Virtual Gratitude Party

Harmony in Gratitude

2012-01-08T14:28:00.001-05:00

"Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come; and it will keep you in close harmony with creative thought and prevent you from falling into competitive thought." Wallace Wattles, The Science of Success (P. 45)

"The moment you focus on dissatisfaction, you fixate on the common,the ordinary,the poor and the squalid."

When you are experiencing hardship, lack, ill health,or inspiration you can benefit from expressing gratitude to yourself, others around you and to (God, Spirit, the Divine). Gratitude forces you to look upon things in your life that brought you joy, abundance and opportunity for growth. Although you can feel grateful about a particular "piece" of your daily existence and unhappy about another, you cannot be both grateful and ungrateful in whole at the same time.

Your heart tells you where you are focused. What happens around you confirms which direction your are currently heading. You are focused on what you have and what you can learn if you are able to solve or resolve troubling matters quickly. Experiencing confusion and anxiety indicates the need to refocus on Gratitude. Seek harmony and spread your joy!

What Lies Are You TellingYourself (and others)?

2012-01-02T05:55:00.002-05:00

The story we tell ourselves and others to explain our current reality is a direct result of what we have come to believe-about ourselves, about others and about the world. We tell stories as a way to protect ourselves because we have become afraid to let others see us as we really are.

What are you afraid of? Did you know that research has found there are only two "natural" fears: the fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. The rest of our fears are manufactured lies we tell ourselves as a result of an experience we somehow find undesirable.

Fear has been described as False Evidence Appearing Real. In other words, we make up evidence to support us in coping with an unpleasant situation. The more often we practice telling ourselves that there is a "real" reason for us to avoid something, the more real it becomes. It doesn't take long for us to accept this as a truth and allow it to guide us unconsciously in the choices we make.

Often times, we adopt someone else's "truth" about things. For instance, before Christopher Columbus discovered America, the world knew the truth about the world-it was flat. Before Thomas Edison invented electricity, we knew ther was no way to harness energy through wires to produce light. Before Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes, we knew it couldn't be done.

What lies are you telling yourself to cover up your true identity? What beliefs are you using as your guide in life to avoid that which you fear?
Are you willing to discover a new truth-to "know" a better way of achieving what you desire besides hiding in fear and hoping someone else will provide?

Are You WIlling?

2011-12-26T22:43:00.001-05:00

There is a difference between knowing something and being aware of something.

Recognizing a piece of information because you have heard it before does not mean you "know" it. To know something, you must have the awareness of it. You must experience it. You must understand it at a deep level.

I bet you have experienced a time or two in your life when someone told you a piece of information to which you replied, "I know". Then, they ask "If you know it why didn't you do it?"

You may have just heard an old conversation in your head-such as a parent telling you something they have told you before. You clearly hear yourself saying "I know".

Information is an ingredient to knowing something. Information gives you a context in which to determine what, if anything, needs to be done. It may give you an indication as to where you might start. But to know it, you must act upon the information in a meaningful and focused way.

Are you willing to know, to understand fully, information that you have been given which, if put into practice or acted upon, would give you different results?

Four Fundamental Questions

2011-12-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

Neale Donald Walsch proposes 4 fundamental questions in life:

Who am I? Describe yourself from the viewpoint of your role in the world. Identify how you influence the world, it's people and it's future.

Where am I? Describe how are you experiencing yourself in the world. Describe "the world" you live in in terms of what is does "to" you, "for" you or "without" you. Is the experience one of being schooled, competing, being devleoped or molded?

Why am I where I am? Give great thought to the decisions and choices you have made that resulted in the reality you find yourself in today.

Most importantly, what do you intend to do about THAT? What choices are you going to make differently and what difference will that make in your experiencing of the world as you have known it to be?

"There is no more powerful change than to start a conversation" Neale Donald Walsch, P.50

How will you engage in this conversation?

Life's Golden Ticket

2011-12-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

In the book, Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard, he suggests that instead of asking: What is happening to me right now?
ASK: What am I making happen in my life right now?

Instead of asking: What am I getting out of this?
ASK: What am I giving right now? (P178)

When we take responsibility for our circumstances,actions and results we find there is much more to be grateful for than if we look at our circumstances from what is wrong.

The Law of Gratitude

2011-11-26T09:52:00.001-05:00

Wallace Wattles, in The Science of Success, describes the Law of Gratitude as:
the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal and in opposite direction. The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.

He goes on to say, "Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are."(Pg 46)

Where can you show or express more gratitude?
- in traffic
- as you experience difficulty
- when you hear of a tragedy or negative happening

What would you be grateful for in the above circumstances or those which are similar? How would that change the way you areseeing the world?

Thanksgiving and Change

2011-11-18T13:35:00.009-05:00

I needed a break this morning: space to think and breathe. So, I decided to go out to rake some leaves. I love raking leaves, especially when the sky is blue, the air is crisp, the sun is shining and the downed leaves are still holding their colors tightly.

As my shoulders begin to complain to my arm muscles about the calming, repetitive motion, I remembered the Season of Gratitude post last year before Thanksgiving Day in the US. Thanking people you wouldn’t normally reach out to, such as those who collect your trash, felt so empowering to me. So, what am I going to do this year?

This year I am practicing the Art of Embracing Life’s Lessons. When I become aware that I am resisting something through judgment or defense, I practice asking, “What is my lesson here?” Many times I have surprised myself by learning that I still have an expectation of others to behave as I know I want to behave and when THEY don’t meet my (mostly unspoken) expectations, I start to hold it against them. That is, until I realize my mistake.

Here I am, raking leaves in the crisp autumn air and sun shine, reflecting on some recent lessons I was given to learn from. I have this sudden urge to come in and invite you to join me for the next week in thanking those in our lives that have taught us some of Life’s Lessons.

I will be sending Thank You notes to people in my life from whom I have gained a deeper understanding about myself and my impact on those around me. It's not the traditional show of gratitude for the "nice" things; it's gratitude for the tough stuff that helps me grow.

In other words, I will be acknowledging people for the challenges they brought to me from which I learned a life lesson. For instance, one person in my life repeatedly shows me where I have an opportunity to be more compassionate by being compassionate to me when I am not presenting my best self.

Will you join me? Will you thank someone, in your own way, for showing you things about yourself that, if improved, recognized, healed, addressed in any way, would bring out a better you?

And, will you share your experiences here so that others may recognize their opportunity in your realization?

For inspiration, watch Oprah’s Life Class episode 6, titled “when you know better, you do better.”

A good resource for writing meaningful thank you notes is the book, 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik

Soul Stories

2011-08-19T10:27:00.003-04:00

I want to share something I just read in Gary Zukav's book, Soul Stories:
pg. 78

"Feeding anger is like joining a club. When you go to that club, you always find angry people. That is what the club is for... Joy and gratitude are clubs. They work the same way."

Join a gratitude and joy club today. Suspend your membership to small growth clubs like the anger club, the victim club, etc. Not that these clubs themselves don't grow in membership numbers-they do. But the members themselves grow slowly or not at all.

The price you pay for gratitude and joy may at times feel steep. It involves growth and learning from mistakes or misbeliefs. The other clubs are free of charge at first; the cost escalates exponentially with the passing of time.

Key to Happiness

2011-07-17T20:03:00.002-04:00

I am sharing a blog post from "The Neagle Code: Directions for Life"

Learn how to keep yourself from being sucked in to negativity.

"The key to joy and happiness is gratitude, BUT, the key to gratitude is to be a master of your thoughts and emotions."
Read David Neagle's full blog post here:

http://www.davidneagle.com/neaglecode49

Are You Acting from Gratitude, Love, and Trust or Doubt and Fear?

2011-03-18T09:34:00.003-04:00

Below is a message I received from Joe Rubino. It is worth sharing:

This is Joe Rubino and I'm writing today to focus your awareness on
the source of your actions. As human beings, we operate daily
reflecting a wide range of emotions with a multitude of motivations
fueling our behaviors. All too often, we react emotionally to what
others say or do. If our reactions are preceded by the emotions of
fear, anger, or sadness, we forfeit our ability to act with
personal power and effectiveness in lieu of a knee-jerk response.

This reaction is all too often sourced in fear and low self-esteem.
We may focus on what's wrong with us and our lives or fear being
controlled, hurt, or taken advantage of. We may overlook the many
things we have in our lives for which we should rightly be
grateful.

When we doubt our ability to thrive and access the
abundance we see all around us in the world, we react instead from
the concern of scarcity and the expectation of failure, hurt, and
disappointment.

We may see ourselves in competition for the world's
resources and the love and attention of others rather than
realizing that there is more than enough of all that is good to go
around. We forget that we manifest what we expect rather than
needing to compete for limited resources.

Whenever we forget that we are magnificent beings and that there is
plenty of wealth, happiness, fun, and fulfillment to go around, we
might feel the need to protect ourselves from what we perceive to
be a dangerous world. We likewise tend to forget that others
operate from the same lacking self-confidence, scarcity of
gratitude, and deficient self-love that we often do.

So, whenever two or more individuals see themselves as not good enough to tap
into the world's abundance and get all their needs met from a
physical, social, mental, and emotional perspective, conflicts are
likely to arise. The result is broken relationships, strained
communication, emotional pain, struggle, and suffering. All of
these are needless and optional for those who realize their ability
to detach from the struggle and master their emotional response.

When we stop to realize that everyone else suffers from the same
self-doubt and fear of being dominated and cheated out of getting
their fair share of love, fun, money, possessions, and security, we
can break the vicious cycle of endless competition and continual
striving for domination.

We can realize that cooperation and communication is more effective in producing harmony than competition and a focus on self-interest based on fear. We can
intentionally choose to trust that others are doing the best they
know how to do based upon how they see the world. We can assume
that they act from good intentions, even when we fear the opposite.

We can hold them as worthy, competent, loving, good natured and
capable of creating win-win relationships rather than fearing them
as hateful, ill meaning, incompetent, unworthy, selfish opponents.

When we decide to champion others by looking for the best in them
and interact with them out of an attitude of gratitude for their
gifts, strengths, and positive qualities, in such as manner that
they are clear that we hold them as intrinsically good and worthy
of our love and respect, we provide for them a new and exciting
opportunity for them to show up for us in this manner.

Our decision to hold others as great (because they really are when we strip away
their anger, fears, and insecurities) allows them the freedom to rise to our expectations. By operating from love and gratitude for the wisdom and empathy we develop as a result of our interactions with others, we see their mistakes as temporary indiscretions producing valuable lessons from which to learn and grow rather than reflections of a fundamentally defective being.

The key to bringing out the best in others is non-attachment. When we realize that we have total control over our response to any situation, and we give up our right to be invalidated by others or control them, we will possess a newfound freedom that allows us to exit the drama of conflict in favor of understanding, compassion,
and love.

Decide now to be grateful for the challenges you will encounter in your life and business. See the problems that arise as opportunities for your personal development. Look for these challenges as you go about your day, be grateful when you encounter them, and seek out the gifts awaiting your discovery.

Exercise for Expanding Gratitude and Shifting Your Reactive Nature

1. List all the things you have decided to be grateful for in your life and business.
2. In your daily journal, record each time you fail to express gratitude for a challenging situation.
3. Catch yourself reacting emotionally to what someone says or does and shift your perception in that moment to appreciate the learning experience at hand.
4. In your daily life and business, who are you not holding as magnificent?
5. How can you champion their excellence and express gratitude for the opportunity to grow in love and wisdom that they are gifting you instead of reacting with anger, sadness, or fear?
6. Who are you seeking to control or avoid being controlled by?

Will you take on the practice of non-attachment in your relationship with them by creating space for them to be who they are? Do this for 30 days and record in your journal how your interactions with them evolve. Make note of something that you can
be grateful for in each situation.
_____________

Dr. Joe Rubino is a life-changing life optimization and business coach and the best-selling author of TheSelfEsteemBook.com and 11 other transformational books available worldwide in 19 languages.

To receive a complimentary audio program entitled "7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem" and a free 1 year membership in The Success Achievers' Club ($129 value), visit http://www.TheSelfEsteemSystem.com/1

Year End Practices

2010-11-30T11:47:00.003-05:00

Celebrate Your Victories and Give Thanks
by Jack Canfield

Research has shown over and over again that the more you acknowledge your past successes, the more confident you become in taking on, and successfully accomplishing, new ones.

As you stay the course and begin to realize your goals, you need to do two very important things:

1.) Celebrate your successes, and ...

2.) Express your gratitude to everyone who has helped you along the way.

Let’s look at a few of the ways you can acknowledge your positive past.

Celebrate Your Victories

In order to justify all your sacrifice and persistence that is required to create the life of your dreams, you have to enroll your family, your friends, your colleagues and co-workers, your employees, your clients and, most importantly yourself, to pay the price.

In order for them to do that, there need to be payoffs along the way. Every time you reach a milestone on the path to ultimate success, and every time you achieve a major goal, you need to celebrate by doing something fun and nurturing.

Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Take the time to thank everyone that has helped you achieve your goals. Write them a letter, call them, send them an e-mail or send them a present. It can be as simple as a hug and a thank you — to something as elaborate as letting someone use your summer vacation home for a week.

The Power of Acknowledgment

When you take the time to thank someone, they feel acknowledged for their contribution and will be more likely to want to help again.

Your Inner Child

A big part of creating more success in life is rewarding yourself when you succeed. So, it’s important to reward your inner child as well. Every time you work hard to meet a goal, the part of you that just wants to have fun has to sit still and be good. However, just like any kid, if it knows it will be rewarded later with a treat, it will hang in there with you.

How can you reward your inner child?

• Take a 20-minute walk after an hour or two of concentrated work
• Go for walks in the morning with your spouse, friend, or significant other
• Take 20 minutes to listen to music and daydream
• Take most weekends totally off
• Take several weeklong vacations throughout the year
• Get regular massages
• Engage in daily meditation, exercise and yoga
• Take music lessons
• Go to movies, concerts and plays
• Listen to comedy tapes and watch the Comedy Network
• Listen to motivational audio programs when driving

Thank Your Higher Power

Finally, it is important to thank God, or however you perceive the Higher Power, for all of the abundance that comes into your life. Start with the little stuff — another day of life, healthy children, a sunny day, people who love you, family and friends. Be thankful for the birds, your pets, the clothes you have and the food you eat.

And be especially thankful for any additional blessings that come into your life. Take time each day to say a prayer of thanks when you first arise, before meals, and again at night before bed.

Having an attitude of gratitude opens up the channels for even more abundance to flow into your life.

The more grateful you are, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.

© 2006 Jack Canfield ***reprinted with permission --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

More tips for ending 2010 with a bang and a great foundation for 2011!

Coach Renee

Season of Gratitude Week 3

2010-11-19T10:08:00.002-05:00

This week is a great week to remember those around you who somehow make life easier. -
-Utility workers who are out in all kinds of weather doing their best to keep your lights on, your water flowing, your telephone available, your roads passable.
-Emergency workers who protect and serve- Police, Firefighters, Ambulance or Emergency Service personnel, Hospital staff from the cleaning crew to the administrators.
- Sanitation personnel, politicians, parking lot sweepers: all of us!

Until we need something, we may not think about the pieces to the puzzle of our perfect world. Without each of us contributing our part, the picture is incomplete.

Please watch this video, courtesy of Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood,Co-authors of the NY Times Bestseller,"The Passion Test - The Effortless Path
to Discovering Your Life Purpose". I think it demonstrates the one thing we should all take a moment and be thankful for: each other!

http://flickspire.com/m/PassionTest/SimpleTruthsOfService

Season of Gratitude 2010

2010-10-31T16:09:00.004-04:00

A Season Of Gratitude
11/5/2010 –11/25/2010
This invitation is reprinted from www.unityofames.com

I am excited to have found this gratitude practice from Unity of Ames, a non denominal place of growth and transformation. The physical location is in Ames, Iowa. The "universal" place begins on their website and is spread through gratitude, appreciation of others, and respect.

Please read the invitation below and share your thoughts and experiences as you practice and spread gratitude in November.

*************************************************************************************Join us as we participate in the practice of gratitude. The Season of Gratitude is a 21 day practice that culminates on the Feast of Thanksgiving. In 2010 it begins Friday November 5th and goes through Thanksgiving November 25th.

Develop the act of being thankful and being in gratitude by sending a thank you card each day of the season to someone or something that has blessed your life. The first Week we focus on family. The second week we focus on our friends and coworkers. The third week our focus is on businesses, groups or organizations and those that run them.

We are confident that practicing the act of being grateful WILL have a tremendous impact on your life and those around you. ****

Click here to go to our Season of Gratitude Page
***********************************************************************************
Please make gratitude a priority this season. Remember, we can choose to be grateful for things that may seem less than perfect. Each circumstance or situation brings with it opportunity and gifts.

Coach Renee, The Mindset Coach

Eldon Taylor Mind, Meaning and Mysteries Seminar

2010-09-29T15:10:00.004-04:00

I am grateful that NY Times Best Selling Author and Hayhouse Author Eldon Taylor is sharing a free online seminar with millions of people. I watched his video presentation and want to share a few things that I teach or was reminded of during the viewing.

1. Everything we know, we know in a context. Unless we expand our context, our knowledge is limited.

Try this exercise: in 2 minutes, write down everything you can use a paperclip for. GO!

2. Research shows that our brains will "make up stuff" when we have holes in our thinking; incomplete ideas. Our minds fill in the blanks when there is a dissonance between our programming (set of beliefs) and what we deem to be reality.

Have you ever been at an accident scene or a witness to a crime? How many versions of the events are there? Usually as many as there are witnesses. We "see" things from our context and our brain interprets the information. When it is incomplete or memories conflict, we make something up to fill the gap.

3. Question "common knowledge". When the masses of society know something, take time to pause. How do we all know the same thing?

Example: In the 1400s people "knew" the world was flat. They could not see "over the edge", so they assumed the world ran straight ahead until it ended at the horizon.

Example: The world knew that man could not fly. Until the Wright Brothers took flight in an airplane they built from imagination. Now, we are in outerspace, although that once was a commonly known IMpossibility.

What is possible that the masses currently believe can't be?

4. We disregard experiences that do not fit our paradigm. Those of us that were raised ,for example, to look down on those more wealthy than ourselves begin to suspect ideas that are contrary to our experience of being in "lack".

How do you explain why you are not making more money? Having more fun? Enjoying better relationships?

Act now while this video is available F ree. Don't miss out, click the link below!

View F ree seminar now!
http://tiny.cc/ReneeCanali

Please comment on the video and let me know what you got from it.

In Gratitude,

Coach Renee

** Affiliate Disclosure:
We are grateful to be of service and bring you content, like these
programs, free of charge. In order to do this, please note that if you
decide to purchase any products as a result of watching this video, and
you do so by clicking on one of the links in this promotion, there will be a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to empower more people worldwide to live more conscious lives. Thank you! :)

Bernie Siegel Quotes

2010-08-13T11:21:00.006-04:00

I recently listened to an interview with Bernie Siegel,MD from Windows to Wellness (www.windowstowellness.com )where he shared many wonderful insights. I am so grateful for the impact they had as I listened, I want to pass them on to you.

Think of your experiences when you ask someone "How are you?" Many times they mumble "fine" or "ok" or "Don't ask". Bernie's recommendation when someone asks you this questions is to respond, "I have no complaints whatsoever". This is gratitude at work. If you complain, you are missing the opportunity to be grateful for what you do have. It doesn't mean everything is great all the time:it focuses on gratitude and brings your thoughts to something better.

In a conversation with Norman Vincent Peale, Norman explains "It's not about quiet or noise..It's about finding your rhythm, the harmony in your life."

A few weeks ago here in Maryland, we experienced a 3.0 earthquake at 3:30am. When I opened the door to see what it was that had happened, I noticed that there was no sound-No THING. Bernie says, "Silence is the loudest noise". I understand exactly what that means.

