GraceFull Living

For the 4th month of 2014, I have decided to focus on finding grace everyday.  But as I have learned from reading Brene Brown's work, I must first define what the concept, grace means to me and to others. So I will be exploring grace and ways I have found grace here.

Day 30:

Well, another month has come and gone! I like taking time to reflect on all of the past month's adventures in learning. But one thing I've learned this month is that I have to show myself grace as well, so a longer reflection of this month of GraceFULL Living is coming tomorrow. Stay tuned. For now, a photo word collage with a cool cloud I captured:

Day 29:

Finding grace in outdoor farmer's markets, fresh and colorful vegetables and cooking new recipes with rainbow chard. 

Day 28:

One of my favorite quotes--such truth in it and so much grace to be found in living this quote:

Day 26 and 27:
I am finding so much grace in these past few days.  I find grace in listening to my inner voice and taking time for myself to rest and rejuvenate at the spa with a wonderful gift certificate my mom gave me for my birthday. I find grace in walking the Can Do 5K to support my friend, Sarita's big birthday and support the great cause of fundraising for children with special needs. I find grace in taking those many steps for the 5K virtually pain-free and remembering that two years ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this. I find grace in being witness to incredible coaching and learning about creating healthy relationships while I audited part of a class at the Seattle Life Coach Training school. I find grace in dancing carefree with my husband and our family and friends. I find grace in savoring 8+ hours of sleep. When you begin to look for it, you find it EVERYwhere!


Day 24 and 25:
From this month's daily focus, I had a vision to create a visual representation of filling my cup with grace. This is the most recent collage I created in my art journal, inspired by a wonderful talk I heard at Seattle Life Coach Training by Jenny McGlothern of Mama Needs A Refill:

Day 22 and 23:

Yesterday I dedicated time to update my blog's style and I wrote about being multifaceted and all the blessings in having multiple interests and gifts. Today I heard this quote from Hafiz and wanted to share it here, along with a photo I took while on a nurturing nature walk at lunch:

Day 21:

Remembering to focus on fun today and taking my daily laughter temperature. :)

Laughter is grace in its gaseous form. ~Cathleen Falsani

Day 19 and 20:

I found an inspiring website called The Art of Grace and I want to share a quote from this site:

Grace is like a garden of positive and uplifting thoughts. We can be like gardeners and plants seeds of good ideas and pull out weeds of distraction.

From: http://www.artofgrace.org/creatinggrace.html

Day 18:

I found a lot of grace walking along the seashore today.

Day 17:

Day 16:

Day 15:
Finding grace in forgiveness:

http://ecua-gringa.blogspot.com/2014/04/i-am-whole.html

Day 12, 13 and 14:

I took a grace-filled break this weekend from blogging to enjoy the company of loved ones, the beauty of spring sunshine, and the reverence of the simple joys in life. And now I am enjoying the salty breeze on a clear day at my lunch hour on the Puget Sound waterfront, listening to the soft waves lap against the shore and watching the seagulls fly overhead, while I soak up the vitamins from the surprisingly warm sun. I am finding much grace through the peace nature provides me. Nature has a way of filling my soul with so much joy and gratitude for being alive!

Day 11:

A famous, yet wonderful quote from Hemingway: 

"Courage is grace under fire."


Day 9 and 10:

Day 8:

http://ecua-gringa.blogspot.com/2014/04/becoming-grace-full.html

Day 7:

My running definition of grace is developing through these daily grace studies and I'm calling forth more grace in my life at times when I need it. I'm finding grace in showing myself compassion and affirming that I am complete and safe; I'm finding grace in nature and peace as a result; I'm finding grace in kindness and bravery and love.


Day 6:

Today my husband and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary and we have found a lot of grace in our love. I wanted to include a quote on grace and love.

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

~Denis Waitley

Day 5:

A friend shared this beautiful quote with me:

"How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. In the end, it all comes down to one word. Grace. Grace is compassion, surrender, faith, forgiveness...”

-Unknown

Day 4:

A quotes about grace for today from the great Hafiz:

Now is the time to know that all that you do is sacred... Now is the time for you to deeply compute the impossibility that there is anything but grace.


Day 3:
Throughout this month, my vision is to seek out the definitions of grace from some of today's leaders, in an attempt to create my own personalized definition.  Although this isn't a definition, here is a great quote from Brene Brown to ponder:

"You can approach life with both fierceness and grace." 

Day 2:

Finding grace in nature:

Day 1:
I first began to truly contemplate the idea of grace after experiencing chronic pain and having major surgery.  I wrote a letter to my pain recently, which I posted for my weekly wellness blog today.  You can also read it at These Next 6 Months, a wonderful blog written by my surgery sister, Elizabeth Katherine.  Through pain, I learned the importance of showing myself kindness and patience, and I believe that through kindness and compassion for oneself and others, one can find grace.