Grateful and Sad At The Same Time

Last week, my cat died.

Or we think he did.

I was out of town and we still had construction workers in the house. One of them left the door open and Louie got out.

The challenge is that we live in the desert. We have a wall around our front, but Louie is a cat and was able to easily jump that wall.

We live in an area where there are lots of coyotes, bobcats and other prey animals around. So, we are sadly confident that one of them got Louie. Michael called me while I was on my trip to break the news to me.

My heart hurt and I felt so bad that Louie went that way. I was sad that I wasn’t there to protect him and this was his fate.

Now, why am I sharing this with you especially this Thanksgiving week when I should be sharing about gratitude?

For one thing, you are part of my community and we share sad things with our communities.

The other thing (and this is the most important piece) is to show that we can be grateful and sad all in the same breath.

This happened while I was participating in a spiritual retreat in order to become an even more effective spiritual teacher. I was on a retreat with my spiritual teacher and community to continue my own growth and evolution to better serve you.

I was doing something that I loved and something really sad and painful happened. It could have ruined my trip. But because of years of spiritual training, I was able to be present for all of the emotions that flooded through me.

I was inspired, joyous, grateful, sad, angry, and frustrated all at the same time.

People often hold the misperception that when really painful things happen, it should take you out of the good that is going on.

They also share with me that they believe that somehow your dream and life are separate things.

I want you to hear that you live your dream in the context of your life, which includes the painful events. Living your dream does not mean that the rest of life stops being painful and difficult at times. It simply means that it all happens together. And you can be present for all of it simultaneously.

In fact, living your dream actually allows you to be more present for those painful times while moving through them in a way that transforms you. Being fully present for your dream and life allows you to be available to all of what life has to offer: the joy, the gratitude, and the pain.

I am grateful for this work that allowed me to really feel the sadness of Louie’s death (still do by the way) while being fully present to savor my experience with people that I love as I deepened my relationship with Source Energy.

I am grateful that I am able to feel and express sadness, joy, anger, love, and deep gratitude all at the same time.

The news of Louie’s death actually enhanced my retreat experience because it reminded me of how precious life is and how we will never get this moment again.

I am deeply grateful for the 14 1/2 years we had with Louie. He was an amazing companion and will forever be in my heart.

I also know I will not get another cat while I live in the desert. It is just not a safe place for cats no matter how careful you are. I fully appreciate the time we had with him while we had him.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving for those of us in the U.S., I encourage you to look around and fully appreciate everything you have today even in the midst of any painful, or difficult things that may be happening. Embrace all of life! Realize that it is all wonderful and temporary and your dream is the vehicle to expand and fully appreciate the good in your life today.

In memory of Louie,

Felicia

P.S. Life goes on! And your life is going on. So, join me 12/28 for my FREE masterclass, “3 Keys to Creating Your Ultimate Dream NOW!” 2022 is coming up quick. Let’s get you going to have your best year yet! Register here: www.feliciasearcy.com/dreamlife