If you want more of Bernie Siegel, MD visit his site: www.berniesiegelmd.com

Coach Renee

Daily Energize by Rich German

2010-08-09T08:38:00.003-04:00

I subscribe to Daily Energize by Rich German. Today's messgae is one I'd like to share with you. You can find him
here

Think about these 2 facts and then answer the question:

1 – If you have a roof over your head, food on your table, and
clothes on your back, you have it better than 75% of the planet.

2 – 50% of all human beings live on less than $2 a day.

How big do your ‘problems’ seem now?
Moral: Be grateful for what you have!

Thank you, Rich
-----

Whatever problems, challenges or difficulties you face today, counter it with thoughts of something you are grateful for. Rich's exercise gives you a good vantage point from which to start.

More and more research shows that changing the direction and focus of your thoughts to a more positive perspective increases your awareness of what is right and will eventually reduce the amount of misfortune, stress and misery you experience. Give it a try. And when you are ready to give up, do it for another month consistently. Let me know how you are doing/ do.

Coach Renee

It's Been a Long Time

2010-08-08T22:07:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a year since I have shared my gratitude and gratitude messages. I haven't taken the time to blog but I have taken time often to show my gratitude and celebrate the gifts I have received in my life.

My immediate family is celebrating the birth of the first grandchild, Isabella Marie. My husband continues his employment and his parents seem to have overcome some hurdles-constant health issues, moving and stroke recovery.

I continue to discover ways in which I can grow and learn. Love has been an essential ingredient in my ability to move forward. Have you listened to Shawn Galloway's You Tube "I Choose Love"? I found it to be very moving when I first heard him perform live at the I Can Do It Conference in Tampa this past November. Please be sure to visit his site (Personal recommendation, not a paid endoresement).

I, too, gave birth this year- to a new book "Life As An Onion: The Journey Back to Your Core". It will soon be in print but can be found as a download on my website. This book was finally brought to the surface when I had the opportunity to sit next to Lynn Lee who had also attended the I Can Do It Conference. We had not met at the event but synchronicity brought us together on the plane home. She was still dealing with the death of her daughter who had passed away when the driver of the car she was in fell asleep at the wheel. As Lynn shared with me her daughter's death and it's affects on the family, I realized (more clearly this time) that we all have layers of experience, thoughts, beliefs, pains and triumphs. Those unresolved issues and deep wounds expose themselves when the layers of our lives wear thin. Thus, the birth of the book.

So today I am grateful that I am back blogging and connecting to millions of hearts. I hope you will share your gratitude and love through this blog or in your own way. Just share.

Gratitude: The Only Attitude to Have!

2009-09-23T07:35:00.004-04:00

This article is reprinted with permission from Sheri Rosenthal DPM and Master Toltec teacher:

It is a rare occasion that someone will rant and rave about how wonderful their life is, how everything is fabulous, or how grateful they are for all that has happened to them. As a society we tend to focus more on what’s wrong, how life isn’t going our way, or how unfortunate we are.

As spiritually minded people, we can acknowledge that we create our reality from our thoughts, however, how often do we put that understanding into action in life? If we focus our thoughts on what is not going well in our lives (and feeling dissatisfaction and frustration), then how are we going to create loveliness from that?

Well, we cannot. If we are constantly putting our attention on what is not “right” then we will create more of what is not “right.” In our society it is not considered polite to talk about how wonderful life is because there is an idea that we will attract the “evil eye” and bad luck will come our way – or some variation of this thought. Let’s take a moment to break that belief right now, as there is no way it can serve us in a positive way.

It is imperative that we have gratitude for everything that has occurred in our lives, no matter how we judge those events. If you cannot find anything to be grateful for, then I suggest you focus your attention on what you believe about your life and the way you personally judge everything. Your judgment is the true problem here rather than the actual events in your life – they are simply what they are – neither good nor bad.

Everyone has something to be grateful for. Whether it is clothes on your back, food on your plate, family, your job, your car, your health, your divorce, the death of someone who is suffering, friends, or your pet, there is something to be thankful for. Often the things that we judge to be bad are simply events we are not enjoying in the moment – without any regard for the blessing that change can bring in the long run.

I invite you to try this exercise every morning for 5-10 minutes. Close your eyes while you are in a restful position. Focus your attention on a mental picture of everything that you have in your life. Picture those events, people or things in your minds-eye and feel the joy well-up within you as you view them. I often do this until tears come to my eyes and I feel so filled with gratitude and joy that the feeling is overwhelming.

Starting my day in this way sets my attitude towards gratitude – and my actions, words and deeds follow suit. I encourage you to experiment with taking the attitude of gratitude in your life and see the difference it makes. It’s time to stop the judgment and start focusing on choosing to be happy, satisfied and appreciative. Feeling satisfied doesn’t mean you lapse into inertia and no longer create new dreams and adventures in your life. It simply means that you accept what is with happiness – then you take action to initiate new and more exciting creations (rather than focusing on judging what you have to be not-good-enough). Nothing is going to stop life from unfolding, but you can definitely change the way you react to it and have gratitude.

With All my love & blessings. Sheri Rosenthal

**visit www.sherirosenthal.com and listen to the Toltec Audio Minute for Gratitude***

Sheri Rosenthal DPM is a master Toltec teacher and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Toltec Wisdom and Banish Mind Spam!. Having trained with don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements®, she currently takes students on spiritual journeys www.journeysofthespirit.com works with personal apprentices and enjoys being extremely happy. You can reach her at info@sherirosenthal.com or www.sherirosenthal.com and www.withforgiveness.com.

Copyright © 2009 by Sheri Rosenthal DPM

Thanks-A Book on Gratitude

2009-08-28T08:41:00.004-04:00

I recently read a book review by Bo R. Meinertsen on metapsychology.net. The full review can be found at:

http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=5081&cn=139

Robert Emmons, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology, has written an easy to read textbook on the benefits of gratitude. Gratitude is often an underestimated tool for increasing happiness.

In a recent post, I wrote about a negative view of gratitude where the author seemed to have missed the point of being grateful for anything good around you and in your life. I recommend this book as a way to expand your definition or understanding of gratitude, its benefits and ways to incorporate the practice into your life.

Thanks is a mix of case studies, stories and ideas from many sources including literature and religion. In the last chapter Emmons describes methods you can try to increase your practice of gratitude.

Coach Renee

Attitude about Gratitude

2009-08-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

I read something recently that seemed to miss the point about gratitude. It was a post to a blog I decided not to mention due to its focus on what's not right with life. Maybe it was poking fun, but it didn't hit me that way.

Statement: gratitude is feeling superior to another.

Gratitude is an inside job. Gratitude is being thankful for what you have in your life. It is counting your blessings, however small and short lived. It is appreciating the lessons that come your way and the people or circumstances that brought them to you.

Statement: gratitude is about comparing our circumstances to the circumstances of others.

Gratitude is about appreciating your life and the abundance you have. It is appreciating who you are and who you can become by celebrating what surrounds you.

Immaculée Ilibagiza,once a young, vibrant university student experienced a dramatic life transformation during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. She and seven other women spent 91 days huddled in silence in a cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. What began as a promising life with a loving family had turned into a nightmare.At 65pounds,she emerged to find her family (except on brother) had been brutally murdered during her captivity.

She could have chosen bitterness, rage, or anger; yet she chose to pray and ask for guidance so that she could find a way to forgive those that created such pain in her life. She was grateful she was alive,was surrounded by others, was given refuge by someone who put themselves at great risk. As she tells her story, she did fight against the power of hate and loathing. When faced with the choice, she chose to pray for grace.

Hopefully there are more people coming to a deeper understanding of gratitude. Gratitude is a state of mind, not a circumstance of being.

Coach Renee

2009-08-25T09:58:00.003-04:00

My father died just before my sixth birthday. How could he? My birthday present was to be without a father, to lose the Sunday morning walks in the garden after church, to never experience mystery rides in the car or Little Tavern hamburgers on occasion.

At 6 I am not sure I knew I had a choice about my reactions to events in my life. I selfishly chose anger, resentment, blame and several other not so pretty emotions. Throughout the next 20 or so years, I justified my actions and feelings. I had a right to be pissed off! I was a victim in the world.

Slowly,a feeling from underneath my skin began to emerge. I had a sense that feeling had been there this whole time. Why hadn't I chosen THAT feeling?

I discovered that feeling was gratitude. I would not have wished the death of my father or anyone else. Yet being given the opportunity at such a young age to learn how to cope with tragedy I realize is a gift. I have actually accomplished many things in spite of my horrible life and ruined birthday (lol).

My gratitude garden grew at a very slow speed. It harbored many weeds and was sometimes home to more weeds that good deeds. Yet, as I look back at how my life evolved and how I am able to still grow, despite an occasional weed, I am grateful for the lessons I learned along the way. I would have rather had an easier life. But then, what would I have learned?

Three Ways to Develop Gratitude

2009-08-25T08:57:00.005-04:00

This is an excerpt from the article Three Ways to Develop Gratitude written by Alan Lurie, Author of Five Minutes on Mondays: Finding Unexpected Purpose, Peace, and Fulfillment at Work
Posted: August 24, 2009 01:04 PM Huffington Post

Please visit this link for the full article: (http://tinyurl.com/alanlurie)

"Gratitude can solve all that ails us because when we are truly grateful we immediately rise above our fear-based needs to dominate, control, or retreat in to cynicism. And when we approach people and situations with gratitude we will naturally be drawn to positive action, discovering new possibilities that we could never have imagined in the protective shell of self-isolation. These actions can take many forms, depending on the needs of the other person and the situation in the moment, but will always be beneficial for humanity.

Although gratitude is a feeling, it must be cultivated through action. The following offers several suggestions for developing gratitude:

1. Make a gratitude list: Srikumar Rao, who teaches a hugely popular class at Columbia Business School, and is author of "Are You Ready to Succeed"? recommends that we write a daily list of the things that have occurred for which we are grateful. These do not need to be major events, but can be the little occurrences that we usually ignore - the train arriving on time, good weather, a satisfying meal, a stranger's warm smile - and the wonderful people and things in our lives that we all to often take for granted - our families, spouses, friends, jobs, homes, health, bodies.

