Giving Thanks~It's Not Just For Turkeys! "OR" I'm Thankful To Be ME and Not Somebody Else cause then I wouldn't be ME and THAT would REALLY SUCK!!!!

Today, I will share with you a few of the things I am thankful for.  These things come from my Things I am Thankful For list.  Which I do daily.   Why?  Because every day is a day of giving thanks.  Yea, laugh and mock if you will. I know how corny it sounds.  But it's my personal belief, my way of life and how I roll.   That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So why make a list?   Helps me from leaving anything out for starters.  More importantly, it puts things in perspective.   Having a literal list allows me to actually see how much there is to be thankful for.    Speaking of which, there is so much we all take for granted.  So much we don't even think about because we're so use to having it around.  You know like running water, indoor plumbing, electricity; having a stove and refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker.  A bed, a pillow, sheets and blankets.  To name a few.      And yes!  These are on my ever growing list.

Being thankful for these very things brings you into a state of knowing.  It generates  this really fabulously wonderful feeling that can only be described as blissful.   According to EFT Master and Teacher Carol Look, genuine thankfulness can change lives!  And it increases our ability to manifest what we want.  Which isn't really the point, but it is a pretty phenomenal perk!   

This feeling of gratitude is something you just have to experience for yourself in order to truly understand.    Try it! And who knows?  You might actually enjoy it! And get in the habit of doing the daily thankful list too!

Be sure to Click HERE to Check out Carol's newsletters on Giving Thanks and other great subjects!  And for some really fantastic EFT scripts! 


Here are three of things off my list of  Things I am Thankful For.

I am Thankful for the Internet.  Without it I would not have met some incredibly special people.  I wouldn't have been able to make friends with people on the other-side of the world.   Thank you Internet!  Thank you to all those who make the Internet a reality! You know who you are!

I am Thankful I have been able to use my anger to better a situation that I believe and know to be unjust; I am So Very Thankful that I have learned to use that anger to create more uplifting, powerful and long lasting solutions.

I am Thankful for all the truly stupid and ignorant people of the world. You show me where I need to improve myself.  But most importantly Without you I wouldn't be aware of how truly fortunate I am that I'm Not YOU!  So thank you! 

So what are YOU Thankful for?

The Gratitude Gap™

 The Gratitude Gap™ happens when we fail to express appreciation for the goodness in our lives.

The Gratitude Gap™  occurs when we show lack to no appreciation for the challenges, problems and pain that comes into our lives.

The Gratitude Gap™ takes place whenever we show a lack of appreciation.

* Lack of appreciation for things ... great or small;
* Lack of appreciation of the painful things;
* Lack of appreciation for anything and/or anyone we may dislike or causes us pain.


The Gratitude Gap™ isn't about liking or loving everything and everyone. It's about showing appreciation for the gifts EVERYONE and EVERYTHING brings into our lives. Situations, words and deeds that enrich us in ways we never believed possible. No matter how painless or how painful they may be.

Bottom line... The Gratitude Gap™ is about being thankful for every single opportunity to learn and to grow past our own short-comings.

Gratitude strengthens our emotional, mental and spiritual muscle. Whereas, The Gratitude Gap™ creates a weaken state within our selves on every level of being. When we have a Gratitude Gap, we are left vulnerable to the challenges that come our way.

By showing gratitude for any challenges, you build stronger 'muscles' that can help you get through the toughest situations.

No, it isn't easy being thankful for pain. No one said it would be. But the more you do it, during the times it is happening to you ... you will soon discover how smoother it is to get past those little annoyances that come your way.

You Don't Miss The Water 'Til The Well Runs Dry"

How quick we are to accept the good that comes our way. How quick we are to call it our blessing when everything is going smoothly.

How quickly we forget the priceless gift our painful experiences are.
 
Be honest with yourself. Where would you be without your painful experiences? What kind of person would you be in this moment ... without them?

Many believe they would have had a better and happier life if only ... if only there hadn't been so much pain -- so many hardships -- so many "road-blocks" in their lives.

What the majority fail to understand is this: Our hardships and pain help mold us and nourish us just as much as the goodness and the joy does.

As a race, human experiencers are wired to come into a true appreciation only when something and/or someone is no longer available or 'something' has been withheld. Sad, but true.

We have left many clues for ourselves to remind us of this. Clues that can be found through our 'sayings' ... such as 'the forbidden fruit' is more desirable, 'you don't miss the water 'til the well runs dry', 'the grass is always greener on the other side.' These are only a few ... can you name others?

In truth, there are people and situations that drive us absolutely insane! There are people in our lives we would love to see just disappear entirely. I have a list of those types of people myself! But if you were to step back and really see past the irritations, aggravations, annoyances and hardships ... I would be willing to bet that you would see how much you have learned from it all. How much you have grown as a person.

Take a few moments and see for yourself the valuable lessons these annoying situations and irritating people have brought into your life. Express your gratitude for the opportunities it gave you to grow up emotionally, mentally and most importantly... spiritually.

Communicate, Appreciate and Validate

Take a moment, each and every day, to Communicate your Appreciation for all those who have help you grow! No matter how insignificant you think/believe it is, no matter how painful it may be, Validate those (including situations) who have come into your life, who took the time and energy in giving you that much needed growth spurt!

