If truth be told, I wasn't going to write this. But, as "way moves on to way," as the poet said, I did. Got the whole thing polished. Went to hit "send" and instead managed to hit "delete." Oh, dear! Ever been there? Ironic, too, since the story I was telling myself was that you would be too busy to read it, with all the turkey chores to attend, or the tofu to chop, and I would be too taxed to write.
And then, in the midst of this inner diatribe, something else, much stronger than resistance, took over. I could not imagine failing to let you know personally, from me to you, the following. For those who have been here, by my side, since the onset of my time at this writing desk, in what's now called the "Healthy Living" section of The Huffington Post, some four years ago, you see how far we have come. The harvest from those early beginnings on this site has so far exceeded any expectation on my part, (I had very few) that I couldn't live with myself if I did not thank you.
One of the characteristics that make Thanksgiving a favorite holiday of mine is the opportunity to reflect upon and express gratitude. Sure, sure, gratitude is garnering its own "market share" these days. Some would say it's almost a brand. But, if we can pause for a moment, drill down beneath seeing it in this way, there is a means through which to renew our relationship with one of the most intimate of all human experiences. Self-awareness evokes self-expression. The best of these comes from a thankful heart, because to thank someone or receive thanks is to embrace our very wholeness.
Ernest Holmes, one of the prime mover/shakers of the last century in exploring an expanded perspective for the power of the mind, once said: "Becoming aware of what's greater in us, through us, helps us be aware that there is no separation between you and us right where we are." I can think of no more vital time than now, this season of Thanksgiving, to take ourselves off the mute button and air what is in our heart.
Yes, it takes risk. Yes, those who are afraid of expressing their feelings might judge, sneer, scoff. I say, let them. We each get to choose how we wish to live. I choose another path. I say, to choose a life of greater connection, we have the chance to begin where we are, to find that the Principle of Oneness, call it Field Theory, String Theory, Entanglement, or God, the words do not matter. What matters is that we begin anew, today, and risk what's real.
Easy to say. Easy to say "you go first." Easy to play safe, stay blanketed in the comfort zone, high up in the stands and off the playing field. But that would be to miss the moment. So, my friend, allow me to share the following. Think of it as a bit of a warm-up practice. Then, as you open your heart and home to those you cherish, consider expressing your own to them.
1. I am thankful you are here.
2. I am thankful for your patience.
3. I am thankful for your continuing support to write what is so for me.
4. I am thankful for your warm responses.
5. I am thankful for your caring for one another.
6. I am thankful for your refusal to slip into snarky remarks on this site.
7. I am thankful for your encouragement of other readers' journeys.
8. I am thankful for the fact that you demonstrate respect for the way of others.
9. I am thankful for your contribution here.
10. I am thankful for your offering of links/resources.
11. I am thankful for your compassion.
12. I am thankful for your kindness to those you do not know, and those you do.
13. I am thankful for your ideas.
14. I am thankful for your questions.
15. I am thankful for your generosity with me and others here.
16. I am thankful, oh, so thankful, for your humor.
17. I am thankful for your winks.
18. I am thankful you return.
19. I am thankful for your life.
20. I am thankful for your rebellions.
21. I am thankful for your Soul Consciousness.
22. I am thankful you choose the path that is right for you.
23. I am thankful you really listen.
24. I am thankful for your voice.
25. I am thankful for your stance.
26. I am thankful, oh, so thankful, for your attitude.
27. I am thankful for your decision to grow.
28. I am thankful you are a giver.
29. I am thankful you are not into whine fests that go nowhere.
30. I am thankful for your inspiration.
31. I am thankful for your teasing.
32. I am thankful for your pro-active, part- of -the- solution stance.
33. I am thankful for your challenges of you and me.
34. I am thankful for your friendship.
35. I am thankful, so thankful, for the particulars of your story.
36. I am thankful for your courage.
37. I am thankful for your creative spirit.
38. I am thankful for your compassion and kindness, increasingly to yourself, as well!
39. I am thankful to the HuffPost staff who puts up with my nudges and prods.
40. I am thankful for the sunrise this morning, the gift of another day.
41. I am thankful for sunset this evening: the chance for contemplation and reflection on how I have chosen to live.
42. I am thankful to the hummingbird, just now, here in November, who make it to the fifth floor balcony and my winter pansies!