2. Say "Thank you" to others: Stay alert for opportunities to express gratitude to others as often as you can. You will find that even when you are not feeling grateful, simply saying "thank you" will connect you to others, and will have an impact beyond the moment.

3. Develop a daily gratitude prayer: All religious and spiritual traditions stress the essential nature of gratitude, and place it as the bedrock of faith. Within many of these traditions the first prayer that a practitioner says every morning is "I am thankful for having awakened to another day." This is a prayer of gratitude to our Creator for the very miracle of our lives.

These practices remind us that gratitude is available to us at any moment and under any circumstance, even - or especially - when we are not feeling particularly thankful. Seen from the highest perspective, gratitude is the door that opens to individual and world transformation, revealing our true nature, binding us to each other, and to the Divine. "

2009-08-07T07:04:00.000-04:00

This is an excerpt from Mojo Boosters: 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Energy Output by Theresa Rose posted to TMCNet.com August 04, 2009

Be grateful. Expressing gratitude is like receiving a shot of adrenaline. When we are grateful for what we already have – a home, a family, love, health, food, and shelter – we instantly get a boost of mojo that can help us through the tough times. The key is to make the expression of gratitude a daily habit. Think about starting and ending each day with a “gratitude rant.” Before you get out of bed and drive to work, or before you shut off the light to get back into bed, mentally rattle off all of the fabulous things in your life. Take note of the gifts contained within the challenges of the day. What was the blessing in the postponed meeting or client call? Did it allow you to spend more time on a project that had a deadline, or did it make it so that you were able to drive home a few minutes earlier to see your family? If you operate from a perspective of gratitude, then you will never have that familiar feeling of running on empty.

To read the full article, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/m2p3xp

Theresa Rose is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of the new book, "Opening the Kimono." As founder of Serious Mojo Publications, Theresa specializes in fresh approaches to energy management, productivity and creative development. Her experience includes owning a healing center, senior manager of a Fortune 100 firm, and vice president of a consulting firm. For more information, visit www.TheresaRose.net.

Hidden Miracles

2009-08-06T14:18:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I decided to take a short trip to the C&O Canal in Maryland. We are familiar with the canal and had visited several different sections since childhood. This Sunday, we decided to pick a lock on the canal we had not yet experienced.

As we drove, my husband missed our first choice; Pennyfield Lock in Potomac, Maryland. He didn't see the sign he was looking for. We drove further north, missing the next two locks: Violettes and Riley's locks. We had our dog, Happy, with us. She doesn't like riding in the car usually but she seemed very content. I, however, had a few minutes of tape running through my head:

"Why didn't he just turn? That's what an adventure is-no signs."
"There WAS a sign. Why does it have to look like what YOU want it to look like?"
"Well, I could complain or enjoy the ride. Happy seems to be doing just that."

We drove a bit further where the road narrows and turns to gravel. We turned around and began our search for a gravel parking lot with a wooden Park Service sign.

As we came around a bend, we saw it: The sign for McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area. We had arrived somewhere. Even though neither of us had any idea what we would find, it was a chance to walk around a bit and let the dog get fresh air. We walked across the parking lot towards the information station, beyond the post and wire fencing to an opening in the tree line.

Seeking a bit of adventure and stoked with curiosity as to how far a walk it might be to get to the canal or the Potomac River,we headed through the opening and immediately gasped in unison. There, in front of us, was a field of thousands of sunflowers! a sea of smiling faces shining toward all visitors. Happy must have sensed the significance of this event because she took off to encircle the entire field!

What an amazing adventure we experienced that day. We shared it with as many people as we could. Without giving away the breathtaking scene, we directed them to the gravel lot near the trees....

Seeds Of Possibility Framed by Sunshine

Coach Renee

A Kind Act

2009-08-05T09:51:00.003-04:00

Think about this:
A kind act is the seed of better tomorrows.

Not An Option

2009-05-04T08:07:00.004-04:00

Someone asked me today if it was difficult dealing with a spouse with dementia.

As anyone who has dealt with a parent, a spouse, or even a friend with dementia would answer, "YES".

I'm not a martyr. I'm a wife with memories. Let me share some of those with you.

I remember a patient young trooper with a seventeen year old bride who drove but, did not have a driver's license.

I remember a young man who liked to eat who had a wife who couldn't cook....but would.

I remember a young father who held his pregnant wife's hair out of her face while she threw up time after time.

I remember the patience of a man trying to deal with a wife who couldn't manage money and got his butt in a financial crack because, back then, the wife just wasn't responsible for such.

I remember the strong pilot/investigator who could fly anything, and who was so good at his job he got Christmas cards from Huntsville, trying to deal with a wife hospitalized with severe depression over the loss of their unborn son.

I remember the relief on a soaked husband/father's face when, after driving through a hurricane with the windows blown out of his car, finally found his family safe and sound in a shelter.

I remember a scared father and grandfather delivering his grandson on his daughter's bathroom floor. Then, not letting his wife, or anyone else, go in until he had cleaned up the room.

I remember a caring man who encouraged his wife to try new things and backed her in every hair brained idea known to man.

I remember a husband giving a travel poster of Austria to his wife for their 30th anniversary as a way of telling her they were going to Vienna. On their second anniversary he had asked where in the world she would most like to visit. Then promising that would be her gift for their 30th anniversary. Then keeping that promise.

I remember a man telling his wife, who without asking him, had just put a set of new tires on a struggling adult child's car, "all I want is a full tank of gas in my motorcycle and a buck fifty in my pocket and you can have the rest". And meaning it.

There are too many memories to write here but, this is what you both do when you're in love. You have a commitment to each other. Each obstacle and each heartache is another opportunity for that marriage to strengthen.

You see when you truly love each other, divorce is not an option. Neither is failing to take care of one another.

My greatest regret is that I can not show this to my husband because of his inability to comprehend.

Don't wait....share your feelings with each other now while you still can.

I love you honey.

Jan Elliott

Letting Go and Focus

2009-04-24T10:28:00.003-04:00

How often do you catch yourself focusing on the negative or downside of a situation?
It's easy to do unless you really pay attention to what you are thinking.

When I find myself thinking about what is wrong or begin to worry about something, I have been fairly successful at refocusing my thoughts to NOW. Yesterday, our dog seemed out of sorts a bit. She was scheduled to go to the vet next week, so I was going to "let it go". I began to worry that she was getting ill and at 13 years old was on her way "to the other side". I called the vet and she asked if I thought my dog needed to come in right away. I decided to check in with my intuition-I took a moment to let my fear and panic pass a bit and decided to bring the dog in this morning.

Over night, the dog seemed fine and I slept without tossing and turning. It felt a little strange to actually pause and let the panic pass, then check in with how I really felt about her condition. The vet just called and the dog is fine.

How many times are we given these situations so that we can practice letting go to learn how to make decisions beyond our fears? Do we stop and show gratitude for these opportunities?

The Gift of Silence

2009-04-07T09:10:00.003-04:00

The saying goes, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." This year Mother Nature seems to have a different idea- Strong winds through the end of March and into April. It is as if we need more than one breathe of fresh air.

In the midst of these fierce winds, I have found a place where the world begins to make sense. That place is within the silence surrounding the noise of life. Sitting quietly, I listen to the pitch of the wind as it howls and surrounds the house. High and low, it sings a song of renewal and hope. Some hear desperation and disaster in the song. I, too, began that way. I found that the more I listen, the more peace I hear. It's like learning to pick out individual instruments as you listen to an orchestra play a beautifully stirring piece from the great masters.

I invite you listen for the silence in your day. The silence that plays just under the most quiet of disturbances, such as traffic noises from the higway several blocks away or the distant crying of a baby animal just brought into the world.

It is in this silence that I find true peace within my soul. A gift to be grateful for in such a noisey world.

Coach Renee

Generosity of the Universe

2009-04-03T13:00:00.003-04:00

Here's a story from a friend and colleague:

I didn't sleep much last weekend after learning of my husband's layoff. I kept getting this strong feeling that I needed to write a letter to his boss. I heard the one little voice in my head that said, "Don't be silly! He [the boss] will think you're a nutcase!" After mulling things over all weekend, I finally decided to follow my instincts and write that letter.

Basically, I expressed thanks for the dignity in which the boss gave my husband the news and the compassion with which he handled removing my husband from the office (it was done in a much more humane way than his previous company had done it). I then told him that with the layoff, my family was now like strangers in a state w/o a support group of friends and family. I asked if the company would be willing to contribute to our relocation for a new job.

Well, yesterday I received a letter from my husband's boss. He wrote that the company will be sending us a check for two weeks' pay to help cover relocation costs. And he added that I should let him know if he can be of further help. Wow.

***
Are you stressing out about something? What is that little voice telling you? NO- not those rampant thoughts of doom and marterdom. The small voice in the background. The one you hear when you tune in to your heart! What can you ask for from the universe?

Coach Renee, The Mindset Coach

The Importance of Pulling Together

2009-03-31T22:28:00.000-04:00

Recently, a member of my husband's family experienced a stroke. Since then, every family member and friend hasexperienced the power of pulling together to aid in the healing of not only the patient but of those surrounding them.

Healing from stroke is very different from healing from an illness in the sense that part of the healing is mental and is not visible to outsiders. The stroke that struck my husband's family member affected the mobility of the left side. The muscles controlling speech, swallowing and smiling are all learning how to again perform their respective functions. The arm and shoulder muscles must learn how to interpret signals from the brain in order to create movement. The thigh, knee, leg and foot all need to take orders from the brain and learn how to synchronize their movements in order for a step to be taken.

As these miracles occur in the patient's body and mind, those around him pull together to synchronize visits and to provide care and support of other family members. Most importantly, outside of the patient's recovery, I have discovered how important it is to conserve our own energy and to allow others to do the same.

Recovery from stroke is a very mental game, as described by Jill Bolte Taylor in My Stroke of Insight. It is a mental game inside and out.

