start monday with gratitude

week 7

Welcome to Week 7, lovely soul.

Below you'll find the video and video transcript introducing you to this week's quote and musings.

Scroll further and you'll discover this week's daily exercises, high vibe tune, and downloadable wallpapers.

Gratitude is the fairest blossom that springs from the soul

Henry Ward Beecher

video transcript

Do you have a favourite flower?

What is it about that flower that makes it your favourite?

How does it differ from all other flowers?

In its colours? In its petals? In its scent? In its abundance or in its rarity? In its size? In its shape?

How does it make you feel when you look at it or someone gives you a bouquet of it? Does it make you smile? Does it make you feel special? Does it light you up?

Now imagine that flower in its most perfect form. In fact, see if you can take it further. See if you can create an image of it, a scent of it in your mind that exceeds anything that you could ever imagine existing. Something so beautiful, so perfect, so stunning that it takes your breath away.

Imagine each and every petal flawlessly formed and perfectly gathered together. Imagine the sun shining on them making them glisten and sparkle as if made from the most precious gems.

Imagine the centre where all the petals meet and congregate together, imagine the colour glowing brighter and more radiant than anything you have ever seen.

And imagine the sweet, sweet scent emanating from it, more fragrant and more pure than the most pleasurable fragrance you’ve ever experienced.

Now imagine a meadow filled to overflowing with this flower in its most perfect form. Everywhere you look, no matter how far your gaze takes you, all you can see is a sea of this flower. It sways back and forth in the gentle breeze, letting its scent be gently carried up in the pillows of air and towards you.

Your eyes are nourished by the beauty surrounding you, beauty in all directions for as far as you can see. Your nose is tickled by the sweetest of sweet scents, a fragrance that raises you up in its wonder and perfection.

Can you imagine, sense, experience anything so perfect, so picturesque, so breath-taking?

Each time we express gratitude it’s as if the most beautiful, most perfect, most delightful flower springs out from our very soul, decorating our very essence in beauty and wonder.

And, as you practice gratitude daily, routinely and regularly, your soul becomes an emerald green sea, coloured with the most vibrant, most radiant, most immaculate and pure flowers.

There’s nothing more beautiful you can do or create for your soul. There’s nothing more uplifting, more enriching for your very essence.

So, every time you take a moment to express your gratitude for something, no matter how small or how large, remember the most pure and beautiful flower growing in the meadow of your soul.

daily gratitude practice

Let’s spend some time outdoors.

You can go to a meadow, you can go to a forest or woodland.

If you’re in a town or city, you can visit a florist.

When you reach your destination, I invite you to get close to a flower, whether you sit or stand it doesn’t matter, and, without picking or touching it, admire everything about that flower.

Admire the colour of its petals, admire how the petals meet together to form the shape of the flower, admire the centre of the flower, and if you see any perceived ‘imperfections’ in the flower, admire their perfect imperfection, admire its scent.

Really spend some time looking at this flower and really appreciating its beauty.

And then give thanks to this flower for bringing such beauty into your life.

Sit quietly outside for about 5 or 10 minutes and just observe everything around you connected to nature. Even if you’re in the busiest of cities, nature will be crossing your path.

Listen to the birds singing, the bees humming, watch the leaves on the trees as they dance in the wind and listen to their rustling. What about the pattern on the bark of a tree trunk or width and strength of the trunk?

If you’re in the countryside, breathe in the scent of fresh air. And if you’re in the city, thank the trees for the oxygen they so generously emit.

Are there flowers nearby?

Spend 5 or 10 minutes absorbing the beauty of nature and appreciating the enjoyment you gain from being part of nature.

What’s the weather like today?

Is it sunny and warm? Is it rainy and wet? Is it windy?

Head outside, dressed appropriately, for 5 or 10 minutes experiencing the weather. This is particularly good if you don’t usually enjoy the type of weather today, for example, if it’s raining.

While you’re outside, find everything positive about the weather you’re experiencing.

Does the sun make you feel cosy? Does the rain refresh you? As you stand up against the wind, do you feel strong?

Spend your time experiencing, enjoying, listing and giving thanks for all the positive effects today’s weather has on you.

Go outside and find yourself a stone or a pebble. Nothing too big or heavy, nothing too bulky. Try to find one that you find attractive, that feels nice to the touch, smooth without any sharp edges.

Spend some time seeking out your stone or pebble and, in the process, look carefully at all the other stones and pebbles nearby.