I am thankful, indeed, to Louie Schwartzberg, who made the following Moving Art original short, and to Gary Malkin, whose music inspires me, as does Brother David Steindl-Rast, who narrates this piece as presented at the TED conference, 2009.
I am thankful that their collaboration has made it possible for me to offer it to you and your loved ones, now. I can think of few better "appetizers" for the season. Enjoy it, and pass it along, knowing how grateful I am for you, right here, right now.
Your turn. I'm taking on this commitment for this next year as a gift to myself. What about you? What would life be like if you were willing to let life force move through you with less resistance and greater ease? What will your life be like this time next year, September 2012, if you keep fighting your innermost wisdom? I say, let's find out! Let's make our attendance in the school of life be the best time we've ever known! Let me know. I'm listening and learning from you, my teachers.
For more, see carabarker.net. For updates, contact me at carabarker.net, or dr.carabarker@gmail.com. To save time, click on Become a Fan. Stay tuned for upcoming developments with The Love Project, including "Practicing Love." Follow Dr. Cara Barker on www.twitter.com/DrCaraBarker.
Follow Dr. Cara Barker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrCaraBarker
Oh and we won't be drinking any effin merlot. Oregon Pinot Noir is the way to go my friends!
Peace on all ya'll.
How thankful I am that we come together here, and I have the opportunity to learn from you, and grow. Know that I shall be thinking of you, as well, around our Thanksgiving table and giving thanks,
Cara
I am thankful for the mystery of cognition.
I am thankful for you, for your ever-present devotion to Soul Consciousness.
Cara
I would also like to say for people who are less fortunate, like the 99% protestors of Occupy Wall Street, one way to find things to be thankful for is to think of the worst things that could have happened and be thankful those worst things had not happen.
Happy Thanksgiving Cara and all Huffpost bloggers on this web site!
A marvelous reframe, by the way, of the 'worst things' that have not happened!
A great, great day, and more, of Thanksgiving your way,
Cara
For two 30ish sons that are healthy, educated, working and leading decent lives. The oldest was just married; a challenging step for young people that poses many dilemmas yet to be realized.
My longtime wife who is sweet and loving 45 minutes a day.
A handful of pseudofriends on hp who will not lend me any money and another handful of old blood and guts friends who won’t lend me any money either…!
Many, many best wishes to your son and his bride. A marvelous new beginning, and at such a special time of year.
I am thankful for your humor, your pluck, your heart,
Cara
All good things,
Cara
I'm at a place in my life I've no need to be thankful at all because of the vision I have recognizing a general view of all existence (see http://prop1.org/protest/elijah/vision.htm or change the ending to nature.htm for the entire site). Because I see everything as cycles of lifeforces learning and unlearning the purpose for existence without any creation whatsoever. It has every lifeforce having been the lifeforce of existence a multitude of times and will continue throughout eternity, which operates in a cycle, therefore thankfulness isn't for me.
You raise a truth in action in your remarks and experience. The ultimate is to be 'in' existence, with open Spirit, Mind and Heart. In this, there is no separation, and only splendor.
Peace and Love your way, NatureBoy,
Cara
P.S. Provocative link! Thx
All I have to offer is the testimony of my experiences, hopefully they will inspire others, especially those of us who are at this civilization's end to evolve to the next plane.
Peace an Joy,
Elijah
Cheers,
Cara
Enjoy..yes,it takes a village and what a community we have in here, dance away, Love you much...Gypsy
http://youtu.be/tQh-_llN_UY
Such thanks your way,
Cara
As you know, I usually digest your posts for a day or so prior to writing a response. And this week I'm sort of doing the same except that yesterday I really felt compelled to just tell you thanks and share that YouTube Link with you. I hope you enjoyed it. It's one of my favorites. To Life!
I am thankful for all of the good people working so hard to make life better for others; the teachers, the healers, the protectors, the kind ones who share their pleasure with life by smiling and saying hi to strangers just because they feel like it. Like the old man in your link, I'm thankful for hot and cold running water, electricity, warmth in the winter and the shelter of home which I do not take for granted. None of these are granted, If we are able to enjoy the comforts and pleasures and bask in compassion it is because some of our brothers and sisters have applied their effort to make these things so and I oh so heartily appreciate all of you. .