I am grateful for the discovery that in order to give healing energy I must conserve my own energy. Otherwise, I could become a drain on the patient's energy: which is critical for recovery.

Coach Renee

When in Doubt-Give love out

2009-03-13T13:17:00.002-04:00

This past week, my father-in-law experienced a health crisis. A great doctor's visit Monday morning and moments after arriving home he suffered a stroke. Thursday morning, news that rehab is next-and waiting.

My father-in-law is now reaping the benefits of acute physical therapy and I expect him to recover well. Depending on the day and the moment, this week could be described as long, hard, sad, upsetting, uncertain or maybe unfair. It could also be described as a blessing, a new journey, a learning experience, God in action,or love.

It is not my intent to take away whatever feelings my husband and his family have experienced. It is only my intent to share something amazing that has come to me- and that is a sense of peace.

I believe it was August 2008 that I watched an Oprah interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, the brain scientist who wrote about her own stroke experience as both a patient and a scientist. I immedaitely went out and bought her book. The book is a remarkable read from many, many perspectives. Recently, I lent my copy of the book, My Stroke of Insight, to a neighbor who is experiencing the same electricity I did as I read it. A few days later, I got the call that my father-in-law had suffered a stroke.

The book did not come immediatley to mind. However, many things Jill had explained about her experience sprang forth as I watched people interact with my father-in-law. I hope the lessons she shared will allow me to respect my father-in-law's right to rediscover himself with unbending support from those around him. I am eager to listen to what his wishes are-his voice waivering a bit or hesitating slighly. I call forth compassion for his frustrations and worries about his wife.

I think the peace I feel comes from having read the book before experiencing stroke from the outside looking in and from the effort Jill put into writing this book as a means of understanding from a patient's view. I truly beleive this is one way that my father-in-law can receive the love, caring, compassion and respect he gives to others without thought.

Although everyone is experiencing change thrust upon them without warning or notice, I urge you to keep in mind that blessings come in all types of packages and do not always come wrapped in pretty paper and ribbons. When you face doubt and fear, try following the example my father-in-law has shown to me in his every day life:

GIVE LOVE OUT

Plenty more will come back to you to be given out again.

In gratitude for all I have been given and all I have to give,

Coach Renee

Hidden Treasures in Plain Sight

2009-03-04T06:51:00.003-05:00

I received an email from Iris Benrubi of Simply Success in Canada with a link to a special inspiring message.

This message is a precious way for us to remember that we are surrounded by gifts and support every day. We just need to take time to see what is there for our enjoyment and comfort.

Please treat yourself to this link now:

http://home.att.net/~mcp3_2000/_classics/013/whispers.htm

Thanks to Iris Benrubi for sharing this message. Iris can be found at
Simply Success, 1 Promenade Circle #302, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 4P8, CANADA

To your abundance,
Coach Renee

Inside Out with Dan Caro

2009-03-01T12:17:00.004-05:00

From Jayne Moffit's "The Unabridged Life" newsletter, Feb.26,2009 ISSN 2008 216360 with permission.

Jayne's message:

For more than 10 years now, I've been helping people build a bridge between dreams and reality and no matter what the dream is there is one criterion that must be met to bring it to life. Whether it's in business or the arts or simply how you present yourself, the vision that you dream of must be communicated effectively to the rest of the world. Once you find that dialogue, success will happen. Without it, you may as well be talking to the proverbial brick wall. There are two key factors to communicating your vision; Gratitude and Confidence. Gratitude for everything in your life brings you into alignment with honesty and the Universe responds to honesty with growth. Honesty invites the expansion of you and therefore your vision. The second key is confidence. Confidence that everything is working just as it should, opens up the pathway for trust between you and the process of manifestation. A vision communicated with Gratitude and Confidence will inevitably manifest in the real. You can read more about this alignment here, but right now I'd like to turn your attention to an inspiring speaker that epitomizes these ideas. My friend Dan Caro, has been choosing gratitude and confidence his entire life. Overcoming monumental obstacles, he now communicates his vision with sincere truth and honesty in both his music and his speaking. Read Dan's Inside Out story below.

What in the World Does One do Without Hands?
by guest Author: Dan Caro

When I was twelve years old I asked my dad if I could play a musical instrument. Being a musician himself, he was very excited. He and I both thought that the drums would be the easiest instrument for me to play. The question now, is how does one hold drumsticks without fingers?

At the age of two, I was severely burned in a gasoline related fire and lost most of my hands and all of my fingers. I have third and fourth degree burns over nearly eighty percent of my body. After many reconstructive surgeries, to make me look as normal and as functional as possible, I underwent a surgery that gave me the use of moveable thumbs. I was able to grip the drumstick with my left hand using my newly created thumb. With my right hand, however, I had a big problem. Even though I have the same type of reconstructed thumb, it is much smaller so I was unable to grip the stick.

I thought about this very creatively and decided that I would need a device to wrap around my wrist to grip the stick. I tried a bowling glove first, made of very rigid leather. It held the stick snugly against my wrist but it was too rigid preventing the stick from moving. In drumming, the stick needs be able to move freely. Next I tried, very foolishly, glue and then duct tape. Neither of the results were very favorable. Actually, both hurt very bad and caused major skin irritations. I tried rope, orthopedic splints and many other kinds of wraps but nothing seemed to work.

After weeks of trying some pretty crazy things, my dad suggested using a tennis wristband. I tried it and liked it a lot but it was not tight enough which led to the idea of trying rubber bands. The rubber bands had the right amount of tightness but it hurts having rubber bands wrapped tightly around your wrist. Finally, I decided to use the wristband with the rubber bands on top. It worked perfectly. As a matter of fact, it works so perfectly, I have not modified the technique at all. Even with several Orthopedic and plastic surgeons, a prosthetic maker, several occupational therapists and a Boeing engineer spending hours and hours trying to help create something better, I am still using my wristbands/rubber bands, or as I have come to know it, the "No-Hand" wristband.

This "No-Hand" wristband has allowed me some of the greatest experiences I could have ever imagined. Who could have thought in 1982 after my accident, as I lay dying on an operating table with my fingers literally crumbling off of my body, I would become a professional drummer touring the country? Who could have thought that I would even be alive to tell this story?

We are all blessed with an abundance of ability and opportunity. Some choose to accept this and others choose to reject it but know this, it is your choice. As it turns out, my accident was the greatest gift I've ever received. Everything is possible. You are your only limit.

"No-Hand" Dan Caro

Listen to Dan's Music: http://twurl.nl/wnkhio

********************************************************************
Jayne Moffitt is a Bestselling Author, Life Coach and Teacher of Spiritually based success principals. Her globally based company is dedicated to helping the entrepreneurial spirit achieve success and abundance while embracing fulfillment in every area of their life. We honor those adventurers, visionaries, catalysts and dreamers who believe they can change the world - because we know they can. You can learn more about Jayne Moffitt and her work at www.TheUnabridgedLife.com.

Copyright and Published by Jayne Moffitt & Associates Inc.
service@jayne&# 109;offitt.com

You are welcome to share The Unabridged Life E-zine with a friend, in fact,
we encourage it. Individuals may subscribe at JayneMoffitt.com.

In gratitude,
Coach Renee

The Present

2009-02-24T21:04:00.002-05:00

If you love getting gifts -- and who doesn't -- then why not accept, with gratitude, the greatest gift there is: the "present" moment. Key lesson 3523

Guy Finley
www.Guyfinley.org

Connecting

2009-02-19T10:19:00.004-05:00

I have spent some time this week connecting to people via social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect and more. It is great to be able to share with people from all over the world.

I welcome new visitors to this blog and hope you will share a thought of gratitude with everyone!

Today's thought:

Life's journey takes us through many twists and turns. It is not our purpose to avoid these detours, but to appreciate what we see along the way.

Birth, Death and Taxes

2009-02-18T13:45:00.004-05:00

The last few days have brought to me the opportunity to appreciate what I have in a different way than usual. One neighbor has a new grand baby-the first in the family. Another neighbor slipped getting out of the shower and 3 days later her body gave up and left this earth. Rest in peace,Coleen.

In between, when I chose to listen, there were stories of failing companies, job loss, hopelessness and taxes.

From my perspective this week, there is always sorrow, joy, worry, hope and fear surrounding us. Our job is to choose what to respond to and how to respond.

I appreciate those times when I shared conversation with my neighbor Coleen. We had humorous talks, informational chats, "catching up" conversations and heart to heart connections. In the reverse, I am truly happy for my neighbor and her new grand baby, her new role as grandma and her daughter's new role as mother.

I will honor those that have passed through my life as they traveled to the world beyond by holding the best of them in my memories.I will cherish the moments of discovery as new people enter my life. I will turn my attention, not to the turmoil and fear that surrounds me, but to the hope and promise that resides within each of us.

I am grateful that life allows me to experience the ends of the spectrum, so that I can find my place. I choose peace, joy, love and hope.

Abundance of Love

2009-02-14T08:44:00.003-05:00

On Valentine's Day 2009, I am grateful for the love that others share with me now and throughout my life. How often do we take time to appreciate the many ways others show us their love for us?

We may prefer that love come to us in certain forms. As long as love comes to us, it is a gift. Sometimes love comes to me in the form of frustration-frustration that things are not working out as a loved one wishes for me. Sometimes it comes in the form of silence-silence from the bestower of love because they cannot find the words to say.

The one thing I believe no one can survive without is love.

Here are ways I will share my love with others:
Be respectful of their wishes and their views.
Be accepting of those habits or idiosyncrasies that I find uncomfortable.
Reach out with a smile, especially for those that are disgruntled or unhappy.
Thank each person I interact with for adding to my life in some way.
Become at peace with the past-forgive.
Give my best in all I do.

What other ways can we show love?

Dirt Poor and Still made it!

2009-02-12T09:16:00.003-05:00

Recently my Uncle Howie wrote his memoirs from early childhood through his marriage to Aunt Marilyn. Howie was my father's youngest brother. My father passed away just weeks before my 6th birthday and I never really knew much about his life. What I thought I knew turned out to be his creative mind illuminating the fantasies he must have lived as a child. My dad told me he was part native american only to find out he lived near an indian reservation. He told me stories about Kentucky, but never lived there.

