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Writer's pictureBridget Belden

Finding Presence: A Practical Minded Approach to Gratitude and Connection


Live with intention


Your Magenta Monday Magic.


Surrounding Yourself with Positive and Supportive People

“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone?” Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi


I recently returned from a ladies weekend spent with three dear friends. Ever busy with the stuff of midlife, we hadn’t been together in ages, and it was so great to reconnect. 


To be honest though, I’d been a little worried about this weekend. The funk I’d been describing to you was happening in the weeks leading up to this weekend, and when I was in the midst of it, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. 😬


As a practical minded person, I didn’t want to bring an uninvited guest to the party. I knew she would get in the way of what I was craving the most – true connection with people I love.


I didn’t want the moment to pass by and leave me with regret that I wasn’t able to be more present with my friends.


Has that ever happened to you? When you spend so much time in your own head that you miss out on what’s right in front of you? You get so focused on thinking about what to make for dinner, on the report you have to send out, and all the errands you have to do before your vacation, that your days slip by without you really being present in them? 


When I think of how many moments I missed out on with my kids because I was too busy thinking about how unhappy I was… well it breaks my heart. 💔


I didn’t want that to happen when I went away with my friends. I wanted to find a way to be entirely present. 


Thankfully, I was able to get to the other side of my funk prior to the start of the weekend, and was able to be present with the friends who have been such an important part of my life for so long. 


I was able to: 

  • savor our drive to lunch in the golf cart.

  • relish our time sitting on the deck, sipping champagne, and admiring the beautiful ocean view.

  • laugh as we reminisced about our previous  - and often wild - exploits.

  • listen as we caught up on the goings on of our adult children.

  • watch the hummingbirds flit from bloom to bloom on the hedge along the railing.


It was everything I needed, and I was present for all of it. The love, the joy, the connection, the beauty.


That’s the thing about gratitude. It makes you practical minded, present and anchors those beautiful moments into your soul, keeping them safe for when you need an extra dose of joy or love.


It is the antidote to regret.

 

Monday Mindshift

It’s the 1° shift that makes the biggest difference over time.


Think back to when you may have lost certain moments because you were stuck in your head? 


Recognize what it may have cost you – and make a promise to yourself to change that going forward. One of the ways you can do that is through regular practice of a 5-4-3-2-1 gratitude check-in.


This is a gratitude practice that brings you into the now by focusing your senses on noticing. 


When you find yourself stuck in your head, pause, and then find five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste, and express gratitude for each of them.


With regular practice, especially for the practical minded, you’ll find you recognize it more quickly when you’re losing touch with the present and slipping into your head. It’ll be easier as well to ground yourself in the present by focusing your senses and getting grateful. 😌

Bridget



 

Living BRIGHTer is...


B - Be Brave

R - Cultivate Relationships

I - Live with Intention

G - Practice Gratitude

H - Prioritize Health

T - Live your Truth


What is Magenta?


The color magenta is one of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life. Magenta helps to create harmony and balance in every aspect of life; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.


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