I'm thankful for the love I share with my family and for the pleasure of my friends' company. I'm especially thankful this year particularly for all of the support given to me by so many good friends and family members while I dealt with some emotional turmoil. Thank you all.
little brother
Cara
We could use an assist, if you are willing. Noticing that some of the responses are not showing, and I am getting calls/email from readers. We would be so grateful!
A great Thanksgiving your way,
Cara
please see my response to you under gypsynomad. She was a great help in getting you 'up' in a way that I could respond.
Blessings,
Cara
About your 2 questions -
Life would be free of fear and worry. Ccomfortable with contentment, neither far off now, when I think back 11 years ago.
Next year really is now so it will be peaceful, and lived presently. Not wanting for this or that. It will be enjoyed and appreciated like the gift that it is. And like today, I will be thankful that our paths crossed because they were supposed to. And I am better for it. Not forgetting to say, your words and kindness have carried me many days.
A blessed thanksgiving to you and family, Cara.
The truth is that the list is just my partial list for HP readers like yourself. The list grows, and I am so, so thankful for my family and friends, in whose Circle I have placed your hearts with deep appreciation for the light that you are.
You are right. I love your point: 'next year is now.' Too often, most of us forget that tomorrow is seeded this very moment by what we do and what we omit.
I raise my glass at the table on Thursday to you,
Cara
I'm a little jealous that everyone is so worldly they have no thoughts of self, only for others who are in the spotlight of society. "I'm glad I can buy groceries for others, Im so grateful that I could see the beauty of the day, my gratitude and reflections explode within me as I count my many blessings". Yeah, OK I get it. You are not a good person unless you give of yourself joyfully.
What a failure!! I'm not grateful for anything. I hate it that I can no longer speak with my Father, dead since 2000. I am not happy that I allow my 90 year old Mother push every button I have that still works. I find no gratitude watching my Wife go farther into age while care giving for her Mother-In-Law and her husband. I damn the fortunes of life that put me in this old and broken position. Life and gratitude along with it is for the young. Broken old men are to busy trying to catch their next breath and remember their last thoughts to be grateful.
In the end I guess I am grateful that you are grateful. That's something in the right direction.
Doc Cara thanks for giving me a place to rant. Hah, I'm grateful for that too.
As for 'everyone is so worldly they have no thoughts of self' I wonder? Of course, I know what you mean. And yet, we must not forget the self, our heart's desire, the hunger in our belly. For if this is not addressed, our work in the world may simply be a case of martyrdom, and too sticky too touch.
Frankly, I love that you are taking the whole process one step at a time. I believe in baby steps. The other can be highly overrated and suspect.
Here's to you, and enjoying the space together, for rant, for relief, for renewal,
Cara
Cara
DiogenesOfAlaska Commented 7 hours ago
"I am grateful for the austrian accent on the sound track of the
Healthy Living page. You got yourself some Schwarzenegger of
spirituality for that TED talk! Like the greek accent of the
Huffington Post. I love it. And I will be grateful for the
sunrise this morning, if it indeed chooses to rise on this grey
november day. Or let's not be picky. In fact I'm confident that
it rises no matter what the grey seems to indicate. Isn't that
one of the lasting elements of optimism that we can call our
own after leaving the mythical age of humanity?"
Loving your style!
Cara
We are still here, despite the appearance of things aren't we? I am so grateful for your message, for the way you point to a new relationship to the sun. Reminds me of my time in Egypt at the Temple of Isis, and the sacred ceremonies before dawn. But, guess that is another story for another time.
You enrich my life.
Cara
In a way, I wouldn't be surprised if the egyptians had already known how to take a cool bath on that jupiter moon europe. Maybe that's what they did before they built those pyramids. Made them stronger, kinda in a way.
:-)
Above all, I'm thankful for the amazing friendship we've shared over 35 years, and for knowing that no matter what, we can count on this friendship/sisterhood to be a stake in the ground around which love eternally flows. This hallway we've shared has enriched me beyond measure, including our experiences here at this gathering place.
Here's to the journey and all that it offers. I'm blessed to have you as my traveling companion.
With abundant love and wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving,
Judith
Your friendship, our Sisterhood, is truly the 'gift that just keeps giving.' Regardless the challenges, the sorrows, the joys, always I have known I am not alone. There are no words.
For you and your girls and their guys, how grateful I am, and am at your virtual table,
to LIfe,
Cara