growth – Page 5 – Ruthann M. Wilson

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

How Intention in Prayer Fuels Personal Growth

When you pray, move your feet.

—African Proverb

When we pray with a goal in mind, we are engaging the power of intention in the context of all things being divinely possible.

The word intention comes from the Latin word intendere which means to “stretch out”, “to extend”. Intention inspires vision and guides action.

If you believe your prayers reflect what is best for your life, affirm your beliefs by living your prayers. For example, if you are praying for peace, envision what peace would look like in your life and commit to thinking peaceful thoughts, speaking peaceful words, creating and maintaining peaceful relationships, and creating and maintaining a peaceful environment. If you are praying for a new job/career opportunity, envision your new job/career and support your prayer with actions like updating your resume, creating a list of companies to send your resume, networking, and so on.

Prayer that is outcome focused and not supported with action is empty prayer. It is important that we pray and take action.

Engage the power of the written word to help you manifest what you desire. Create a plan of action that will enable you to move from where you are to where you would like to be. Consider using images and/or symbols as visual reminders (vision board) of your desired outcome.

Work toward your goals, but don’t be attached to a particular outcome. Being attached to a specific outcome can get in the way of you receiving an even bigger blessing than the one you had in mind.

The essence of prayer is faith in a divine presence working in and through our lives. As such, stay open to guidance and trust that you are being guided to your highest good.

Question for reflection

What is one thing you can do this week to move your life in the direction of your prayers?

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

The Journey to Authenticity: My Journal Reflections

JOURNAL ENTRY: I realized over the break that I am living a double life.

I have kept a journal most of my life. I have found it to be an invaluable tool for recording my dreams, clarifying my thoughts, and processing my feelings. It has also helped me to see how much I have grown over time.

As a part of the writing process for Be True to You, I reviewed some of my older journals. I was looking for themes in terms of what I was journaling about as well as statements that were related to breakthroughs and turning points. One of the statements that I found during the process inspired this post. I made a note in my journal that I felt like I was living a double life. I was driven by a need to be accepted and, in the process, not openly sharing the part of me that loves to explore a variety of topics and finds inspiration in many things.

At the time of my journal entry, I was exploring spirituality through a different lens (e.g., the Divine Feminine, symbolic systems, etc.). My interest in the topics was real, however, I wasn’t comfortable sharing what I was exploring because the topic was outside of “normal” conversations within my circle of friends and family. I did not want to be seen as “eccentric” or a “new ager”. In reality, I was judging myself and assuming what others might think about me. I noted in my journal that I was out of integrity by not sharing that part of me. I made a decision to stand in my truth and start sharing my interests with others; not only for my personal integrity, but as a way for them to get to know me at a deeper level.

For the most part, it seems the more authentic I am with others, the more authentic they are with me. Being authentic and vulnerable opens the door for deeper and more meaningful relationships.

Is there a part of you that you are hiding/not sharing with friends and family because you are afraid of disapproval, rejection, or judgment? How might you begin to bring that part of you forward?

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

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

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

Peace and abundant blessings,
Ruthann

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

The Role of Intention in Achieving Your Goals

*Downloadable worksheet at the end of the post.

The word intention comes from the Latin word intendere, which means to “stretch out”, “to extend”. Intention inspires vision and guides action.

To be intentional is to be willing to stretch yourself and grow. It is a process of stepping into your power, clarifying your vision, and consistently moving forward on your path. Do you know where you would like to be in the next three months? Six months? One year? Here is a quick way to get started.

Spend some time this week thinking about and visualizing where you would like to be in the next three months (or whatever time frame works best for you). Get clear as to what you would like to change, why you would like to make a change, and how you plan to make it happen.

I invite you to create a powerful intention to pull you forward. State what you intend to accomplish within a specific time frame.

I intend to _____________________________

Based on this intention, I commit to taking the following actions:

1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________

If there is a gap between your intention and action, see it as an opportunity for personal growth rather than a personal failing; recommit to your intention and begin again. Consider using images and/or symbols as a visual reminder of your desired outcome.

*Downloadable worksheet: Be Intentional

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

Who Looks Inside Awakens: Tap into Your Inner Wisdom

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”

—Carl Jung

Are you living your life from the outside in? Do you feel disconnected from your true self and power within?

A new way of living begins when you choose to live from the heart and guidance within. Your heart is your spiritual core, center of truth, inner compass, and extraordinary guide.

You tap into the wisdom of your heart when you ask questions like ‘What is true for me?’, ‘What is best for my life?, ‘What do I value most in my life?’. Your heart knows the answers.

Take the first step:

Be still. Be quiet. Be open to inner guidance.

Thirty-Day Challenge:

Take time each day to listen to the wisdom of your own heart.

Commit to 15-20 minutes of daily silence.

Learn more – YouTube

Who Looks Inside Awakens: Tap into Your Inner Wisdom

Go Deeper on Your Path

Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button. Join Ruthann’s mailing list to receive email updates (Join mailing list).

Clarity is powerful and it comes from within

All the best,

Ruthann

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