Text and Photos by Prime Sarmiento

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" The darkness is an invitation to light, calling forth the spirit in all of us. Can you reach within yourself for enough clarity, strength, forgiveness, serenity, love,patience and faith to turn this around?"

– Marianne Williamson

 

I love Christmas if only because this is one one day that I can be grateful for ALL the blessings that I received in the whole year. It's a time to be with family and friends – my greatest blessing – and especially here in the Philippines where Christmas is such a big deal, it is the most joyful time of the year.

 

But this year's Christmas may be a bit different for this Gypsy Gal who recently experienced one of her darkest moments. Just a few weeks ago, I was crying and depressed and can hardly find anything to be grateful for. I was in Hanoi – and my plan to launch a location independent travel blogging career hit a major road block. I am ok now and have since returned to Manila, but to be honest, I'm not so into the Holiday cheer. There were happy and sad moments, and just a few days before Christmas, I found myself crying while talking to a friend of mine.

 

But happiness is a choice, and despite everything I chose to be grateful. Here is how I managed to overcome one of the darkest moments in my life, to show gratitude and to come into the light.

 

 

  • Keep a gratitude journal:

     

    I never failed to write something in my gratitude journal every single day. Despite all my disappointments, I keep on writing down every single thing that I'm grateful for – my health, my family, my friends, my journalism career, the women – and also men – who read this blog and were inspired by this travel blog. Whenever I read my gratitude journal, I feel so thankful for the many blessings that I received. To paraphrase my lovely  intuition coach Christina – my gratitude journal proved that I'm loved even in my darkest moment.

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  • Trust in a Higher Power:

     

    Even if I sometimes doubt that they are there, I continued to meditate, pray, go to temples and churches and connect with my Angels and Goddesses. I know that they are always there, no matter what. And even if it was difficult, even if I was so hurt that no one seems to be listening or answering my prayers, I trusted that the Higher Power has better plans for me and they will manifest at the right time.

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  • Talk with trusted friends and family: Not to mention spiritual counselors and mentors. These are the people I trust and who actually showed me that this is just a minor setback, that I will succeed, that if I'm not getting what I pray for, it's because this is not what I'm meant to do. Looking back, I realized that they were actually right. I'm meant to do something more with my travel blog and my life. Staying in Hanoi is not aligned with who I am and my life's purpose.

  • Help others: I refused to mull over my sadness and decided to use my time, energy and talent to make this world a better place. I donated money and used clothes to the survivors of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. I also decided to submit stories to newswires about the relationship between Haiyan and climate change and the need for disaster preparedness. Reading about what befell the typhoon survivors made me realize how trivial my problems are and more importantly, be thankful for what I have.

  • Be thankful for the experience:  My setback in Hanoi forced me to evaluate my life and ask myself what my heart really desired. It was right there, that I finally accepted my real calling – a calling that I receivedfrom one of my first spirituality teachers ten years ago. I ignored it because I find it too much of a woo-woo. I was a business journalist, for crying out loud!!!  But that's the problem (or perhaps the blessing) of having a caling. You just can't ignore it. Something will happen to you to sort of force your hand, and accept that calling.  

Ten years later, I got the calling. But this time around, I decided to heed the call despite my doubts and fears. I packed up my bags, flew to Kuala Lumpur and studied under a teacher who taught a course on angelic guidance, creating miracles, crystals and energy healing. I later went through a intense karmic release session with a powerful healer. It was one of the best moments in my life and I will forever be thankful for the difficult experience that I went through because it pushed me to accept and OWN my gift: that I am an intuitive, a claircognizant, a lightworker. 

 

That to me is the biggest thing that I am grateful for. And that to me is what this Christmas is all about.

 

–prime_temple_hanoi

How about you? What are you grateful for? Do write down your thought in the comments section or hit the reply button and drop me a note. I read EVERY e-mail message sent by blog readers.

 

Merry Christmas and may we all be grateful!!!!