The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

Look here, not there, to practice self-care.

www.grateful4.org

Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful: to see the reminders, all day every day, of the Universe conspiring for my happiness.

Intention-nice balance of chill and small task victories

First-Check and see if G is around today

Things-post office run

Morning Meditation from The GratiDude

New Year’s and the end of the year will often encourage reflective thoughts of the year ending and perhaps a replay of some highlights.

That is a natural process, and it’s certainly encouraged in our society and things like New Year’s resolutions, or commitments to doing new things and introducing different behaviors in the new year are also quite common.

This exercise of recapitulating your past year is another fitting example of how your focus determines your reality.

Just like in your day-to-day life where you put your focus and thoughts is what produces your energy and your moods, the same can be said about how you focus on this past year when you flip through the pages of your life.

For me personally, I must take the position and the feeling of being incredibly proud of maintaining a growth mindset during the most challenging year I’ve ever had.

This was the first full year I had been separated and lived apart from the mother of my kids and my 16- and 14-year-old and every aspect of my life was new and different, and it was a total reset in so many ways.

I’m extremely happy that I was healthy for the entire year.

I had no significant illnesses or injuries to speak of, and I was able to write this blog every single day, regardless of travel, unforeseen circumstances, and life trying to get in the way.

I’m also incredibly happy that according to my various yoga studios and health and wellness apps I completed 271 yoga classes of distinct types here in the community.

Namaste every damn day I say!

And one of the true highlights of this year has been the evolution and growth of my personal relationships with my teenage kids.

Because we are now hanging out with only our energies and without the energy of their mother being present, we have had the opportunity to build a different and for lack of a better term more direct relationship and friendship over this past year, even though it was the year that my divorce was finalized with their mother. It’s counterintuitive that my relationships have gotten stronger and closer during what is supposed to be a time of fracture and breakdown from a social perspective within the context of the institution of marriage ending in what is considered failure or divorce.

Only staying married until death is a successful marriage, right?

There are a lot of other areas in my life that if I relied on society’s measuring sticks, and if I was inclined to use comparisons, I might find myself unhappy and unsatisfied with this past year.

I made a lot more money when I was working with private equity and chasing the ring and could afford anything I wanted and so by those standards the fact that I had to tighten the belt and work with a budget and operate as a startup single dad might be seen as a big step backwards.

But for me, I know it was my choice and all part of a much bigger plan for the rest of life.

The reality is that it’s just like a slingshot that needs to be pulled backwards before it can be launched forwards.

Just like this young lad, here who’s focus is on his own passions and the things that he loves and not his challenges or getting caught in comparisons.

My Liverpool fan bro Isaac here is a great reminder of how important it is to take ownership, responsibility, and accountability over where you put your focus and to choose, focusing on the things that you have versus the things that you lack.

The concept of “energy following your thoughts” essentially means that where your focus and attention go, your energy flows accordingly, implying that your thoughts, whether positive or negative, can influence your emotional state and actions, creating a ripple effect on your overall energy level and experience of reality; in simpler terms, what you think about most is what you attract and experience in your life.

Key points to understanding this concept:

Brain activity:

When you think about something, your brain activates specific neural pathways, which consume energy and generate electrical signals.

Emotional connection:

Thoughts are often intertwined with emotions, so a positive thought can trigger positive feelings, while a negative thought can lead to negative emotions, impacting your energy level.

Focus and intention:

By consciously directing your focus to specific thoughts, you can intentionally influence your energy towards a desired outcome.

Example scenarios:

Feeling energized by a goal:

When you actively visualize achieving a goal, you might feel motivated and energized because your mind is focused on a positive outcome.

Feeling drained by worry:

Constant negative thoughts about a problem can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress, draining your energy.

Important considerations:

Not a scientific fact:

While there is evidence that our thoughts can influence our behavior and emotions, the idea of “energy” flowing directly from thoughts is not scientifically proven.

Mindfulness and self-awareness:

To consciously manage your energy, it’s important to be aware of your thoughts and actively choose to focus on positive and empowering ones.

Again, my focus as I look back at this past year is what a great job I’ve done overcoming fear, asking for help, launching my website and my coaching business, finishing my certification and receiving my degree in mindfulness training around guided meditation and hypnosis, developing the concept and fundraising/retreat product around Golf and Yoga has been a wonderful creative project that will bear fruit for years to come. We have work to do on this, but it is coming along nicely:

https://golfyogaholiday.com/

I also feel very blessed to be working with my friends at ZIGIT launching the software platform ( https://www.zigit.app/ ) in Golf. ZIGIT is straight-up some incredible technology, as the platform is leveraging AI and biometrics to allow businesses to automate retail around sophisticated adult transactions.

The Grateful 4 Organization will continue to attract mindful entrepreneurs and visionaries seeking a place/space within Golf and Resort Biz World because simply put: I’m the plug 😊.

Not that I know everything or know everybody, but I know how to ask for help, and I continue to provide value and support for anyone and everyone in the golf industry.

I bank relationship capital by being kind and uplifting, so that when I need assistance or would like to collaborate, I’m usually going to get a response or return phone call.

That’s because the golf industry operates on respecting integrity and honoring relationship relationships which is why I’m staying put here until I’m dead(at least another 50 years).

As you look back through your own year this past year, make sure you celebrate the fact that you showed up every single day.

That you didn’t quit.

And the negative messages in programming that surround us all the time encourage us to consume more and to compare ourselves to others did not get you down and did not keep you from sharing your love and staying positive.

It is daily practice and a commitment to yourself to growing and fostering your own attitude of gratitude.

EVERY DAY:

Love

and

Gratitude