As I am continuing with my online 21 day meditation experience with Deepak Chopra and Oprah, today’s reflection was on Success and Gratitude. The success I seek today is very different than the success I achieved before I could no longer keep up with the successful life of the “norm”. Today, I define my success as a continuous process of finding greater inner fulfillment. It is my birthright to have inner fulfillment. This is what I feel the universe is wanting me to do with my life. Today I have less material things in my life and I have really found great pleasure in living a simpler lifestyle. It has brought me fulfillment.

I seldom spend much time outside my home because it is too over-stimulating for my nervous system, so I have built a very contemplative and meditative life.

I have great access to online seminars and communities that support my goal of finding greater freedom and fulfillment while also giving back to the world. In addition, I have found a fundamental relationship in which I can share my vulnerabilities and flourish and in which we both can support each other’s journey to greater fulfillment. For all this abundance and as I see it, success, I am truly grateful.

The last few weeks have been completely challenging physically and in some ways emotionally. I am practically bedridden from the pain in my body. It is hard to use any part of it. Holding a fork to eat requires managing the pain. But I am so grateful because I am doing my online 21 day meditation experience (on gratitude, grace and love) at the same time. It has helped me to stay focused on all the goodness in my life. It has helped me to really accept what is. Pain is and will always be a part of my life. But most importantly, it reminded me to feel and share my abundance in life and to stay open to the power and possibilities of more love in my life. Furthermore, it reminded me to let the love in my life infiltrate my body, feel it wash over me and really connect with it physically so I may build new neural pathways of pleasure in my body. We are meant to feel pleasure in mind, body and spirit not to hold it at bay by separating from our bodies. This week I am grateful for being able to hold the pleasure and pain in my body with great compassion and awe (at least most of the time).