Today for my Birthday I Chose Not Make Wishes. I Will Only Say "Thank You!"

       I woke up this morning a 44 year old man and contemplated while laying in bed how I wanted to spend my day. As part of my ritual each morning I start with a prayer for gratitude and this particular day as I went on to list all the things I was grateful for it struck me. Why not dedicate my whole day to feeling gratitude? I decided to do all the things that I love but also the things that I was grateful for. I would focus on creating day all around feeling gratitude.  I would make no wishes this year. I would only say "Thank You." Excited and eager I jumped out of my bed and began my day.

My First Birthday

     I am grateful for many things. I am grateful for God and the Angels, for their unconditional love, guidance and support, for breathe, for life, for each day, for the love that surrounds and fills me, for my health and body, for my parents and all they have done for me, for my friends,  and for so much more. But I thought I would highlight some of the events of today and how they enriched the feeling of gratitude.

    I am grateful for having food and how it nourishes my body with nutrients. I made a chocolate protein omelet, sliced red peppers and steel cut oatmeal for a power house breakfast to fill me and give me energy for the day ahead.

      Next stop Starbucks! I am grateful for Starbucks for giving me my free birthday drink! A ginger bread latte! Definitely a treat for special occasions like my birthday! 

     

         I am grateful for my body and for all the wonderful things it does for me and allows me to do! So my next stop was the gym. Working out for me is about self care. My motivation is self love as opposed to guild and punishment. By doing so I am showing my body that I care about myself. Today I choose to celebrate the 44 years I have had this body. I will continue to treat it with respect, kindness and appreciation by exercising regularly.

      I am grateful for my mom for the special woman that she is. Today we went for a birthday lunch just the two of us. I"m grateful I got to spend time with her and share a moment I'll always remember. I decided to interview her and ask her questions about me. Here's what she had to say!

Here are some special moments of our time together!

         I am grateful for my dad. And although he's in a nursing home at this time I got to interview him as well. I also asked him questions about me and here's what dad had to say!

       I am grateful for friends and the opportunity to experience connection. Spontaneously I met up with my friend Ambreen today who's in town visiting. We've been friends since we were kids and though we live in different countries we were blessed with a moment today to come together and connect. Friends are important and nothing beats quality time in which you can share your lives with each other. Ambreen surprised me by getting the whole coffee shop to sing happy birthday to me! Another moment and another gift I'll always treasure that made my 44th birthday extra special. Gratitude created more moments of gratitude!

Reunited and it feels so good!

          So today instead of making wishes when I blew my candle I decided to just say "Thank You!"

     I believe the one thing that can shift any situation in our lives is gratitude. Gratitude allows us to look at our lives with fulfillment. We see everything from an abundance consciousness versus lack. It allows us to focus on what we have as opposed to what we don't have. When we feel gratitude we open our hearts to receive. Gratitude creates feelings of joy. When we feel joy everyone and every aspect of our lives benefits even those we don't know. A lady came up to our table and said she had been quite touched as she watched my mom and I celebrate my birthday. She wished me happy birthday and said she was so moved she had to come over and say hello to us. Joy is contagious. When you feel it others do too!

         And finally I am grateful for my guardian angel. I know with certainty that in my life I have been carried lifted and supported through every moment. I do believe that my guardian angel has two very big wings. One is named 'trust' and the other is named 'faith.' 

What are you grateful today in this moment? Can you carry that feeling throughout your day every day? Imagine what your life would be like if you always felt gratitude. 

Gratitude made my birthday special. It gave me gifts as moment's I'll always treasure.

To everyone who's path I've crossed, to all my friends and family and to anyone reading the pages of this blog I say to you "Thank you."

Angel Blessings to ALL