I worked my entire life for this and now, you can have it ALL. It was never mine.
www.grateful4.org
Gratitude
Intention
First
Things
The G.I.F.T. Today
Grateful: to be able to not take the bait when dangled with dopamine and fear. Not hungry for that.
Intention-have a fun wrapping up the year like a gift day, fill in some cracks
First-stockings stuffed before 3
Things-make a few Xmas calls
Morning Meditation from The GratiDude
I can remember the image in my mind when I came out of meditation in the morning sometime around the third week in June I believe of 2019. I was on about day 25 of alcohol sobriety for the first time in a very long time and I had done yoga every single day for 25 straight days and the shift had happened. I came out of that meditation and in my mind‘s eye as I came out of it, I saw an image of the tumblers in a safe.
The metal mechanisms that serve to keep the door locked in a safe, mechanisms that when the right combination is put into the safe, all of those teeth line up to give away to an opening.
When I came out of my meditation, I felt the opening to a new way of thinking being cemented. It was the opportunity for the door to open.
It was really a surreal and strange, punctual moment where I thought to myself “holy shit. I just turned the corner and the balance of my thoughts have become sober and I’m never going to drink again.
I realized I hadn’t even begun to pursue my own personal greatness and the part of the iceberg that was showing in my life was a tiny fraction of who I am and what I could become.
And unlike a really cool surf break that you might discover in some hard to reach place, or a quiet swimming hole with a trail that is very hard to find, you just might keep those types of things quiet and share with only a few friends. Because the next thing you know if you’re posting about it on Substack, Instagram or LinkedIn, what was a quiet little place or your cool little surf break has become a mob scene and lost all of its charm.
The good news for you reading this and planet Earth, and the entire solar system in universe is that what I found was the magic of gratitude as a vehicle for personal neuroplasticity mental rewiring and brain optimization.
I also realized that there’s an extra sprinkle of faith that’s required to practice gratitude because if you’re using gratitude to get through difficult things, it takes patience for the reveal. It takes patience for things to manifest and for that lesson for that lesson to be revealed as part of your life experience.
Fundamentally, I realized that the concept of teaching adults and kids that happiness is an inside job and slamming the brakes on looking outside for that sense of contentment and to focus way more intently instead really on a journey inward.
The journey inward is where the action is and it’s where the work needs to be done. We can only control what we can control.
Outside programming and negative information and opinions are not going to inform you about your own life experience, what it means to you, and how to positively interpret your growth opportunities or the things that you can control.
Another thing I realized during that first 25 days and in the about 45 days that followed that experience of the tumblers falling into place, was just the amount of programming and social lubrication that exists around the consumption of alcohol. I’d had little small periods and flirtations with alcohol sobriety, but this was the “all in” life or death type of effort that I knew was sticking with and was going to become my default setting.
I only mention this because most people( in this country anyway) consume alcohol at least occasionally, and the amount of alcohol that the average person who drinks is way more above any recommended amount amounts for maximum daily alcohol consumption. Those recommended levels are so minuscule that only a really petite tiny person would find 16 ounce glass of wine to be all that they would ever stick with in the entire day. With the Holidays, you will see alcohol EVERYWHERE, and it is tough to drink in moderation, so don’t beat yourself up in you over indulge but obviously be safe( and as the Old Timers used to tell me “ stay out of the newspaper “ …great advice).
If consumer behavior shifted overnight and everyone that currently drinks under their normal drinking habits went out tomorrow and consumed just the amount that a doctor or the national health associations recommend, which is basically one drink a day maximum, a huge number of businesses would go bankrupt instantly.
Business is in entertainment bars, restaurants, even golf venues like TopGolf would have no revenue to speak of without food and beverage and beverage, being the high margin of the two.
Business Leaders don’t want to hurt us; however, everyone has a job to do, and delivering shareholder returns means driving sales. Marketing will use ANY MEANS necessary, as we know to guilt, shame, and pressure us, even when it isn’t something we need or should consume.
When you want to make change and you’re really going for it, you must change the information you’re consuming, turn off the TV and stop watching channel 0, as Chuck D said back in the day.
I want to share my experience to help those struggling to know they are NEVER alone. Also, sharing is good for ME, too.
Yes, sharing with others is considered good for your health, as it can release oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of well-being, trust, and reduced stress, improving your mood and overall mental health; research indicates that acts of generosity and sharing positively impact your brain chemistry.
Key points about sharing and its health benefits:
Reduces stress:
Sharing experiences and acts of kindness can trigger the release of oxytocin, which helps alleviate stress and anxiety.
Boosts happiness:
The act of giving to others is linked to increased happiness and a sense of fulfillment.
Improves social connection:
Sharing fosters stronger relationships and a sense of belonging, which is crucial for mental well-being.
Enhances empathy:
Sharing personal stories can promote understanding and empathy towards others
Everything that I find of value related to the teachings of self-improvement, how our brains and bodies work together different ways to elevate that are practical and reasonable. I’m going to continue to bring to anyone that is interested because I know that when the student is ready, the teacher always appears.
This is why I show up every single day to be in service is because I never know when one of you is going to crack and really start embrace your own self love and personal journey and I’m hopeful that I can be of help and be of service in that process.
When we share the greatest things that we have in our life, it just makes our hearts bigger and grows the love and unity in our community.
If you need a refresh course and we have to send you back to kindergarten to learn the value and importance of sharing will all pitch in and maybe even send you to a Montessori kindergarten so you can get your primary colors down as well.
I can feel everyone racing to get as much done over the next couple of days as this year is coming to an and I have never been more excited for a new year than I am for 2025. Looking forward to bearing 2024 in the backyard and visiting it regularly as it will continue to bloom seeds of wisdom and knowledge from what has been the most difficult year of my adult life.
If you’ve been reading my stuff here all year, My Sister, My Brother, I cannot thank you enough.
This daily writing practice, this cathartic and meditative writing practice that I’ve embraced over the last year plus, has been a big part of my personal growth and healing.
Without seeing that at least one person is reading it and getting some occasional like “hey, that was cool today” this past year would’ve been infinitely more challenging and far less enjoyable.
How can I ever repay you?
All I can do is continue to crank open my heart and offer all the unconditional love that the universe provides through me, to pass right on to you, with an attitude of gratitude.
EVERY DAY:
Love
and
Gratitude
https://www.instagram.com/GratiDude_abides
KevinACarpenter@gmail.com/941.894.8030
Thank you sincerely.
IN LIFE AND GOLF, GET BETTER…..NOW!
HERE: https://grateful4.org
Every day, every way, grateful.
KC
I am here to help, add somebody that needs a “check up from the neck up”
KevinACarpenter@gmail.com
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