself under began to subside.

I have continued the practice for    over 27 years.

Out of curiosity I recently began researching the research being done on gratitude. The benefits I received is now a science.

1. Mental Clarity

The simple act of expressing  gratitude as a written prayer or meditation helps with mental clarity, staying grounded and being more focused. When our thoughts are not hindered with cluttered imaginations or ruminations we tend to make better choices.

The Root Chakra is strengthened when your survival instincts are not threatened with stress and life challenges. Maintaining balance requires a maintenance routine.

Creating a daily journaling ritual strengthens the brain's ability to focus on the positive life enhancing aspects of life and circumstances.

When times were particularly challenging I continued to write. I found it lessened painful situations and helped me see that I was in a transformational period which would become a memory and my peaceful reactions to the circumstances would give me strength and dignity.

The mental clarity to move through these segments like Hurricane Katrina, divorces, death of friends or family members reinforced my connection to the divine purpose of events in my life.

2. Develop A Peaceful Perspective

The peaceful perspective comes from focusing on the tiniest to the grand things that appear and enhance life with inspiration and beauty.

I don't need research to prove the results this practice has on my life. It has a cumulative effect and helps me maintain a more peaceful perspective. All I have to do to prove its effectiveness is to stop writing. Within about 5 days the people close to me notice I'm a little  tense and grouchy.

They know I haven't written and make gentle suggestions that I resume my practice. But I do want to make note that my tension is not as intense as it used to be even if I do not write for a few days, which rarely happens.

3. Increases Intuition

The definition of intuition is " the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning".

We are all guided through our life  with the instinct and intuition we are born with. Some of us strengthen those traits and even use them in various career fields. Sometimes they can be ignored and seem to atrophy like an unused muscle.  The more I wrote about being grateful for my clientele  the easier and more frequently I  was able to intuitively  identify their needs  in the Salon.

All of us are able to play a piano. Some of us take lessons,  practice, perform and become quite accomplished  and may even become a professional pianist. Some of us (that would be me) just make noise.

As my practice of handwriting gratitude became a consistent part of my morning routine I notice I was attracting coincidences and synchronistic occurrences. I became more open to the Divine use of my intuition.

 The gift of discernment improved and I made better decisions.

When we are grounded and have mental clarity the voice of intuition is more than a whisper to be ignored. It becomes a knowing deep inside that resonates with your spirit.

Handwritten gratitude  guides and directs your thoughts to a place of appreciation. for your life and all it consists of which becomes a belief.

Resources & Action Steps

Copyright Notice: All articles and photographs and logos on these pages are the sole copyright of Patrina Rutherford-Vickers © 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017. No permission, either implicit or explicit is given to reproduce or use these articles or photographs or logos in any format or media. All Rights are Reserved