gratitude – Page 2 – Ruthann M. Wilson

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2019), I’m revisiting the practice of finishing strong. In this short video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete what needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

To support your reflection, I’ve included a downloadable worksheet updated for 2019 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

In this video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the new year.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete whatever needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

All the best,
Ruthann

Stay Grounded: Cultivating Presence in Daily Life

Earth Woman

Living in the here and now is essential to bringing your vision to life. Check in with yourself on a regular basis to stay grounded and present in your life.

Questions for reflection:

Do I feel comfortable in my body?
Do I feel safe, secure, and nurtured in my home?
Do I feel connected to nature and the cycles of life?
Am I patient with myself and others?
Am I able to focus, plan, organize, take action, and trust the unfolding of my vision?

I have listed a few practical ways to help you stay grounded and present in your life.

Cultivate qualities that support your whole life

Cultivate patience, structure, stability, and a sense of security in your life.
Seek balance and harmony in your life.

Care for Your Body

Tend to your physical well-being with consistency.
Nourish yourself. Rest well. Move with intention.
Love the skin you are in.

Stay open to possibility

Make time for stillness and silence.
Ask, “What is possible for my life?”
When asked in sacred time, a question becomes an invocation for revelation.

Practice Gratitude

Begin and end each day with gratitude.
- In the morning, give thanks for the gift of a new day.
- In the evening, reflect on the gifts, blessings, or life lessons.

Express gratitude to others. Make a point to call, send an email, send a text, write a handwritten note to someone each day expressing gratitude.

Keep a journal to notice and honor what’s unfolding within you.

Cultivate a deep sense of connection to nature and the cycles of life

Spend time in natural settings.
Make direct contact with the earth
- Put your bare feet on the ground, sit down or lay down on ground.
Let the seasons be metaphors for your life.
Witness sunrise and sunset.
Follow the moon’s phases to shape a rhythm of reflection, action and renewal month by month.

The power to create your life is in the here and now. Cultivate habits and practices that help you stay grounded and present in your life.

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All the best,
Ruthann

The Power of Silence: Embracing Solitude for Inner Peace

“Let silence take you to the core of your life.”

—Rumi

When I was growing up, my mom used to make me and my siblings spend time alone on a regular basis. She felt it was important for us to learn to enjoy our own company and not feel compelled to fill our time with other people or activities to be content and happy.

Spending time alone was never an issue for me. I am an introvert by nature and quiet time alone is how I recharge and reenergize. I looked forward to and enjoyed my time alone.

As I look back on my childhood, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my mom for laying the foundation for what has proven to be a very important daily practice, time alone in silence to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in the process of being internally guided.

If you don’t already have a regular practice of spending time alone in silence, I encourage you to create time in your day to be still and silent. Strive for 15-20 minutes in silence each day.

If sitting in silence is new to you, start small. Take five minutes or ten minutes out of your day. Set a timer so that you can be fully present to the moment and not watching the clock. You may want to consider using your breath as a focal point for your time in silence. When the timer goes off, bring your quiet time to a close in a spirit of gratitude for the gift of silence. Capture your experience of going within in a journal or notebook.

In the beginning, the benefits of spending time in silence may not be obvious, however, as you continue with this practice, I believe you will feel a deeper sense of peace, calm, balance, and openness to inner guidance. Give yourself the gift of silence.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Create a New Chapter in Your Life

“And suddenly you just know…it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

—Meister Eckhart

A new beginning provides us with the opportunity to create a new chapter in our lives. To get the most out of your fresh start, spend some time reflecting on what is complete and ready to be released, and what you are inspired to begin. Here are a few questions for reflection:

What did I accomplish recently?
What didn’t I accomplish that I really wanted to? Why?
Who or what was my greatest blessing? Why?
What is complete in my life and ready to be released so that I can begin a new chapter?
What am I inspired to begin now?

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Create a New Chapter in Your Life: Release what limits, nurture what empowers

A new year provides us with the opportunity to begin a new chapter in our lives. We open the door to new opportunities and new beginnings when we release thoughts and beliefs that limit us and replace them with those that enrich, expand, empower, and enable us to create the kind of lives and world that we truly desire.

Our minds are fertile ground. The seeds we choose to plant, and nurture will take root and blossom in our lives.

I invite you to join me in planting “seeds” of unity, peace, love, compassion, and joy. Commit to nurturing these seeds on a daily basis through your thoughts, words, and actions to enrich your life, the lives of others, and the world.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself: What seed will I plant today? Each day is a page in the chapter you are writing. Choose words and actions that align with the life you desire.

Release what limits, nurture what empowers, trust what unfolds.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Giving Thanks: Gratitude Practices for Thanksgiving and Everyday Life

Thanksgiving is a beautiful reminder of gratitude, yet the practice of giving thanks extends far beyond one day. Whether for friends, family, health, or life lessons, gratitude connects us to joy and abundance every day. Thank you for being part of my journey and allowing me to be part of yours.

Gratitude Practices to Try

Daily Gratitude Journal: Write down 3–5 blessings, lessons, or gifts each day to cultivate appreciation.
Gratitude Rituals: Begin and end your day with a moment of thanks for people, experiences, or simple joys.
Express Thanks to Others: Share a note, call, or message to let someone know how much they mean to you.
Gratitude Walk: Take a mindful walk outdoors, noticing and naming things you’re grateful for in your surroundings.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Daily Gratitude Practice: Cultivate Joy, Abundance, and Appreciation

Gratitude is more than a habit; it’s a way of seeing. By giving thanks for the blessings, lessons, and gifts in your life, you cultivate joy, appreciation, and an abundant mindset that blossoms daily. A simple ritual of writing 3–5 things you’re grateful for can transform the way you experience your day and your world.

Thirty-Day Challenge:
Begin and end each day with gratitude. It will transform the way you experience your day and your life.

Daily Gratitude Video

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

Peace and abundant blessings,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace