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Gratitude: The Bridge to Your Dreams

GratitudeGratitudeI specifically remember the day that I felt so much gratitude that it almost felt like I was in an alternate universe. I was so overcome with joy for where I was at that exact moment that it didn’t even feel real. I wondered “How can life get any better than this?”

That same night as I drove home from work I got stuck in a traffic jam. You know what I did? I blasted my tunes and sang at the top of my lungs, celebrating life and it’s awesomeness. I could’ve cared less about the traffic.

That amazing day of buzzing with gratitude was not my last. Every day I went to work in utter joy, contentment, and amazement of the organization and colleagues I was blessed to be surrounded by. I was absolutely, undeniably, in love with my life and everything in it. And let’s be honest, One Salon is pretty freakin fantastic so I had that going for me (I was a hairstylist there for three years).

10424296_10152863264151435_2035684351524019959_nFast forward to November 2015, and there I was planning my farewell party. I was not only leaving the salon job and career of my dreams, but everything and everyone I knew and loved. My husband and I packed up our entire life and drove 38 hours across the USA to live in Seattle, WA.

Everything seemed so surreal during the transition. Endless emotions came over me. I was caught between laughing and crying most of the time, being in such appreciation yet torn thinking about leaving my family, work family, and the very place where I came into this world. (Love my Detroit!)

So, how did this move to the west coast come about?

10897931_10152996257826435_9176708100825339098_nMy husband and I had dreams of moving out west for quite some time. We knew it was absolutely for us when we went to visit some friends in Portland, OR in 2013. But we didn’t know how to make it a reality, and part of us wanted to stay in Michigan to continue our careers there, and be close to our family and friends. We were comfortable and settling. We even thought about buying a house in Plymouth in 2015 because we loved it so much (More gratitude). We kept the west coast in our back pocket, and went on about our business as usual.

11010295_10153152633026435_9588739881147303_nThe only thing I did any differently was to deeply feel immense gratitude for everything in my life. And I mean EVERYTHING. When I woke up in the morning I consciously looked around my home and praised every inch of it, feeling deeply thankful for the roof over my head. I went to work and gave thanks for the clean water I got to drink, the people around me, the building, and the abundance that was before me. After work I would drive home bumpin to my favorite music and have a blast by myself, thinking only of what was so awesome about all of it. I would arrive home and enjoy a hot cup of tea to the fullest. And I’m not exaggerating in any way. I was so in love with my life that sometimes I couldn’t believe I could be so fortunate.

3928_77924126434_4548332_nAnd it’s not like I was this big movie star, millionaire, or any big deal at all. I am just your average middle class gal from the Detroit suburbs, with a positive attitude. That is all. But that little shift in my mindset and perspective on my life triggered the most massive change I could imagine: moving to the place of my dreams, to pursue my dream of becoming a Holistic Health Coach.

After about a year of feeling gratitude in the highest sense of the word, my husband accepted a job on the west coast. 365 days of pure joy and gratitude is all it took. Just as I was settling in, my world was rocked in the best way possible.

It was hard to leave our home. I was TERRIFIED. It was an emotional roller coaster, a ball of stress (and excitement), and LOTS of difficult good byes. I had to say good bye to my clients who, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have had a business. Some clients had been seeing me for literally 7 or 8 years. I had to say good bye to the best place of business on earth in the hair industry. I cried with mom, dad, sister, aunts, uncles, and friends. But in the end, my dreams came true all as a direct result of the love I felt for my life.

10958948_10153113485956435_4243563301205080175_nI am currently living my dreams in Seattle, working as a Holistic Health Coach, helping women all over the country discover their true strength. Helping them to step out of that place of fear and own who they truly are using holistic healing and, you guessed it, GRATITUDE.

What if gratitude was the bridge that could lead you to your dreams? What if giving thanks for every aspect of your life lit a spark in your soul so you could uncover what’s really waiting for you? If there is any one piece of advice I’d like to leave you with today, it’s this: be grateful everyday. It could be the bagels in the morning, the new nail polish you just bought, or the friendly barista at Starbucks, but whatever you’ve gotta do, appreciate something. You never know where it could lead.

And speaking of gratitude, I’d like to thank my dear friends Janine Exline (owner of One Salon), Craig Posegay (manager), and Abby Monteith (manager) for allowing me to continue sharing my thoughts with you in these blog posts from all the way out in Washington. It is such a pleasure. Until next time…

In deep appreciation,

Andrea M
Llovera Holistic

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@savvynaturopath