Gratitude

It is so important to take the time to show and express your gratitude for all that you have in your life. To awake each day and be aware of what we have , to acknowledge everything that we have been through and done to get us to where we are today. To be aware of how lucky we are to have such an amazing home, to live on this earth that is so abundant. I personally have so much to be grateful for.

Anytime I hold or lead women circles, I like to begin with a circle of gratitude. Because being able to hear what others have to be grateful for is a thing of magic. It brings us together and It is such a powerful force that is send out into the world.

I initially got nominated to do the 7 Day Gratitude challenge by @lymepoet and I managed to start it and do 2 days. I know it is meant to be completed in 7 consecutive days, so I am actually breaking the rules now. But when it comes to gratitude should there be any? The first day I spoke of how much gratitude I have for my body, whilst writing that post I realized that I could have completed the whole challenge just talking about how amazing our bodies are and how grateful we should be for them. The second day I spoke about how grateful I am to be part of the EcoTrain and how it was getting involved in that community that really motivated me to stay involved in Steemit.

But today I want to talk about how grateful I am for the wilderness. The wilderness within myself and the wilderness that we are gifted with in nature for it is one and all the same.

What is this Wilderness inside I talk about, why it is my wild, untamed side. The side of me that refuses to follow what has been pushed upon me and refuses to live a life that was expected of me. It is the young girl that silently rebelled against a religion that was forced on her. Who always knew that the only thing that deserved to be 'worshipped' was the natural world that we live in. The young girl who would spend hours outside amongst the trees and the birds and would roam for hours through the countryside, feeling so at peace and so at home.

My wilderness is my natural state of being, for what else is the wilderness in nature but that which has been untouched and left in it's natural state.

When we are children, we take it for granted that we should walk bare foot, that we should be dirty at the end of each day. We notice all the little things that make up our world, we are so fascinated by them. We really see the magic and wonder in what surrounds us in our daily lives. We are not afraid to ask questions, we have a natural desire to learn. a natural gift in seeking out answers, in creating our own world, that which we want to grow up in. We are at our wildest when we are children, holding on to our inner child, is holding on to that wildness. Finding ways to nurture that state, that natural state is something that has not been made easy for us, but oh the joy to be had in holding on to it.

We live in a time where so many things are pushed on to us. We are constantly being bombarded by images and information trying to tell us how we should live, what makes us happy, what makes us successful. So much time and effort has been put into making us dependable on so many different institutions. From a very young age we are being advised to listen only to those others, to listen to those who know best. But who could possibly know what is best for me, more than myself. We are not all the same, we are all so uniquely different, you can mold others into what you want them to be, surely you can not.

But of course you can, we see it happening all around us. Once we stop listening to ourselves, once we stop trusting ourselves, once we walk away from that natural state of being. Of that ability to know and carry a wisdom that is all inside of us, that has been passed down to us, that is all around us waiting to be remembered, then we are putty in the hands of those who wish to manipulate us. But if you listen, if you peel away all those layers that have been thrown on top of you, then you will be left with who you really are.

I am many things, but today it is the wild me that I am grateful for. I am grateful for being able to hold onto my inner child, for not pushing her aside. I am grateful that I continue to see the wonder and magic that is all around me. I like nothing better than going outside and searching for treasures with my daughters. Sitting amongst the trees and feeling so in awe and so humbled by their presence. It has made me very protective of our natural world, of my natural self. I will not put anything on my body that is not natural. I will not eat anything that is not natural. The same goes for my children.

My wilderness has guided me throughout my life, throughout my travels. It has brought me to where I am today. It has allowed me to birth 2 of my daughters naturally, 1 of those unassisted. It has led me to live a minimalist life in my truck with my family. It has led me to see how important it is that we support one another and honour one another. It has led me to create ceremonies and rituals. It has allowed me to howl at the moon, to sing daily, to dance and create music, create poetry, it has given me the life I always wanted.

I am so grateful to be wild.

What are the rules of this challenge?

-Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
-Try and do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated.
-Mention three people who should do this on each day.
-Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post.
-Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible).

I nominate @vegan.niinja, @startreat and @bryanj4 to take up the challenge if they so wish.

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Big Big Thank You To @byn for designing my logo.