Through Uncle Howie's memoirs, I think I understand a little about my dad's vivid imagination. My grandparents were dirt poor, lived in a house without running water or inside plumbing of any kind. The outhouse was less than spectacular and the wood stove only warmed whatever was within 2-3 feet. It was a treat for them to have bread and milk pudding made from stale bread. This was in the early 1940's!

Amazingly, like others surviving the Depression, my dad and his younger brother succeeded in life. My dad joined the Navy, earned a degree in Physics and taught at the Capitol Radio Engineering Institute. My uncle went George Washington University where he earned his PhD.

What made me realize the sacrifices my dad went through to get where he did in life, to provide for his wife and family of 7 was Uncle Howie's story. I thought about that once again this morning after a story about poverty in Appalachia on Good Morning America.

How can you express the gratitude in your heart for the suffering and senseless poverty that exists still today when many of us are in turmoil over cutting back gas consumption or losing cable tv? I express my gratitude each time a bill arrives because it reminds me that I have something of value to pay for. I take a moment to talk to a "down and out" man collecting change at the intersection. He has never asked me for anything. He blesses me each time I see him and ask how he is. I thank those who provide security to my community-police, fire fighters, etc.

I am grateful that I have so much to grumble about if I choose. Imagine not having much of anything: what would there be to grumble about?

Planting Seeds

2009-02-11T08:13:00.005-05:00

I haven't written in about a week as I was preparing to speak at NIH's CORE week, which started Monday Feb. 9.

My presentation was on increasing the greatest asset you have-your mindset. The crowd at NIH was awesome! So many people willing to share ideas, information, questions and suggestions. I walked away with more than I came with, I'm sure.

So today, I am expressing my gratitude to Rachel Permuth-Levine and Michael Donovan for organizing the event and making opening day run smoothly and efficiently for presenters and participants. I am also grateful to those individuals that came to hear me speak and enriched my presentation with their participation.

Special thanks to Paula Bisacre, Publisher of reMarriage Magazine, for giving a live testimonial for me and for helping with the preparations.

To all I met on Monday, thank you for stopping by the booth and sharing a moment of your day. I am truly grateful.

A Meal of Gratitude

2009-02-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

Today I would like to share a meal of gratitude with you.

The drink for today is pleasant punch, full of enjoyment and cheer.
The appetizer is meaningful moments; micro moments of thoughtfulness to enrich your day.
The salad includes laughing lettuce, cheery tomatoes, calming celery tossed with a sweet drizzle of delightful dreams.
The soup, warm and soothing, is a blend of subtle spices and nectar.
The entree is a combination of trust, integrity, support and friendship, rolled together in a flaky dough and baked in the sun.
And for today's dessert-
A generous scoop of imagination, joy and unending curiousity.

Please feel free to leave a tip, comment or suggestion for the menu!

Future or Past? Which is it?

2009-01-27T13:35:00.001-05:00

For your gratitude snack,this article is printed with permission from Iris Benrubi, M.A.

We are well into the New Year and if you have followed convention, you may have set some New Years Resolutions and even created goals for 2009. In my experience, people often plan what they want in the future and forget to acknowledge themselves for what they've already achieved and what they have right now in the moment. I'd
like to share with you what I am grateful for.

Over the last year I have worked with many wonderful clients. I have forged strong relationships with both of my children and have had some outstanding discussions and developed feelings of mutual trust and respect. I have strengthened my existing friendships. I have visited some wonderful places including Jordan, Israel, Paris
and Panama.

I have experienced adventure, relaxation and wonderful connections with new and wonderful people in my travels. I have revisited and reconnected with my family in Israel that I haven't seen in 29 years - of over 50 cousins, children, aunts and uncles. I have a body that never gives out and supports me through my day.
I have met a wonderful man that loves me the way I am.

I have grown and learned about myself. I have learned how to let go of the things that frustrate me and make me stressed and replaced them with acceptance and an experience inner peace. I have learned to forgive myself and love who I am (this is still a work in progress :-).

Now your turn:
What have you achieved in the last 12 months?

Who have you impacted?

What are you grateful for?

What is going well for you? These things may seem unremarkable or every day, but if you stop and look at them, they really are remarkable, wonderful daily gifts to your life.

Take 5 minutes and answer these questions. If you feel like it,email your answers to me. What you'll find is that as you focus,not on what you still want to achieve, but what you have achieved,the gifts in your life, the difference that you make, you will feel joy, contentment and a sense of calm that will help you face what could be challenging circumstances with a smile on your face. Enjoy

Simply Success, 1 Promenade Circle #302, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 4P8,
CANADA

Iris Benrubi M.A.
Helping Good People Feel Great!

www.TherapySolutions.ca
905-709-8185

Grateful Reading

2009-01-13T11:48:00.005-05:00

I am grateful for the following books and their authors:

Key to the Law of Attraction by Jack Canfield
Ask and It is Given, The Astonishing Power of Emotions, The Law of Attraction, Money and The Law of Attraction and The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent all by Esther and Jerry Hicks
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
The Power of Now and A New Earth, both by Eckhart Tolle
My Stroke of Insight by Jille Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley

These were many of the books I read in 2008 that brought me a greater understanding of how the world works and how I can work in the world.

2008 Gratitude

2009-01-03T13:10:00.002-05:00

In 2008, I experienced many giving people and many great opportunities. My overall impression of 2008 is that more people around me were pleasant, kind, understanding, patient and forgiving.

While shopping for the holidays, I realized over and over again how many people were standing in lines without complaining or grumbling. More people reached out to help others- by steering other shoppers in the right direction, calming bored and overwhelmed children,sharing ideas and even tables in the Eatery at the mall when capacity for separate tables had been reached. I witnessed people offering change at the register to complete a transaction-even when many felt the pinch of the economy on their wallets and purses.

Through my own development this past year, I know I attracted much of what I encountered. But I also know that there must be many others doing the same thing because of the remarkable consistency in kind behavior others as well as myself experienced. Most people I spoke with about their holidays remarked at how peaceful and simply life was for a few hours or days.

I had to take time to share how much I appreciated being surrounded by tidings of comfort and joy!

Happy New Year!

Life Lessons I am grateful for

2009-01-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some life lessons I am grateful for:

Don't step in gum.
Don't run barefoot in a dog's yard.
The more you scream, the less you hear.
Laughing is necessary.
When you think you know the most, you know the least.
Choices are reversable the second time around.
Imagination is the key to an extraordinary life.
Some lessons are given more than once, until they are learned.
Every accomplishment begins with one step.
Each life begins with a dream.
Music exists everwhere if you listen with your heart.
All we ever need is right in front of us.
When you can't find yourself, look inside.
Friends are the mirrors of our souls.
Get connected, stay connected.
A kind act is the seed of better tomorrows.
See life through a child's eyes.
We are all teachers. Be careful what you teach. Choose the lessons wisely.
Whatever you give in life comes back tenfold. Give what you want to receive.

Rainy Days

2008-12-16T15:40:00.003-05:00

This week in the Northeastern United States we are expecting several successive rainy days. I am thankful that I can choose to curl up with a warm cup of coffee or tea and dream while I listen to the rain hitting the window.

Dreaming is important. Day dreaming, for no purpose other than to escape, can be a form of meditation. Intentional dreaming, a phrase coined by Michael Gerber, is a dream for the purpose of discovering yourself and your purpose here on earth. That's my favorite dream!

I am grateful for Michael Gerber's way of reaching into my soul. I am grateful for the rainy days that some find annoying because they offer a great opportunity for introspection. I am grateful that I have a warm place from which to listen to the rain. And I appreciate a few minutes of quiet solitude.

The Little Gifts

2008-12-09T09:51:00.004-05:00

Last week, during my weekly trip to the grocery store, I met a couple in the parking lot as they scooted past me in the parking lot. We smiled at each other as they passed me on their way into the store.

I grabbed a cart and headed through the produce section, down the dairy isle and up the next isle. As I rounded the corner, I came to a halt. There, in front of me stood the couple. The man and woman both had their own carts which carried their canes and a few grocery items. They were rolling down the isle together, side by side.

There isn't much room to go around a double wide grocery cart convoy. I called out, "Oh, I see. You are paying me back for blocking your path in the parking lot!"

They both turned around and saw me standing there. We shared smiles once again. We joked back and forth a moment. Then, the magic began. As we made small talk, I learned that the man is a commercial artist with his own business. He does celluloid drawings for each of his children's and grandchildren's birthdays which are placed on the cake for the celebration and easily removed to cut the cake. These celluloids are treasured by each family member and stored for future pleasure.

One daughter shares a birthday with me. Although days apart, we were both born the same month and year. The couple, after learning of this coincidence, adopted me into their family. Right there in the grocery store!

We periodically bumped into each other as we meandered through the remaining isles. As I finished paying for my groceries, I spied them in the card isle and went to say goodbye. They were conspiring about the next birthday cake design as they gathered ideas from the cards before them.

We hugged and smiled and parted ways, remarking how wonderful it would be if we chanced a meeting in the future.

That special encountered occurred on my birthday. It was the best gift I received this year.

God Bless, George and Rhea. Thank you for making my day magical and special.

Celebration

2008-12-08T10:25:00.007-05:00

It occurs to me that gratitude is a celebration of all that is in our lives. The good, the sad, the difficult, etc. Each thing in our life is there for a reason. Each things brings a lesson.

What can be learned from heart ache? It may be how to love unconditionally or how to love ourselves. Maybe it's how to give to others.

What about struggle? What can be learned from expending energy on surviving? We may have the opportunity to learn that we are not in complete control over anything in our lives. It may be that we are focusing on what isn't there instead of what IS there.

When we are in gratitude, we see things to be grateful for all around us. Once we get over feeling silly about being grateful for a cricket complaining in the basement, we can be grateful that the cricket's sonmetimes annoying sound alerted us to a leaking pipe.

I invite you to celebrate each event that you encounter today. Every horn honking, every unforseen problem and yes, even all of the people around you that you don't yet understand.

