Dr. Teresa Meehan

Gratitude Day 5- Embracing Obstacles

Without a doubt, some of the obstacles we encounter, especially when we think we're cruising along toward our goals, can be frustrating. The frustration, however, is just our ego minds telling us we think we know what's best. If we shift our thinking to our spiritual mind, it's possible to actually embrace the obstacle as the Universe intervening on our behalf. No path is a straight path. In fact, in Buddhism, the belief is that the obstacle is the path. We may not see it at the time, but if we put our faith in the obstacle we can come to be grateful for its existence. Today, I'm grateful for the obstacles that show up in my life as they serve as markers toward progress and are actually directional signals showing me where and when to turn.

What are you grateful for today?

Day 4 of Gratitude- Knowing the Path is Always Present, T'shuvah and Right Direction

A few weeks ago, I told a good friend that I felt like I was on a run-away train and that the train needed to stop. For those of you who know me, you know I usually have more than a few irons in the fire. That's not a problem for me as long as the majortiy of the irons are related to things I enjoy and relationships that nurture my spirit. The problem was that I was becoming more of a human doing and less of a human being, and consequently, not enjoying life much. My energy was low, which negatively affected my body, mind, spirit, and overall, productivity, which morphed into extreme levels of stress with a touch of depression.

I'm a little slow sometimes, but I'm very grateful for the fact that I eventually recognize the times I get off the path. Today, while driving my usual 80 miles to work, I was listening to a podcast by Rob Bell and his guest John Phillip Newell, a scottish author known for his work in Celtic spirituality. One topic they discussed was the concept of, T'shuvah, which, from the Jewish perspective, means return. The Hebrew verb "shuvah" literally means "a turning". So T'shuvah is the idea that we can choose to return to the right path, the path that has always been present. It opens the opportunity for a fresh start, allowing us to put our mistakes behind us.

So even though we all get side-tracked, and occasionally move off the path, the path is always present and we have the ability to return at any point in time. Instead of beating ourselves up for deviating, we can choose to learn from the experiences and graciously put them behind us, knowing we're a little farther along in our journey toward enlightenment.

Day 3 of Gratitude- Seeing the Elephant in the Room is a Good Thing

Referring to an elephant in a room is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being unaddressed. While this is a fairly common scenario that comes and goes in all sorts of contexts, today I'm grateful I live in a country/ culture/ society/ generation that not only allows the elephant to be seen, but affords us the opportunity to address the elephant without fear of retaliation or horrific consequences.

For instance, we may not agree on politics, educational ideology or parenting styles, but we're free to post even the most obnoxious comments on social media without worrying we'll be discovered and sent to prison. There are places in the world where freedom of expression are restricted and even prohibited. So, while I occasionally get tired of seeing various rants, I am still grateful that I am free enough to go on a total rampage binger and not be condemn for life because of it.

Life is full of paradoxes that I believe are the result of being human. They represent the sometimes awkward dance between the ego mind of humanness and the spiritual mind of our true selves. As frustrating as they can sometimes be, today I am grateful for the paradox of beginnings and endings, or endings and beginnings, depending on how you want to see the self-generating cycle we call life.

For me, today marks the opportunity for a new beginning following the ending of a relationship as I knew it, paradoxically, as it ended on the first day of the new year.

In 2017, I did my best to post 365 days of gratitude. Now, in 2024, I’ve found it helpful to go back and review some of my own thoughts and find a renewed sense of gratitude. I’m not as disciplined now as I was then so I may not share all 365 days, but I hope those I do share resonate with you too.

Happy New Year!

As I begin my 365 days of gratitude, one of the things for which I am most grateful is the knowledge that I am not my story. Like everyone, I have one that includes both good times and bad. All of those experiences have helped shape who I am today, but I am not owned by them. The experiences I would include in my story served their purpose at the time. I am grateful for the understanding that I am the author of my story and I have been granted free will to choose who I become. I get to use the lessons from the past to choose in the present what I will become in the future.

Please join me in the 365 days of gratitude to effect the changes you want to see.

From “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz

Sometimes when we make a decision we know is the right choice for us, there can be residual sadness. The sadness is a legitimate emotion reflecting how we feel about what or who we’re leaving behind. But to stay sad is to stay stuck in the past. Sometimes the only way others can move forward is by following your lead. Acknowledge the sadness that comes from separation but lean into the future because that’s where we grow, and when we grow, we light the path for others.

I came in peace and will leave the same way. Any negative energy held against me is nothing more than a projection of the aggressors own reflection. No one can hurt me. Only my ego can be wounded when I forget who I am. Only internal peace can generate the external peace of the collective.

Light can pe*****te darkness but darkness cannot pe*****te the light.

Your agenda is run by your ego. Step aside! The creator has this!

We get so attached to material symbols without giving much thought to the actions that lead to the attachment. Fear, anger, hate, and jealousy were behind the destruction of the World Trade Center towers 19 years ago. Unity and love led to the construction of the twin towers footprints and the memorial tower. Fear is always behind separation and destruction, whether it’s toward ourselves or others. Love is always behind compassion and unity. The lesson is really that simple. Only love heals.

Happy Birthday my love ❤️🎉🎂

Four years ago, right before his 1st birthday, I caught this screen shot of my boy talking to me on FaceTime holding a tube of toothpaste as his phone. Four years later, he still talks to me as often as possible. I have no doubt if he had his own phone, he’d call me every 5 minutes just to make sure I’m still here. Now he wants to show me his toys and his muscles when he wears his Spider-Man suit. He gives me more credit than I’ll ever deserve. Ayomide is the light of my life. He reminds me every minute of every day what’s important.. on the eve of your 5th birthday, Ayo, I love you more than ever. I wish everyone could know the how incredible you are. My heart is your heart now and forever. ❤️

This statement is true, not just at the individual level, but also the collective level. The entire planet and many of its inhabitants are out of alignment and the result is UNREST. The unrest will continue until we are in alignment with who we are, and who we are is much greater than our egos. The ego, both individual and collective, is the trickster presenting itself as something that it’s not. The trickster leads us to believe we are special and deserving. The trickster’s goal is to divide and conquer so everyone can see our specialness. But in reality, the trickster is nothing more than the master of illusion. We are not special and no one is more deserving than another. The sooner we awaken from the trickster’s illusion and realize we are all of one body, the sooner we will find alignment and inner peace.

Stay high while they go low.

Live well. Future generations are depending on us.

Imagine a world in which everyone shows Radical Kindness. Repost: ❤️

Think about it and tell me what these two statements mean to you.

Do girl things!

We’ve all been there. We’ve been vulnerable. We’ve made choices we wish we could change. We’ve lost relationships because our ego pain was bigger than our ability to feel compassion. Don’t let the losses define you. Grieve them. Learn from them. Be a better human as a result.