I've been exploring an image lately, related to a wilted garden, its flowers dried out and needing water.  When I explore that image more deeply, I discover that it represents what happens when we forget to give attention and appreciation to people and things that are important in our lives.  So many of us take the people around us for granted, even when we don't intend to do that.  We forget to say "thank you" or express the value the person has in our life, or we ignore opportunities that emerge to show people how much we value them.  Even more fundamental to living consciously, there often are places where we forget to acknowledge and appreciate ourselves - taking ourselves for granted in some very basic ways.

For example, do you take time to thank your body for the fact that it allows you to be alive in this world?  Your body may have things about it that are challenging or uncomfortable for you but, bottom line, it is what allows you to be in this world and live your life.  Do you overlook talents and skills you have that bring you satisfaction and delight, or that help you live a life that's organized and comfortable in ways that are just right for you?  Do you notice the little things you do that make a positive difference in your life, the activities you enjoy that nourish you?

For this week's experiment, I invite you to explore appreciating and paying attention to what's right about you, to what you like about yourself, and what about you deserves your gratitude.  Perhaps you have a particular talent for gardening, and as summer (here in the hemisphere that's currently having summer) progresses, what's it like to enjoy the fruits of your labor?  Are you someone who enjoys talking with people, or taking long walks, and do you thank yourself for these activities that nourish you so deeply?  Is your body particularly strong or competent in some way that's important to you?

Of course, for most of us there are also things we don't like about ourselves, and it's completely normal to have mixed feelings.  Be sure to invite and include them, as they're part of being a whole human.  But, for the focus of this week's experiment, allow yourself to acknowledge any negative feelings you may have about yourself or your body and then return to giving attention and gratitude to those things about you that enhance and support your daily life.

As with all the experiments, this one is an invitation to curiosity and play.  It's an opportunity to become more aware of the relationship you have with yourself - and to notice what happens in the quality of your daily life when you take time to "water your garden" - to give yourself attention and appreciation for the things that are positive about you.  Remember, as always, to gently pat judgments on the head and allow them to move on through, rather than fighting or agreeing with them.  When we make room for thoughts to be like birds flying through the sky, not inviting them to land within us, we offer ourselves a greater possibility of being able to actually hang out with, and enjoy, positive feelings about ourselves.

And so, I hope you have fun with this experiment and allow it to offer you the gift of appreciating yourself more than you may already do in both large and small ways.