Francis Lucille said,
"Everything is created from moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator contemplating the eternal Fourth of July of your absolute splendor."

Illumination

2008-12-04T16:22:00.003-05:00

I am working on my motto for 2009 and I am playing with "The Year of Illumination".

My wish is to notice, collect, create and appreciate moments of light: those times when someone around me or further out in the world shows others how to find light in moments of darkness.

Recently, a mother and daughter in Texas were looking for a way to give a gift beyond all costs. A gift that didn't cost a thing but that would touch someone's heart in a very special way. Several days ago, they decided what they would give. They set out to the Hair Warehouse and both donated their locks of hair to a charity that provides wigs to ill children.

The first stream of light has been seen before the holidays arrive. Rose and Sydney, I am grateful for the love and inspiration you are spreading. I am off to find an idea of my own!

Appreciation Poem

2008-11-30T08:36:00.001-05:00

Appreciation

Hustle bustle, faster pace.
Who was that?
I didn’t see the face.
Faster, faster we all spin.
What a world we now live in.

I watched the news-
What a horrible sight.
Someone’s without a home tonight.
What was that? Vandals strike?
I wonder what that would feel like.

Stepping out-
Notice the crowd.
These are neighbors, scared but proud.
Pulled together, hand in hand
Together, united, we all must stand.

Strength, it grows,
Day by day;
Person to person, in very small ways.
A nod, a smile, a friendly face.
Many people filled with grace.

Respecting differences,
Reaching out.
That is what a global community
Is all about.

Renee Canali July,2005

Gratitude quotes

2008-11-28T12:13:00.001-05:00

Favorite quotes from David Riklan, Founder of Selfgrowth.com:

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T11:28:00.003-05:00

November 27 is Thanksgiving Day in the US. Although the focus in many homes turns to great food and football, the spirit of the holiday is to gather and give thanks for all we have, materially as well as spiritually.

I am thankful that I have met many unique individuals over this past year. I have been presented with and created opportunities. I have a wonderful, growing support team. I am blessed with health, as is my family. I have strength and support to endure what may come to me in the form of challenges. As I have overcome challenges in the past, I know I can do the same in the future.

I thank each and every person with whom I have crossed paths this past year. Drivers that gesture because we disagree on how to function on the roads together, people whose hurt and anger have been thrust my way, people I have smiled at but were unaware I had them in my thoughts. Thanks to those that have served me in some way-waitstaff at restaurants, clerks in stores, police, fire and rescue personnel, banking associates, telephone operators and customer service associates. I thank the utilities for bringing me electricity, water, sewer service, cable, telephone and heat.

Most of all, I thank YOU for reading and contributing to my blog. The world is awakening to the power of sharing positive energy and this is only one way we can gather to send our energy to others.

May your life be blessed with the expression of gratitude daily. If you haven't yet taken time to check out The Gratitude Diet by David Margolis, please consider it for yourself or a loved one this holiday season. I do not receive any consideration for this product-I just believe in its power.
Go now:
http://gratitudediet.com

In memorium

2008-11-19T08:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I attended a graveside service for a man I met several years ago through Business Networkers International. David Feldmann passed away this weekend from cancer.

I am not sad. David was a man who lived with integrity and always gave what he could of himself. He did a 100 mile bike ride each spring for MS, being one of the top fundraisers. He had 7 children, 3 of which were adopted.

David was an insurance broker and settlement attorney. He spent meticulous time reviewing settlement papers from the first letter to the last period, making sure every words was in order. He believed in doing business "the old way", one person at a time, one step at a time and with the client's needs in mind. David always offered to review people's insurance policies to see if he could find a way to get better coverage for their money and to make sure their needs were truly being met. He never asked for a sale. This was one of his gifts.

I am grateful that David was part of my life. He knew what he stood for and was proud to stand tall. His integrity and business savvy were great models for me.

Shalom, David. May your legacy live on through each person you touched in some way.

Free gratitude

2008-11-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

Election Day 2008 United States of America

A reminder of the freedoms we take for granted and the efforts that go unnoticed.

-election judges and the behind-the-scenes workers that make voting possible
-neighbors meeting neighbors and sharing the freedom of speech
-candidates and their families that sacrifice privacy, time and energy for the good of the whole
-pollsters, campaign volunteers,etc.
-many of us who have difficulty with mobility or function that get to the polls to cast a vote and stand up to be counted

The world is changing around and with the US. Let us all stand up and be counted among those who love their fellow man!

Blessings in Stone

2008-11-01T21:23:00.001-04:00

Two friends were walking through the desert. As the day wore on and they became hotter and wearier, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand, "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they knelt beside a pond, eager for a long, cool drink. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, " After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you wrote on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied, "When someone hurts us we should write it in the sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can erase it."

Let's learn to write our hurts in the sand and carve our blessings in stone.
(As published in the November 2008 issue of Bill's Bulletin, www.americasreferral.com)

Shifts and Changes

2008-10-23T11:05:00.003-04:00

I am grateful for the shift we are experiencing in the way our world works. In the U.S., I feel that many people are no longer willing to tolerate negative politics and unfulfilled and blindly offered promises by politicians.

I feel other nations wrestling with old ways of doing things in a new world; fighting against what hasn't worked for a long time and demanding changes that will allow things to work better and for the masses.

I welcome new ideas, new collaboration and the new willingness to accept change.

Clarity

2008-10-19T16:19:00.002-04:00

There is something about a clear autumn day, a bright blue sky and a strong sun that allows me to let go of worries, fears and expectations. On days like today, it seems that nature conspires to draw me outside so that I may just let go and breathe again.

It's that unencumbered feeling of pure joy I experienced as a child, rolling down hillsides or following an escaped balloon in the wind,that brings clarity to my life and gets me back in touch with the childlike wonder that guides my spirit.

As evening falls, the air cools and gently guides me back indoors to cuddle with myself and loved ones, to dream of what the future can be. Still untethered from expectation, we eagerly move forward with hopes and wishes.

I am grateful that others dream big dreams, share their secrets of success and connect with other dreamers-all for the purpose of discovering what is possible.

The Old Fisherman

2008-10-15T14:08:00.003-04:00

This story was sent to me by a friend and I wanted to share it with all of you:

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the Clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. 'Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old,' I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.

But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw, yet his voice was pleasant as he said, 'Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'till morning.'

He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success; no one seemed to have a room. 'I guess it's my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments...'

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: 'I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.' I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on he porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. 'No thank you. 'I have plenty' And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded, and the little man was out on the porch.

He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, 'Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.' He paused a moment and then added, 'Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind.' I told him he was welcome
to come again.

And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do
this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. 'Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!'

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice But, oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, 'If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!'

My friend changed my mind. 'I ran short of pots,' she explained, 'and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden.'

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. There's an especially beautiful one,' God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. 'He won't mind starting in this small body.'

All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'

Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY.

New Headlines

2008-10-14T12:19:00.001-04:00

Last month I challenged my newsletter readers to write their own headlines each day and share them. Here are some of my newest ones:

Renee Strengthens Focus for The Future
Family Ties Still Strong
World Unites for Betterment of All Humans
Discover The Power Within You- Learn Something New
Everything Has A Flip Side
Create Your Own Fate
Gratitude Carries Us Through

What headlines can you create? Please share!

Vibrance

2008-10-10T16:34:00.001-04:00

I have been focusing on things in my life that are vibrant or that make me feel vibrant. The list will keep growing, but here are some of the things I have noted so far:

-leaves changing color
-cool morning air
-bright blue, sunny skies
-puffy white clouds
-an unexpected compliment
-meeting someone new
-noticing things I have passed by before
-family projects (my kids are adults now, so this is extremely special!)
-laughter, especially from children or uninhibited adults
-hard working things in nature, such as squirrels enjoying the fruits of their labor, insects singing with all their might before winter comes, birds chattering to each other often competing with other species.
-love shown inconspicuously
-quiet moments in a hectic world
-the full harvest moon
-the first strands of light
-discovering a new level within myself or another person
-songs that tell stories
-the contrast of black and white photos
-the ability to see, feel, hear, smell and taste life's bounty

More Headlines

2008-10-06T15:09:00.004-04:00

Here are some more headlines I have written to guide my thoughts:

US Politicians Move in a Positive Direction

World Leaders Unite to Strengthen World Economy

Tides Turning: Middle America Sees Other Side of "Victim" Stories

International Groups Promoting Betterment of All Taking World by Storm

Discussions Turn From Lack to Gratitude for What IS

Have you begun to write your own headlines? Headlines that counteract the negative media assault on our daily lives? Please be share to post your favorite headline here!

The Natural Way to Meditate

2008-10-05T16:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I suggested to my husband that we take a walk on one of the nearby nature trails and treat the dog to an outing as well.

We took the dog to a nearby park and walked along one of the trails, watching her track animal smells as she moved quickly through the woods. She never found the animal(s) that belonged to those smells. If she had, we would probably still be laughing at her surprise! She's curious, but not necessarily brave.

Even though we were only gone about 30 minutes, I enjoyed the time outdoors. It amazes me that it can seem so quiet in the middle of a city; yet, if we listen closely, there is always a cacophony of vibration surrounding us.

Being in nature is my favorite way to meditate. I stay quiet and just move through nature as I observe it around me. Sometimes I find the quiet among the noise; other times I seek out every sound I can distinguish from another and guess it's origin.

It is the peaceful balance I find healing. I am grateful that I live among many opportunites to observe nature frequently.

Write Your Own Headline

2008-10-01T09:08:00.004-04:00

In my newsletter, Cultivating Seeds of Change, I invited my readers to write their own headlines each day for the rest of the year. There are about 90 days left in 2008and this is a great way to accelerate your appreciation and gratitude.

Here are my headlines for today:

Mindset Coach Cultivates Change for Thousands (I am grateful for the reach of my business and all of those clients who have blessed my life).
US Political Climate is More Cooperative (I am grateful there are still people in this country willing to serve in this capacity).
US Government Acts Responsibly (see above).
College and Vocational Training Made Available to All (I am grateful for the opportunities available here).
Awareness Levels Increase World Wide: Evidence of Global Cooperation Exists (I appreciate the many individuals who support others worldwide).

