Say “Thank you:” It Works
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie
It’s easy to say “thank you’ when you receive something you like, something that feels good, or makes you smile. It’s a lot more difficult to do so when you get something you don’t like. Like an illness, or the theft of your wallet. Or a tax audit.
Yet, saying “thank you” for the people and situations that irritate or frustrate you is a critical ingredient in the recipe for continuing to learn, grow and evolve.
Why would you want to? Because the alternative sort of sucks. It’s called death, whether physical or emotional.
Which makes feeling grateful kind of important
read moreNew Freedoms
“Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.” ~Albert Camus
Freedom: a small word with large implications, a simple idea with complex contradictions. Wars are fought over the word, societies swept up with the ideal. The U.S fought for it as did India and others. The peoples of the coast of northern Africa are caught up in creating it as I type.
But I live in lands rich—drunk, in fact—with freedom.
read moreHow to Perform a Calendarenectomy
“When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?” ~G.K. Chesterton
Yeah, I’m still on the gratitude kick. Especially as the we get closer to Christmas day. Creates a season-specific illness called calendarenitis, (n. kal’ n dar’ n i’ tis), the over-scheduling, over-wringing, over-dressing, over-stressing caused by seasonal celebrations
read moreSmall Moments, Big Memories
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G.K. Chesterton
Gratitude for the smallest things can transform them into monumental moments. The thing is, you got to pay attention
read moreBuy Less, Give More
“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” ~Frank A. Clark
Trite but true: An attitude of gratitude is the best gift you can give yourself—and everyone around you. It’s fun to open, too
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