Welcome! 
I am so glad you have made it! The fact that you are here tells me you have felt that inner pull calling you to connect with something outside of yourself, something more lasting.

Whether you are exploring how to experience more gratitude in your life for the first time, or you already have a dedicated Gratitude Practice, it is my highest hope that these next seven weeks will deepen your relationship with the world in profoundly beautiful and uplifting ways.

But first thing's first. Below, you will find the link to download the first installment of the printable workbook that you will use as a guide throughout this 7-week journey.  Each week, there will be a new installment to download, so be sure you do that first thing! You can compile all the weeks as you go and watch your journey unfold.

​Alternatively, a dedicated journal in which you can work through all the workbook exercises works well, too. Either way, when you are done, you will have something tangible and very personal to revisit when you want to reconnect with the insights and practices you've picked up along the way.
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One final note before we begin: although this course was designed to start ideally on a Monday (as the beginning of a brand new week), there is absolutely no right or wrong in how you approach this! If you are ready to begin and it is a different day of the week, that's perfectly fine! For the most part, your progress throughout each week is self-guided; there is no exact time-table for any of it. You will receive your weekly emails like clockwork, but you certainly can, and ​should, adjust according to your own best schedule!

When you feel ready, I invite you to click on the download button below to start your journey. Along the way, I hope you will consider sharing any challenges and successes with me and the Lifescape Visionary Community in our Facebook group. Your experience and insights are always welcome!

Helpful Hint: Be sure your printer is set up for double sided printing! 
​Once you have downloaded the workbook and printed out the first installment, or have your trusty journal handy, you are ready to dive in! Keep scrolling to get started!

Week One - Taking Stock

Every week, we will start off with an exploration called Food for Thought. These short audio segments are kind of like mini podcast episodes – opportunities for me to share themes, ideas, and explorations for the coming week. Here at the start of our first exploration together, I invite you to listen to this week's introductory segment about gratitude. I will introduce you to some of the foundations upon which this course is built and you can let the ideas percolate in your mind as you move through the week.
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What is your current relationship with gratitude? 
  • Thanks to the capabilities of modern scientific research and study, gratitude is recognized in psychological and medical circles as having a measurable, positive effect on well-being.

  • We seek to shift our experience of gratitude from a passive experience of emotion, to an active choice, a way of choosing how we see and interact with the world.

  • Gratitude is a skill that, like anything, improves with practice. The practice of gratitude, even when we might not be feeling it in the moment, is what leads to a more rewarding relationship with the world.
 
  • The practice of gratitude asks that we accept the things in life that are beyond our control. While we tend to catalogue the negatives, gratitude invites us to start noticing how many positive things enter our lives through no direct action of our own.
Next Steps: When you are ready, fill out the Reflections in Worksheet 1 of your Deepening Gratitude workbook.
Guided Meditation - Connecting to the Heart
Before you start this guided meditation, take a few moments to turn to your workbook and fill out the 'Before' section of Worksheet 2. You will need about ten minutes to listen to the audio and some time afterward for any reflections based on the experience. 
Next Steps: Complete Worksheet 2 in your workbook. If this meditation resonated with you, feel free to revisit this meditation as often as you would like. 
Going Deeper
Each week, you will be asked to watch a video that dives even more deeply into the themes we are currently exploring. Exercises you will be doing later in the week will draw upon these videos, so be sure to set aside some time to watch! This first video is a friendly and genuine entry into some of the most important reasons for choosing to practice gratitude. Enjoy! 
David Steindl-Rast on Living with Gratitude
​The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you're going, and above all, being grateful.

Among other things, this hugely popular TED Talk highlights simple steps toward a shift in perspective that anyone can follow. Enjoy as this gentle, wise soul shares his wisdom in a beautifully engaging talk.
Next Steps: Take the Mid-Week Mini Challenge found in your workbook on page 15. If you're looking for some uplifting words and perspectives on gratitude, keep scrolling to check out the pick-me-ups below.
Mid-Week Pick-Me-Up
Uplifting messages about gratitude. Just positive things.
THE GIFT
by Mary Oliver

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful.
That the gift has been given.
HEART AND GRATITUDE
by Rebecca Navarre

There are ones out there in the night, that
care enough to think twice. About beauty, creation,
God, and life. With heart, deeper than the golden
sunset, that brings the soul light. When people are
kind to each other nice. Words can be like a song
that strikes, in dark hours. Bringing such comfort
and sight. A match, making the world a little bit
warmer. A little bit more bright.
Guided Meditation - Sunday Night Release and Re-Center
​Before you start this guided meditation, take a few moments to turn to your workbook and fill out the 'Before' section of Worksheet 5. You will need about ten minutes to listen to the audio and some time afterward for any reflections based on the experience. Remember to put away the distractions, give yourself plenty of time, and breathe!
Next Steps: Sometime between now and the start of your next week, complete the end-of-the-week  reflections in Worksheet 6 of your workbook. If this meditation resonated with you, feel free to revisit it as often as you would like. ​