There are days when being grateful is so simple. As the Rodgers and Hammerstein song says,
Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day, I’ve got a wonderful feeling, Everything’s going my way.
But, then there are those days when it seems absolutely nothing is going right. Read more
It depends upon our attitude. So, which to choose? Personally, I like fun!
Attitude is like a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it becomes, and the easier it becomes to shift it.
When we stop and consciously acknowledge all we have in life, we begin to discover how much we have to appreciate.
Give it a try. Act abundantly and express your gratitude.
Try taking time each day to make notes in a journal about all the things, people, occurrences and opportunities that you appreciate. After a few weeks, go back over your lists to see how amazing and abundant life is!
May peace and joy surround you,
and contentment latch your door.
May happiness be with you
And bless you evermore. Read more
Giving thanks. It’s easy to forget and it’s easy to take for granted those people in our lives who we truly care about. When we tune in and feel gratitude it opens our hearts and brings us to a plane where true joy happens. The most important place to feel and express gratitude is in our most important relationships. Yet, often we take those relationships for granted. What would happen if we took a few minutes each day to give thanks to our partners, children, family? I think that a lot of insignificant gripes would drop away. Seeing and expressing gratitude has a way of moving us to step back, see the bigger picture and remind us what we really want. Open your heart. Give thanks. See what happens.
How would you like to show gratitude to the people you care about?
To immediately feel secure with yourself and your place in the world, give gratitude.
Adopting an attitude of gratitude and backing it with grateful actions offers many uplifting results, including feeling more secure and happy with one’s place in the world. Showing appreciation chases away insecurity for multiple reasons. It opens our eyes and hearts to all we have in life. And when we express our gratitude toward others, that in turn makes them feel more grateful, happy and worthwhile. What goes around, comes around. Read more
Being satisfied and grateful with what we already have is a magical golden key to being alive in a full, unrestricted, and inspired way. ~Pema Chodron
A few weeks ago, I hurt my elbow and had it in a temporary cast and wrapped from above my elbow to my wrist. Although I wasn’t in pain, I was restricted in my movements and generally felt very cumbersome. Suddenly, I was made acutely aware of how luxurious it is to be able to bend or straighten one’s arm, scratch an itch, reach above my head, and lie on my side. This incident made me appreciate the function of my healthy arm and elbow and all they do to make my life easier. Read more
It’s Good To Be Grateful!
Robert Emmons, noted researcher in the psychology of gratitude, was asked what were the three key things he wanted people to know about gratitude. “First, the practice of gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. Second, this is not hard to achieve–a few hours writing in a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months if not more. Third, cultivating gratitude brings other health effects, such as longer and better quality sleep time.”
25% happier? Sounds good to me! Then, a little time journaling our ‘gratitudes’ for long lasting effects along with better health? That’s a pretty good deal for the amount of effort. Read more
It’s easy to grow accustomed to the many things and people that support us in daily living. Sometimes I find myself complaining about what is lacking and forget to see and appreciate all the goodness in my life.
Recently, the cables were down in my neighborhood for a whole day. I had no access to the Internet. Can you imagine?! At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself. How many times have I put “Internet connection” on my gratitude list? Never. It’s there now. (See journals below.)
Gratitude is one of the practices that leads to contentment, happiness and abundance. One of my favorite stories that illustrates gratitude is about Nasreddin, a legendary Sufi jester said to have existed during the Middle Ages.
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One day Nasreddin saw a man sitting in a shadow of gloom, face in his hands. The man looked so forlorn that Nasreddin stopped, hoping to be able to console him. Read more
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. ~ Henry Van Dyke
Traditions are meant to be simple yet meaningful as well as enjoyed and remembered for years to come.
Thanksgiving traditions usually include turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie and families huddled around the television watching football. The holiday lends itself by it’s very nature to sharing our gratitude.
Below are a few traditions that will help promote the expression of appreciation and thankfulness. Read more
