I was raised to say please and thank you. As a small child, learning these social graces planted the seeds of gratitude. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, whenever Mom or Dad reminded me to say please and thank you, the power of thankfulness was beginning to grow.

What is gratitude?
The dictionary on my laptop describes gratitude as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

I would extend this definition: Gratitude is a feeling.

When you say thank you or someone thanks you, how does it feel? The words thank you often sound like they are being delivered on auto pilot.

When I tap into the powerful vibration of thankfulness, I realize that each time I express gratitude it’s an opportunity to feel good. And who doesn’t want to feel good?

The falling leaves drift by my window, the autumn leaves of red and gold…I am reminded of  Autumn Leaves, one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

Fall, my favourite time of year. Where I live, this means a time of golden light, harvest and sweaters. Markets heaping with the bounty of the season and pumpkins waiting to be carved.

I stand at my window looking out at Chester, a majestic chestnut tree that has wrapped himself around our home so that it feels like we are living in a tree house. For the past seven years he has been my annual reminder that fall has arrived. Each year I am alerted to the changing of the seasons as chestnuts pelt down onto the house, cracking on the front porch like rocks falling from the sky.

Chester always knows when it’s time to let go. I smile as I consider this simple truth and watch his leaves drift to the ground.

Let go and trust.

These four words hold your powerful transformation. Everything changes when you are willing to let go of the thoughts, feelings and emotions that are no longer serving you and trust your authentic voice.