BEingME...inBelize: 21 Days of Gratitude- I AM THANKFUL....for heightened AWARENESS-Original Post November 2012

How time flies! Amazing we have been in Belize over 2 months. I spoke to a girlfriend some time ago about how things in Belize are so slow and I agree that they are. Things like people rushing about, or billions of cars speeding up and down the highways going who knows where. Things we see at home in the states and just take for granted that this is how things are supposed to be. Not so in Belize. Yes people are still going to and fro and yes there are cars in Belize but there is a different feel. A much more easy going, laid back FEEEEEEEEL.

Still despite this ironically I feel time is flying and on second glance the days go by incredibly quickly.

Maybe it is the literally cooking 3 meals a day, or the endless tasks of sweeping, mopping (oh wait do really do that so much), washing and hanging clothes on the line, filling water jugs (sorry not from a well just the 5 gallon bottle to the gallon jugs), etc that find me in this place.

So when I saw the 21 Days of Gratitude http://inspiredbyfamilymag.com/2012/10/30/21-days-of-gratitude-challenge-for-the-whole-family/# and clicked on the link to find that Day 6 (today...the day that I am starting) was gratitude for an emotion I decided to be thankful for heightened awareness (that's an emotion right?).

One of the most difficult things about being in Belize has been being away from my community. Yea Nashville is my community but when I say my community I mean MY COMMUNITY (if you feeeeeeeel me say whoop whoop!). My community is a place of comfort, strength, support, refuge, wisdom, beauty and joy! Within my community the talents and gifts are endless, there are kids by the bucketfuls and each of the many Mamas, Grannies, Papaws, Aunties, Uncles, Babas and Daddy's come with their own script...there own ideas and way of being that is priceless.

So I know you are saying what does this have to do with awareness right? Well it took me coming waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy over here to Belize to be fully awareness of how important this is to me. How much I thrive in this community of mine, how much a part of me each member is and how very blessed I am to have them/it in this lifetime.

What I have also become increasingly aware of is how all of those characteristics of my community are also found in me...

I AM STRENGTH
I AM COMFORT
I AM SUPPORT
I AM WISDOM
I AM BEAUTY
I AM JOY (can I say that again?)
I AM JOY
I AM JOY
I AM JOY
I AM JOY
I AM REFUGE....

So when my children are afraid of the endless pack of dogs I am strength. When they miss their Baba, their family and friends I am comfort. When I can't figure out which babysitter to go with I am wisdom. Or when I get lost in my own sadness I AM JOY!!!!!!

Being connected to such a community increases my awareness of my connection with the CREATOR...my Endless SOURCE...and from which my heightened awareness originated....ABUNDANTLY....

I AM thankful for this experience Being ME in Belize!