Gratitude Grounds Us

I hope you're enjoying this excursion into the examen.

Before we move to Step 2 which is all about looking back, I want to reiterate the value of gratitude and how it builds ground for us to stand on. So I wrote a Love + Hope story for you (below) as a gentle reminder.

Gratitude provisions and anchors us on our spiritual journey. And it reveals Love to be the ground we can reliably stand and travel on.

We need this in our examen practice lest we fall into self-recrimination, pretension, or avoidance. And we need this in our lives lest we fall into the lie that we are not enough, not lovable, and fundamentally messed up.

Love reminds us we are worthy and precious even as we are growing, facing our shortcomings, and dealing with challenges. And gratitude connects us to Love intimately and personally. Naming what we hold dear lets our love for life coalesce, revealing Love's presence in all things and letting us engage in our practice courageously and honestly and live our lives with integrity and reverence.

Basically, I'm Team St. Ignatius here: there's no such thing as too much gratitude and it warrants more attention. I hope you enjoy the story below. Below it, you'll find a link for printing and folding it at home.

This warrants another mention too: Thank you. Thank you for sharing conversation and connection with me through this newsletter. I am grateful for and humbled by the exchanges we have, the friendships we form, and the community in our diversity. It is a gift not only to be able to show up in your inbox and have you pop into mine, but have you present in my life.

Coming Next: Step 2-Reflection...the subtle art of remembering our day and how we felt about it with compassionate non-judgment.

With blessings, love + hope until next time,

Jen

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