As some of you know, I grew up in a funeral chapel family. All throughout my childhood, my brother and I would tag along when our dad went to work, and we would run around the back of the chapel while he embalmed or made funeral arrangements. We had two phones at our house: our house phone, and the chapel phone, which could ring at any hour.

This proximity to the certainty of mortality came with so many blessings. One of my favorite is my ability to remember - in an instant! - how exceptionally lucky I am to spend even the tiniest of moments with a loved one. Another is my ability to bring myself back to an awareness of the unfathomable preciousness of every individual breath.

Still, it's easy to forget these things during the daily grind and the relentless hypnotism of our cultural messages. So, in the spirit of gratitude (and to warm us up for the upcoming holiday) I thought I'd share 8 of the countless things that make you the luckiest person ever.

1. Your loved ones. When I think about beloved people and animals who have passed, I know without a doubt that a single minute with them would be the most magical and precious gift I could possibly receive. And just think of the loved ones with whom we still get to have not just minutes, but hours, days--weeks even! Truly, could we be any richer or more blessed?
 
 

2. Your relative degree of health and ability. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of health, you very likely have a number of wonderful abilities, including (but not limited to) any or all of the following: the ability to walk, run, dance, speak, hug, laugh, see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. You also very likely have many or all of your appendages. We don't think of these things much when we have them, but if one of them disappears, how much we miss it, and treasure the memory! But just by remembering this, we can treasure these things now.

3. The financial abundance you do have. Sometimes we can concentrate on how much we don't have, and our commercial culture certainly doesn't dissuade this. But it can be a lovely thing to instead put our attention on all the wealth and resources we do have: the money we have in the bank, our other financial assets, and the many comforts and conveniences that already exist in our lives. And, of course, from a metaphysical perspective, what we focus on expands. So simply remembering to place your attention on what you have (rather than what you don't) can create more space in your financial consciousness, and therefore bring even more wealth into your life experience.

4. Clean, running water. Think of how delighted our ancestors would be if they had clean, running water right in their home whenever they desired it? Not to mention, in many parts of the world, clean water is scarce, which is grievously challenging for the health and wellbeing of entire communities. And experts agree that our water source is not infinite: remembering to treat our water as the precious resource it is (by turning of the faucet when we are not using it and fixing leaks, for example) will not only help us remember how blessed we are, it will also help prolong our privileged access to this precious natural resource.

5. Healthy food. Sometimes I marvel that I have access to so many varieties of fresh, healthy vegetables all year round. I also marvel about the miracle of soil, light, water, and all the people that contribute to the growing, harvesting, and selling of the food I'm eating. Donating extra food to an organization that provides meals to those in need also helps me by reminding me of the wealth that's already in my kitchen and life. And did you know that thinking positive, grateful thoughts actually helps you digest and assimilate nutrients better? It's true!

6. Fresh air. Every breath truly is a gift. When we consider how much we would treasure a breath if we knew it were one of our last, we can inhale with immense gratitude for this constant flow of vital nourishment.

7. Your home. It's such a good idea to love where you live no matter what. This doesn't mean that you can't manifest a positive move in the future if you so desire, but starting with loving where you live always activates blessings and opens doors of opportunity. So what is there to love about your space? Mentally assess, and rejoice in your good fortune. Even if you're currently staying on someone's couch, you can find a lot to be grateful for.


8. Books. Sometimes I remember that I will never, ever, ever even come close to reading all the books there are to read. And there are libraries! So you can read and read and read for free. For the rest of your life. I mean --- !?!? Talk about lucky.

...And of course, that's not all! Remembering to pull back and look at the big picture can always yield reasons to marvel at your shocking good luck. And the more you do, the luckier you get. Which just goes to show you: the rich really do get richer.

P.S. Have you checked out my new oracle deck? I've been working with it a lot lately, and loving it so much! One more thing to be grateful for. :)