Thanksgiving was about a month ago, Christmas was last week, Hanukkah has ended and it’s almost 2015.

Are you still able to tap into feelings of gratitude, or have exhaustion and the winter blues settled in?

I read something recently that said fear and gratitude cannot co-exist. It’s an interesting concept, and a take on expressing gratitude which really resonates with me.

I believe in gratitude very strongly. I also believe in doing things that feel right, and forced gratitude can often not feel so great.

What I love about the idea of using gratitude in the face of fear, is that gratitude becomes like a cloak. Where fear can be strangling, gratitude feeds every corner of your life.  Working with gratitude when we encounter fear strengthens the cloak, and like any practice, the more you employ it, the more natural it becomes.

As we begin the last week of 2014, and maybe even face some fears about 2015, try to meet those fears with gratitude. Even as the gray days continue (at least for me on the East Coast!), I’m going to remember to express my gratitude when it feels right, especially when those fears creep in, because I want to strengthen my cloak and nourish my soul.

Thanks for being on this journey with me.