Attitude of Gratitude

Good morning lovers. I'm awake early today, mainly because hubby woke up really early today on a mission and I begged him to come back to bed... all for him to return and for neither of us to fall back asleep... however there's something so subtle yet powerful about being in each others arms before dawn that triggered all the gratitude I could muster within me, so I decided to be obedient to the spirit's demand on my thankfulness and write it out.... happy write it Wednesday.

As Thanksgiving approaches *tomorrow* and we're all preparing our kitchens, homes, and hearts for food, family, fun and if you like myself have difficult family members some lowkey feuding.... I want to remind you to really take this Thursday as an opportunity to be grateful. I'll go first:

I am thankful for God. To know that there's a presence that's guiding me, loving me, holding me, keeping me, protecting me from dangers seen and unseen? Can't do a thing without God and can do all things through God.

I am thankful for breath in my body.

I am thankful for a cozy, comforting home. Yes my home is small, and yes my building is old so sometimes we deal with what comes with an old apartment, but I am not on the streets in this weather, i'm not behind on rent, and my heat works.

I am thankful for clean bathing and drinking water. That's not available everywhere in the world, let alone this country.

I am thankful for a healthy reproductive system. Yes, aunt flow is sometimes just putting pressure on my back, my thighs, my brain, and my womb, but I'm grateful that the system designed for woman is working properly within my body.

I am thankful for a fully stocked fridge. I have not gone a day hungry that I did not simply choose to not eat or "forgot to." Many people are going hungry because they cannot afford to eat.

I am thankful for the ability to raise my hand to my mouth whilst eating, or to grab someones attention, or to scratch my head, or to flip someone off *sorry mommy, working on it lol* I am thankful that the connections in my brain command my hand to do these things without having to think about it, and that nothing has impaired this connection.

I am thankful for hard times that cause me to pray harder than ever and root in my faith. No they aren't fun times, but they're necessary times and each time I leave the hardship with more than I came in with, either literally is metaphorically.

I am thankful for the gift of dance. To express myself through movement is, indescribable.

I am thankful for the gift of song. To express myself through melody is also, indescribable.

I am thankful for the community of people that are my chosen family. For the ones who see me, and help me to see myself when my view is a little foggy.

I am thankful for wisdom. My spirit is wise, and since I've been honoring that fact more this year, less has stressed me because I realize I already have the answers.

I am thankful for love. Self love, platonic love, romantic love, family love, all love.

I am thankful for my sight, taste, smell, feels, and hearing. Everyone doesn't have all five.

I am thankful for two living parents. Even if I don't get what I need from them directly, it is a blessing to have the two people that mixed together to create you alive, even if just for reference sometimes.

I am thankful for both sets of my grandparents still being alive. More wisdom and faith and love to be learned and taught.

I am thankful for my husband. I found myself driving home the other day and realizing I married the guy of my dreams. The guy of my dreams was also a sweet, tender-hearted, silly, down to ride for a homicide, God fearing and loving, money-making, focused, ambitious, gentle, sexy, leader... and.... ding ding ding, I married that.

I am thankful for tears. I am thankful that sometimes a good cry is all I need to sober me up.

I am thankful for hugs. A hug can change your day.

I am thankful for travel, and the fact that I get to do it for work, consistently.

I am thankful that my work is in alignment with my calling and that my calling is my passion. God really went brazy when it was decided this would be my life.

I am thankful that life hasn't hardened my heart to connecting with others, even if sometimes it's difficult.

I am thankful for Work-Study at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. A position that will always be near and dear to my heart, and for the wisdom and opportunity it's given me.

I am thankful for family, even if they're different than the family my husband and I are working to establish. We have blueprints on what we'd like to keep and what we'd like to do away with, some people start from NOTHING.

I am thankful for the dark thoughts and moments, because every-time I realize, that's not really me...those are just the dark thoughts and moments coming for my light, and my light is who I really am.