Notice the difference in your own energy when you do this. See how much lighter you become. How much stronger you feel.

Take stock in how far you have come because of --and in spite of-- those people and situations.

In doing so ... you will close The Gratitude Gap™.

A Simple "Thank You" goes a LONG way! 

 But don't take my word for it! 

 Try it Your Self!

Forgiveness: Part 3 ~ The By-Products of Forgiveness

 There are many  by products of practicing forgiveness.  Here in part 3 of my on going blog series entitled Forgiveness, we will take a look at a few of them.

Good Health and Genuine Happiness
It has been proven that people who practice forgiveness on a regular basis are healthier and happier.

When you live in the state of forgiveness, your body is more relaxed.  Your heart rate and blood pressure stay on a normal healthy level.  This in turn creates a better flow of oxygen to the brain. A better flow of oxygen leads to clearer thinking and the wherewithal  to remaining calm and centered even during stressful situations.

People who practice forgiveness are not blind to the events taking place in the world.  They are not ignorant of the negativity that exists here on the earthly plane.  On the contrary! 

 People who practice genuine forgiveness are very much aware of everything happening to them and all around them.    But instead of living as a prisoner to all the negativity, they consciously make a choice to take (and keep) control of themselves.   Because they  know first hand the damaging results of holding on to any pain, they consciously exert the effort to maintain the energies of forgiveness.  In particularly, the forgiveness of self.  

Clarity and Expanded Conscious Awareness
As you sift through all the pain, releasing it through unconditional love & forgiveness, you begin to see more clearly.    The act of forgiveness literally lifts the veil allowing you to see  everyone involved did the best they knew how at that given time.    Even in the most harsh situations, we now can see how we may have done better -- but were not in a position to do so at that time.   But now we know we did the best we could.  The best we knew how at that given time.  We now see that everyone was doing the best they knew how.

We now can see how we have benefited from all those experiences.  How it has created the person we are today.  How it has led us back to our true selves!

Through the act of forgiving our Self -- we can now take all the wonderful things we learned with us … leaving behind only those things that no longer serves us.   We can now walk upright, shoulders back and chin up.  We now know who and what we are.   

This knowing brings us to the next by product of the forgiveness of self  . . . 

Courage 

Forgiving one’s self -- genuinely and unconditionally -- brings a type of courage  that no one can take away.

Forgiveness of Self breaches the energies of  our self-imposed prison -- freeing us --opening up our eyes to all the lies we‘ve been told and had continued telling ourselves throughout our lives.  

Like a rubber band stretched too far -- we snap back into full awareness.  It is then we become conscious of -- and fully connected to --  who and what we are.  We feel the fuel of  righteous indignation bubbling up, reaching a boiling point … and that's when it  happens.   That's when We suddenly stand up and say with conviction … shouting it to the heavens ... our independence!   It is in that moment ... We take back our power!  We take back what  what is rightfully ours -- OUR SELF! 
We now ... finally and fully ... comprehend that Everything we experience comes from within.  That the choice to live in freedom or to live in a self-imposed prison was always our choice to make.   We finally get it!  

Feels good … doesn’t it?

So what are you waiting on?  Your Self is waiting for You!

“I can only show you the door … but only you can open it!” ~ Morpheus to Neo, The Matrix

(Excerpts from The ZEN of Duct Tape: An Empress Is Born!)

Embrace All that you are!
For YOU … are ALL that there Is!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience. 

In the style comparable to Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way.  

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The Empress on Being Thankful

So What are you thankful for?

Whenever I am asked this question, the first answer that pops into my head is ... I'm  thankful for not being one of these people who walk around with their head stuck up their ass!

While that answer, for some, may come across as crass -- it is my sincerest  heartfelt feelings.  And I don't make any apologies for it.

It is my hope  that one day,  I can say with conviction ... I am thankful there are no more people walking around with their heads up their asses!

I can dream -- can't I?

I could go on and on about what I am thankful for ... but I won't.  The list is enormous and  there isn't enough room on this note to list every single thing I am thankful for.   Sufficient to say ... I am one very  thankful person. 

I'll be spending the last Thursday in November helping those in need.  Paying it forward by continuing my work in doing all I can to relieve the Earth of the gruesome  burden  of this ever increasing epidemic known as  cranial uppitus gluteus maximus malfuctionus more commonly known as ... head up the ass disorder.

And yes, before you say anything ... I realize I have my work cut out for me. 

At any rate ... I wish to express my utmost thanks to ALL of You for being a part of my journey!  Granted, Some of you, I really think I  could have done without.   Irregardless, know that I am thankful for the time we shared -- even more  thankful that it was a short length of time!  Not to mention,  I am extremely thankful knowing our paths will never cross outside this virtual world.  

For those of you who have been with me the longest, and continue walking with me on this path ... you are some really twisted and  sick so and so's!  Something I truly appreciate in a person!    I am so very thankful that you are MY  twisted and sick so and so's!

 With sincerest gratitude ... I am compelled to say in closing,  that no matter how far your head may be up your ass ... no matter how sick and twisted you are ... no matter  how long you may be in my life or how short that time may be ... I am Thankful for each and every one of you! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!