Being new to the East Coast (a Southern California transplant) I am always astonished by the vibrant colorful flowering that happens in the Spring. The pink dogwoods, the white snow puff pear trees, the wild yellow daffodils, the pink and white magnolia blossoms all are truly extraordinary!  Southern California never really has Spring because the trees never really lose their leaves. It’s never really winter there. 

The winter here is real too.  No leaves.  Not much sun.  Bare, lifeless and cold.  So, seeing a real Spring for the first time in contrast to the stark winter is a real eye-opener.  It becomes so clear that the lifeless-looking trees in winter are not dead at all.  They’re simply dormant…reformulating…waiting for the right time.   And with the  right tilt of the planet, the warmth of the sun and nourishment of the rain they burst forth in their splendor.

Just like the trees in winter, there are  parts of my life…goals, dreams, desires that once seemed completely dead.  However, with a little reformulating, some warmth of love and intention, the sprinkling of support and the nourishment of proactive gratitude, these can also burst forth their glory and be fulfilled.

How about you? Are there any areas of your life that you’ve just given up as “dead.”   Are there any goals, dreams, or heart’s desires that have remained dormant for far too long?   Perhaps they’re not at all dead.   Perhaps they’re just waiting for the conditions to favorable before they can blossom.   Following are 3 steps for creating a “spring-like” atmosphere for the natural blossoming of those dreams and heart’s desires…

1. Reformulate your goals and dreams.  Is there a new or different way this dream can be realized?  Think outside the box as they say.  How else can this desire express or be realized?  Sometimes the distance between two points is not a straight line.  Journal some ideas just to get the juices flowing. Then narrow down the possibilities and focus on one or two.

2. Stand in the warmth of supportive and encouraging friends.  Be certain they are supportive before you share your plans with them.  Also, shower yourself with your own support and encouragement…whether that takes the form of meditation, visualization, affirmation or prayer.

3. Finally, nourish your life with gratitude.  Develop a daily practice of gratitude for everything in your life.  Follow my steps for practicing proactive gratitude as explained in the “How to Participate” page. And pay special attention to, and celebrate any and every step forward in the realization of those dreams.

Let’s take a cue from nature.  All spring long, when we look at the beauty of this planet, let’s remember that all of nature is designed to come to fruition and express it’s innate magnificent potential.  We’re created from the same substance, therefore, so are we destined to realize our heart’s desires.

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I am so grateful for the abundance of vibrant color and new green buds springing up all around me.

I am grateful for the fabulous massage I received earlier.

I am grateful for the wonderful public school in our area.

I am grateful for new friendships.

I am grateful for a sparkling clean house and the fact that I didn’t have to do it!