Hey hey, it’s the 1st of May! Happy May Day & Beltane 🌸
Today marks the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice—a time to celebrate light, life, and colour.
As the days grow longer and brighter, May invites us to bask in the gentle sunlight, the explosion of spring flowers, and the joy of lighter evenings. All these natural shifts help lift our mood and open our hearts to a more positive mindset.
🌼 What Are May Day and Beltane?
May Day (May 1st) is an ancient spring festival celebrating light, fertility, and the blossoming of nature. Traditionally, people danced around maypoles, crowned a May Queen, and welcomed the return of warmer days. In modern times, it’s also known as International Workers’ Day, honoring workers’ rights around the world.
Beltane is a Celtic fire festival that also falls on May 1st. It marks the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice—a time to celebrate fertility, passion, and growth. Bonfires, nature rituals, and honoring life’s energy were all part of the tradition.
Both festivals invite us to embrace light, joy, connection, and new beginnings – so this month’s theme is Gratitude.
🌼Why Practice Gratitude?
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of “not good enough”—focusing on what’s missing instead of what’s already here.
We live in a world that quietly (and sometimes loudly) encourages dissatisfaction:
- The news feeds us mostly bad news.
- Social media highlights our supposed shortcomings in comparison to others.
- At work, we often dwell on unfinished tasks rather than celebrating achievements.
No wonder the negative stands out. Seeing the good takes effort.
But here’s the truth: the effort is worth it.
Regular gratitude practice can:
- Increase happiness and contentment
- Reduce stress
- Improve sleep
- Boost self-esteem
- Lower blood pressure
- Enhance optimism
- Reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression
🌼And Yet—Life Happens
Let’s be real: life isn’t all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Tough, painful things happen. Sadness, loss, and frustration are part of the human experience.
But when we’ve trained ourselves to see the good—especially in the small things—we build resilience. Gratitude doesn’t erase hardship, but it can make us stronger and more grounded when the hard stuff hits.
Even in the darkest of times, there is often a flicker of light—something small to be thankful for. We just have to practice looking for it.
🌼What I Do (and You Can Too)
If you follow me on LinkedIn or social media, you may have seen my weekly gratitude posts. They’re part of my own practice. One thing I’ve noticed: when you start looking for good things, you start seeing more good things. It truly changes how you experience life.
🌼So, What Can You Do This May?
- Start a regular gratitude practice:
- Weekly: Join my weekly gratitude challenge on social media (Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn).
- Daily: Start or end your day with 3 things you’re grateful for. Begin with the basics (home, food, clean water). Over time, you’ll notice more—like a butterfly landing nearby, a rainbow after rain, or your child’s smile at the school gate.
- Notice the little things that make you smile.
Pause. Notice. Create a mental snapshot. - Try a Gratitude Meditation.
I’ll be recording one for Insight timer over the coming weeks - Say “Thank you.”
- When someone lets you out in traffic
- When someone holds the door
- When someone gives you a compliment—don’t deflect, just receive it and say thank you
- Send a message to someone you appreciate.
No special occasion—just because. Let them know you’re thankful for them.
🌸 Embrace the Energy of May
As we step into this new month, may you take a moment to notice the light returning, the colours brightening, and the small joys that are always around you—if you take the time to see them.
Let this be a month where you pause, reflect, and say thank you—to yourself, to others, and to the world around you. Gratitude isn’t about ignoring what’s hard—it’s about making space for what is good!
Whether you start a new gratitude habit, say thank you more often, or simply stop to admire a blooming flower, know that you’re planting seeds of joy in your own life.
Wishing you a bright, beautiful, and grateful May. 🌿
“The Earth laughs in flowers.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson