GRATITUDE

November always has a gratitude theme to it. I wish more months did that, but I guess with the very best of all holidays (in my humble opinion) being in November, it just makes sense.

“What you think about and thank about, you bring about!”

One of the greatest quotes and OH SO TRUE!!!

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Gratitude - Dr Erica Peabody

There are so many things to be grateful for, just look around you. No really, stop for a moment from reading this, look up and look around you. I bet you can instantly find 5 things to be grateful for! If not, LOOK HARDER!!!

There is always something to be grateful for and gratitude, when used as a driving force in our lives, is a really powerful tool for bringing about more of what you want and shifting energy around worry and fear.

I have been using the month of November to express my gratitude towards individual things inside of my life and my days that I am grateful for. Just a few more days to go however my list truly goes on much longer than just the number of days inside of this month.
When I take a glance around in my life, one of the greatest gifts ever given to me is the army of people that support me every single day. There is a lot happening in life and for whatever reason, I tend to not take the easy path to some of the life lessons sent my way. It is tough stuff sometime. Just when the world seems like it is crashing down on one side, I reach out and ask for a little bit of help and support and someone always steps in to help me until I can do it all myself again…well that is until another side starts to crumble.

When I head home after my day of work, I realize that within a mere 3 miles of my home are some of the greatest people I know. I feel so lucky to be living and working inside this incredible community of Fenton, but beyond that, I have so many people, family and friends, that are part of my daily life. I am so, so grateful!

As a little call to action inside of this simple blog post, go grab a piece of paper and a pen. Go ahead, I will wait right here…

Okay, now that you have paper and pen, just write 1-30 down the left side. Sit for the next 10 minutes or so and fill up each one of those slots with 30 things you are grateful for.

Want to take it one step further? Go share that with your spouse, your kids or give a friend a call and share it with them. It is one thing to think about it, it is a whole other thing to write it down and it takes it up a level to share it out loud with someone. Then report back here and let me know how you did. You can simply read through this blog post and say “Oh wow Erica, I can see how that would be beneficial.” …or you can GO DO SOMETHING!!! Get off of your phone (I know you are reading this from your phone), set that thing down, pen it to paper and SHARE THE GRATITUDE!!! I can almost bet that it will spark something inside of that next person to do the same.

You will see… Expressing gratitude is the first step in bringing more of those things you are grateful for into your life…and it is quite contagious!!

PUPPY LOVE

I am sure you know, as most of you follow me already on social media, this puppy love is a real thing!

As written in a prior post, getting a puppy wasn’t exactly my idea. In fact, inside of the logistics challenge that is already our life, there isn’t much time or space to give a puppy the proper home.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody Puppy Love
Puppy Hugs

Would I call myself a “dog person”? Not necessarily although a few years back I had a chocolate lab that brought me so much joy. Life was very different back when I had Choco though, I was traveling a ton and it was quite a juggle to make it all happen as a single mom to a dog.

But life has changed…A LOT!!! I a lot more than anyone can really fathom (I have wanted to write more on this blog lately but when my computer has taken a crap and life has been so crazy, it is hard to keep you all filled in).

How has life changed? Things are beginning to settle a bit and slow down a lot more. Many of you know that I transitioned the office to my Center for Well-Being, affectionately known as “Big Blue” a year ago. Our wedding was in March and we were simultaneously working to blend our lives and fire a builder and finish building my super-delayed home. SERIOUSLY UNIVERSE!!! That much challenge for one gal all at the same time, that is not even funny anymore. In fact, something finally cracked… (more to come on that, stay tuned).

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody Puppy Love
he is always smiling

This time in life is about slowing down and looking around at all the amazing things that surround me on a daily basis. This time is about looking back on all the hard work and then looking forward with eyes both on the the laboring that the life ahead requires, but also enjoying the fruits of all the labor up until this point.

This beautiful floofball joined the roster back in August and since then the schedule constraints made it so that he has been with me and by my side most of the days. I thought I wanted life to be a different way, but honestly, when the Universe throws you some life lessons, at least begin by embracing them.

I became a dog mom overnight inside of a time that I had no idea I wanted a dog. And I am not sure that I would want just any dog, this guy has special magic powers.

Inside of the responsibilities of taking good care of a dog, life needs a little more space and time; get up a little earlier, head home between events, check in on him and get super creative with ways that he can fit into it all. He is a charmer, cute as can be, loves snuggles and actually hugs back. He is smart as a whip and so so generous with his energy. He is a Bernedoodle; Bernese Mountain dog with their grace, peacefulness and loyalty and Poodle which is one of the smartest breeds and non shed hair.

When I describe him I always say that he is literally like if one of your favorite stuffed animals came to life and follows you around to brighten your day. It is the GREATEST connection ever and the most perfect companion.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody Puppy Love
Bed head

Remember that list from above? The list of the past 2 years and all the chaos? Well one chick isn’t able to always completely hold it together and the level of daily anxiety was (and still ebbs and flows) off the charts! I have done a lot of hard things in my life however I never experienced chronic anxiety like that.

Since Lou, my days are calmer, quieter, more peaceful and more filled with appreciating the little things. Life went from the big grand scale and doing all the things just to keep up with that moving train, to most of my focus on this little 4 legged floofball and what his needs are at any time. It went from big and outside the home, back hunkered down inside this beautiful sanctuary-like sacred space that I intentionally created.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Dr Erica Peabody Puppy Love
Just paws and a nose

And my level of anxiety went from red-lining most of the time and has reduced by probably, if I had to put a number on it, 70%. It has been an incredible shift. Being a dog mom at this point in my life, in this space and time, having the contrast of experiencing the tornado of the past 2 years, is a shift I did not know was coming…but I am forever grateful.

I have been attacked by 2 dogs in my life, breeds that are not suspect of turning quickly like they did, but I see the world differently now. I see through the eyes of this grand puppy love and, although I have had my own dogs in the past and grew up with them, I really get it now. No, like I REALLY get it now. The love for the little fur balls is something so super special.