I am thankful for a mother and father who are excellent cooks, and thus I am Chef JT.

I am thankful that God sees me fit to travel to the most historic and spiritual land on the planet for six months to grow me, cultivate me, and crack open the fresh oil that is within me.

I am thankful for this blog, for it brings me solace and also inspiration and helps me share it.

I am thankful for my community of supporters, near or far. If you've listened to my music, follow and engage with me on any of the socials, email me, have come to a show, prayed for me, partied with me, any of that, Im grateful. People need people.

I am thankful that my husband brings me flowers every week.

I am thankful for therapy and the breakthroughs that ensue.

I am thankful for meditation as well as the access and power through prayer. Life changer.

I'm grateful for an online church community that is onechurchLA, just as I am grateful for a church home in Chicago.

I am grateful for Chicago, although mama is a bit bored of it for now.

I am grateful for the decade, and to be seeing a new one.

I am thankful for the ability to age, I know some that didn't make it to my age.

I am thankful for every bone in my body, and it functioning, even if she's stiff sometimes.

I'm thankful for going on my first tour this year.

I am thankful for releasing music for the first time ever this year.

I am grateful for all the fuck ups, from men, to food, to things I said that I didn't mean, to things I didn't say that needed to be said.

Im thankful that I was born in the right time, at the right place and that all I have to offer the world is making it's entrance into the atmosphere.

I'm thankful my best days are ahead of me.

I'm thankful that I won't ever go back to some things I've left

I'm thankful that some people I really loved and cared about left me alone this year and upgraded my vision on who i deserve to surround myself with.... I needed that.

I'm thankful for sex, and amazing chemistry and intimacy with my husband.

I'm thankful for feeling all my emotions, and being vulnerable, and getting it wrong sometimes and having the courage and humility to say oops, I got it wrong.

I'm thankful for courage.

I'm thankful I am brave.

I am thankful that not only do I love myself, I like myself.

Im thankful that Im not working for peoples validation but only God's glory.

I'm thankful that my career taking off.

I'm thankful I haven't missed a meaningful Monday or a blog since I've returned from Asia.

I'm thankful that I've been in class and the gym consistently.

I'm thankful that I am not God, and that time nor life and death is decided by me.

thankful for the spirit.

I'm thankful that even if I can't get my entire to do list done for the day, that I am still successful, worthy of love and belonging and can try again another day.

I am thankful for grants and fellowships being awarded to me.

I am thankful that God supplies every need.

I am thankful for a healthy relationship with self and my lover.

I am thankful for my close friend and grant writer Monica.

I am thankful that even on the days I don't dance, I am a dancer and choreographer.

I am thankful that on the days I don't write, I'm still a writer.. or journaler or blogger... whatver you'd like to call it.

I am thankful that on the days I don't sing, I am still a vocalist and songwriter.

I am thankful for patience and grace with myself as I navigate this journey called life.

I am thankful TO BE HERE.

Lastly, the thing I am most grateful for this year is my mental and spiritual upgrades. I have been doing the work and I am continuing to do so and it's changing my life. The way I speak to myself is higher. My anxiety still appears but the way I handle her, is a lot different. My self confidence is high, I've always been tough but I haven't always felt confident, and now I do. My belief and faith is higher. The work that I'm doing on my mind, I'm grateful. It's hard sometimes and so rewarding because, now I'm better at creating and upholding boundaries. speaking up for myself, saying no, asking for help when I need, and being patient with myself which allows for patience for others. All I can say is glory to God.

I'm thankful I do not look nor act like what I've been through.

I'm thankful. There's so much to be thankful for I can't even list it all, not if I had ten-thousand tongues. So think about that as you enter the day of the year where you're supposed to be reminded of how much you truly have by simply being alive.

I'm thankful that with all I've been through, my spirit is still this lit. hands up, cups raised: BRING THE BEAT IN

With all of my love, and my best wishes for the most Happy Thanksgiving,

Mrs. Taylor