How different are they all? How do they differ in shape, size, smoothness?

When you’ve chosen you stone or pebble, take it home and wash off any mud or soil that’s stuck to it.

Now you can decide if your stone or pebble is perfect as it is or whether you wish to decorate it a little, perhaps using some paint.

Maybe add a symbol on it, a few words… whatever feels right.

Today (and every day) I invite you to carry your pebble or stone around with you. Carry it in your pocket, in your purse, wallet or bag.

When you’re sitting down somewhere, bring it out and set it beside you.

Every time you see or touch your pebble or stone, I invite you to express gratitude for something in your life.

Your pebble/stone is just a simple reminder, a simple memory jolt, to remind you to keep practising gratitude throughout your day.

For today’s exercise you will need the following:

  • a vase or tall jar,
  • pebbles,
  • a small tree branch or a couple of twigs (something that has already fallen from a tree – please don’t go cutting parts off a tree),
  • ribbon or string,
  • coloured paper,
  • pen

Place the pebbles into the vase or tall jar.

Insert the small branch or twigs in between the pebbles so it’s held upright.

Cut your paper into the shape of leaves and create a hole at the top of each leaf, where you can insert a piece of string or ribbon that can be used to tie the leaf onto the branch.

Grow your gratitude tree by writing something you are grateful for on each of the paper leaves before tying them onto your tree.

Where have you brought nature into your home? Do you have flowers, plants, or pets, perhaps? Spend some time today expressing your gratitude for each and every one of them.

You can take this even further, if you wish.

Where there is wood in your home, that wood was given by a tree. Give gratitude for that.

What about any fruit and veg that’s in a bowl or in your fridge, waiting for you to enjoy? Give gratitude for that.

Walk round your home and give thanks for anything natural that makes your life better.

and let's not forget...

This week's high vibe tune reminds us of the wonderful world around us

have gratitude wherever you go...

... with this week's gratitude quote wallpaper.

Note: details of how to download this week's wallpaper is provided below.

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom that springs from the soul” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

16:9

16:10

4:3

mobile

how to download your wallpaper

Before copying one of the pictures below, you'll want to quickly check your screen settings because the worst thing you can do is use a wallpaper with an aspect ratio that differs from the aspect ratio of your screen.

The aspect ratio of a rectangle is simply the proportion between width and height. The most common are 16:9, 16:10 and 4:3. And it will be for these 3 sizes that I shall provide you with your free wallpaper.

To find your screen resolution follow this basic guide. Steps for your computer may vary slightly but I hope this will give you some guidance:

  • Right-click the desktop and select Display settings.
  • Scroll down until you see "Resolution" (you may have to choose an "Advanced" option)
  • To find your aspect ratio, divide the width over the height. For example, if my resolution is 1920 x 1080 then I would divide 1920 over 1080 to get 1.778, which indicates a 16:9 resolution. Similarly, 1.6 indicated 16:10 and 1.333 indicates 4:3
  • When you've calculated your screen's aspect ratio, go to the picture below that matches that size
  • Right click on the picture and select "Set as Desktop Background"
  • Choose whether to "Fill", "Fit", or "Stretch" your picture - if you've chosen the right size "Fit" will be your best option
  • Select "Set Desktop Background" and you're done

  • First, save the wallpaper image to your phone by pressing your finger on the wallpaper image and hold down on it until you see a menu.
  • From here, click the “Save image” tab, and it will begin downloading.
  • The next step is to set this saved image as your wallpaper by pressing and holding a blank area on your screen (meaning where no apps are placed), and home screen options will appear.
  • Select 'add wallpaper' and choose whether the wallpaper is intended for 'Home screen', 'Lock screen', or 'Home and lock screen'.
  • Another set of options will appear where you can choose where the photo you would like to use will be coming from, namely the Gallery.
  • If necessary, crop the image to a suitable size. Once satisfied, simply click 'Done'.

  • First, save the wallpaper image to your phone by pressing your finger on the wallpaper image and hold down for about 2 seconds until a menu appears.
  • From here, click “Save Image“, and it will begin downloading.
  • The next step is to set this saved image as your wallpaper by, first, going to the 'Photos' app and selecting the wallpaper photo you've saved there.
  • Click on the share icon on the lower left corner of the screen, then select 'Use as Wallpaper'.
  • Then choose to set the photo as either the lock screen, home screen or both.