Ripples is the mysterious phenomena created when you place an act of kindness into the universe. Any act of kindness be it a helping hand, a gift, a kind gesture, a touch or word of encouragement to someone around you.  It can be someone you know or someone you don't know anything about their journey at that particular moment. Your simple act will touch their heart. This ripple will then bring joy into that person's life and radiate to those that they encounter, magnified exponentially through the course of time becoming viral as it brings joy to people around the world.

What can you do today and each day to start your own ripples?  

Asking each and everyone of you to consider a gratitude challenge. Prior to loss I did one each November through Christmas and also conducted a weekend a month detox where the last day centered on gratitude with a 30 day challenge.

A few days into my loss (now day 148) a very close friend challenged me and I am going to continue to make a gratitude post each day. Yup it sometimes hard to think of something but where you sew gratitude - joy will spring out. You can do it on your own wall or you can post it here to encourage others. I promise it will make the holidays easier to bare as well as help you and others heal!

On June 21, 2014 I lost the love of my life. Today starts my journey on helping others to deal with loss, anxiety and pain. 
My other passions will remain in the care of managers but I have taken my children back to Texas for healing and discovering new dreams on this incredible Journey in life. 

I am going to share a meditation that I did that really helped me to start understanding my feelings and emotions and you can vary it anyway that helps you. At first the feelings will come so fast, that is why I start with this one.

Get into a comfortable position either sitting or I prefer lying down in my bed before I go to sleep. Do three full relaxing breaths and get yourself into a fully relaxed state. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping, there is a soft warm gentle caressing wind. It is autumn right now coming up to Thanksgiving and the trees are all changing colours. It is beautiful, safe and serene. There is an old majestic oak tree and you are beneath it at the edge of the stream on a warm blanket, wrapped safe and tight in another big warm blanket. Now focus on the stream while you breathe gently and fully in and out in slow deep breaths throughout this meditation. As the leaves fall into the stream, imagine that each one is a feeling/emotion that you are experiencing. There is no such thing as a bad feeling. They are just feelings. Try and name that feeling as it slowing drifts past you down the stream as if it is a presense outside of your mind and your body. Once you can no longer see it, let your eyes shift to the next leaf as it falls softly from the tree and slowly passes you in the stream, naming each feeling as the leaves pass you.

Remember to keep your breathing and the leaves coming down slowly so that you are experience and name each of your emotions. It is OK to cry. This is a very safe and secure place to mindfully heal. Naming your feelings and allowing yourself to express both the feeling and your reaction to it is very healing.

The first time I did this meditation it was like there was a storm and the leaves were coming so fast that a beaver could have built a dam. Each time I did it, I was able to slow down my breathing and experience each of my emotions until it was an easy way for me to fall asleep at night without so many thoughts rushing through my head. Hope this pre-Thanksgiving meditation helps!