What headlines would you write?

To read the newsletter outlining this process, go to: www.landofpossibility.com/newsletter.html

The Spirit of Fall

2008-09-22T09:16:00.004-04:00

Fall begins here in the US today. This is the time of year I love the most. I envelop myself in the warm sun, the cool breezes, the intensity of the light and the colors of nature around me.

I enjoy capturing the subtle changes in the sun's angle, the shortening of daylight in my mind.

I encourage you to notice how many subtle changes are happening around you. Be grateful for what was, what is and what can be!

Virtual Banking

2008-09-17T09:48:00.003-04:00

I have been having fun playing virtual banking this month. This is an exercise from Esther and Jerry Hicks in several of their books, such as The Law of Attraction. Here's how to play:

Deposit a sum of money into your bank account each day. Choose an amount that is way out there for you- maybe 2,000 per day or maybe 20,000!

Each day, you must spend every penny of the money however you wish: vacations, fun gadgets, charity, fixing cars, homes, etc., investments, retirement. Write each purchase down and what you spent.

Repeat the process every day but avoid always choosing the same purchase/expenditure. For instance, don't always pay your debts or save for retirment. Shake it up a little!

Here are some of my fun expenditures:
Habitat for Humanity- $10,000
Solar panel for the roof- $20,000
Vacation in Hawaii- $13,000
New Bikes- $800
Food for Food Bank- $3,000
Cruise with Esther and Jerry Hicks to Alaska- $8,000

If you do not know what something costs, estimate the cost on the high side and let go of the money! It's so much fun I hope every reader plays for a month!

Remembering Old Times

2008-09-13T21:41:00.001-04:00

Traveling back from our time in paradise this past week, we stopped at several Cracker Barrel restaurants for meals and bathroom breaks. We discovered that Cracker Barrel carries several candies that we remember from when we were very young, some of which we have never seen since that time years ago.

I enjoyed picking up Fizzies (tablets you drop into water to "make" soda) and Pop Rocks (Granulated candy that "pops" when you put it in your mouth)to share with my sibblings at Christmas. In my family, there are a few joke treats we always share-such as Peeps at Easter (now available throughout the year-even Halloween) and Chicklets gum.

It is always fun to travel back to my childhood to enjoy these simple treats over again-and share!

Natural Enjoyment

2008-09-07T01:37:00.001-04:00

How great to have a break this time of year and spend it on an island paradise! Clear weather, beatiful beaches, serenity everywhere! Everyone we come in to contact with says hello, smiles and exchanges pleasantries. What a blessing it is to receive these gifts and recognize the little things in life that make us feel so good.

Unconditional Companionship

2008-09-05T08:05:00.001-04:00

Today is the celebration of 27 years of marriage to my husband. I am grateful that we found each other, love each other and have learned to accept each other along with our fears, habits, opinions (sometimes unwaivering)and beliefs.

I am blissfully happy that together we created two individuals that are now experiencing adulthood and teaching us many things about their world and about ourselves.

View of a storm

2008-09-04T11:54:00.001-04:00

Weather has always been of interest to me. I love thunder storms and the clouds that precede weather fronts. Weather is magical to me.

Watching destructive weather is NOT something I enjoy. It takes great concentration for me not to be pulled into the devistation of people affected by hurricanes, floods, ice storms or tornadoes. I allow myself to feel compassion for those who may be affected by these events.I do not allow myself to feel pity or sorrow. I beleive in sending good thoughts, not connecting with the bad ones. So, I offer a prayer that they will find comfort and new beginnings.

I keep in mind that, just as the calm after the storm, their is peace to be found in our turmoils.

Manifesting

2008-09-01T11:46:00.001-04:00

I am enjoying my day. The sun, the drier air, the blue sky. I see, feel and hear abundance all around me. I am eager to discover the thousands of ways that abundance comes in to my life.

I understand that what I receive is a direct result of all that I call into my reality through my thoughts. I have the ability to quickly refocus my thoughts so that I attract more of what I desire at a higher level.

I feel a powerful leveraging of energy in being more deliberate about my thoughts. I believe I have always known this and now I know better how to focus and call forward my power through what I value.

I am relieved that I do not have to wait for what I desire: As I bring more light into my life, the things I desire become more visible to me.

Stirring Up Possibilities

2008-08-28T20:35:00.003-04:00

I am deeply appreciating my talent to stir up possibilities in my life and to help others to find the possibilities within themselves.

Speaking with individuals and groups about common problems or frustrations creates a synergy which brings to the surface all of the hidden possibilities within.

It brings me great joy to see someone create and transform their life.

Acts of Kindness

2008-08-26T12:53:00.006-04:00

This is a message from Dan Kushell I want to share with you:
~~

Just wanted to drop a quick note as we finish up summer...
We've had about 60 days straight with weather over 100 degrees.

It's easy to get caught up in complaining about the heat, until I think about the bitter, chilling, bone-cold weather I despised growing up in detroit, MI.

It's all perspective isn't it?

It's sometimes easy to forget
And so it is with an act of kindness...

I meet so many people who get so caught up in success in financial terms, they often forget about success in their own life - with their families, kids, and themselves.

I have a few questions today -

When was the last time you treated you to an act of kindness and spoiled yourself?
To a massage, a manicure, a pedicure,a walk, a visit to the park.

I remember years ago when a friend of mine and I would go spend an afternoon just sitting under a tree reading, relaxing and taking in nature...

when was the last time you treated someone you love and care about in your family to an act of kindness? This summer has helped put some really, really important things in perspective for me - mentally, physically, socially, spiritually and financially...

I've been traveling a bit this summer and I can tell you this past week being home was an amazing blessing...I was able to watch my son start walking this week -
Why? Because I was home, treating me and my family to my acts of kindness...

I got to watch my daughter dance in front of a camera with other kids on a weekday afternoon at Chuck E Cheeses...

Now, these things didn't cost me a small fortune at all...
They took me focusing on 'Acts of Kindness... for me and those I love.

I forget where I heard it the first time, however it's one of my dreams, goals and missions to share with you important strategies to get money out of the way...
To get beyond the place of living in survival...
To show you all the things money can buy...

and

MORE IMPORTANTLY -
all of the incredible and important things money can't!

Make it a goal this week to share an act of kindness with someone...

Start with you

Then make it a goal to share it with someone you care about...

I cherish the responsibility to open your heart and mind to a new world of infinite possibilities- personally, professionally and financially!

Thank you for being willing to play full-on.

Enjoy every moment,
Dan

~~~~
Dan Kuschell is one of the leading business and marketing Experts in the world,
teaching his techniques here http://www.prosperitybasedliving.com. Get a copy of his
Free Book and Audio Training

In Kindness,
Coach Renee

Support

2008-08-19T07:56:00.002-04:00

I recently finished "The Haunting of Our Minds: How Beliefs Scare the Success Out of Us and How to Regain Our Power".

I am grateful for Carol who edited this work and taught me along the way (as she always does)...
For Lauren who accepted questions on a moment's notice...
For Jille, Julie, Laurie, Kim and Liane for cheering me as I ventured forward...
For Mike and his Tranquil Sleep CD Product Launch....
For everyone who reads it and applies the value they find within to their lives and the lives of others.

(The Tranquil Sleep Now CD does what no other sleep aid in the world can do: It corrects the root causes of your sleeplessness, instead of just knocking you out
with brain-altering substances like drugs and herbal supplements do. Check it out if you want to sleep more soundly! http://www.thinkrightnow.com/cmt.asp?s=824920)

Remembering Grace

2008-07-15T10:40:00.002-04:00

The days are long and the sun is hot. The strength of the sun obscures the contrasts that we usually enjoy as we drive to work, walk to the store, cut grass or run from one cool place to the next.

This time of year can put pressure on our ability to keep our cool. Hot, tired, wanting for vacation or holiday, our bodies and our minds are searching for refuge from the building pressure.

Instead of indulging in whining and complaining, which is easy to do when you are stretched and uncomfortable, this is one time I choose to remember grace.

Calm in a storm of furry.
Peace when fighting knocks at your door.
Wonder in the face of confusion.
Savor in place of wanting more.

Smile when your heart is heavy.
Dream when hope is gone.
Be brave when you have no answer.
'Tis grace that moves you on.

Connections

2008-07-12T14:54:00.000-04:00

Today I am filled with gratitude for each person I have met recently. Knowing that they were brought into my life for a reason, I savor the connecton we made-however brief.

I do not spend time figuring out why I have been blessed to meet them. I trust the purpose will become clear if I have a lesson to learn or a journey to embark on.

Sometimes I know people pop in to my life just to remind me that people need to be connected to each other.

I wonder who is next?

Dog Days of Summer

2008-07-11T12:33:00.001-04:00

July is turning out to be very hot and dry here in Maryland. As the leaves of the trees begin to curl for lack of water and the grass bleaches to a pale green, I find myself drinking in the color dotting gardens and lawns. Flowers, whether domesticated or natural (weeds) give us a chance to see the contrast we live with every day.

I enjoy each flower large and small. Soon the flowers will begin to wither and their memories will be lasting remnants of this year's harvest.

For me, the flowers remind me that even in distress, there is something beautiful to discover. Weeds-or daily problems-are gifts for us to unwrap when we are ready.

I am grateful for this natural process. Bloom, grow, wither and renew! I strive to see the "color" when times seem bleak. I drink in what I can, even if the color is pale and bleached. That's where life hides its purest pleasures.

The Littliest Prayer Warrior

2008-07-08T10:14:00.000-04:00

Once again, a dear friend has expressed life through gratitude. Please enjoy!

Blaine's Mommy has a dear friend named Tom Quarles or as he is lovingly known, T.Q. He was a co-worker of Jere's when she worked at Clear Channel Broadcasting. He is one of those increasingly rare breeds who everybody loves and enjoys knowing. Somebody everyone is happy to call "friend".

About two years ago, T.Q. was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Utilizing some new medicine, his cancer went into remission. Two weeks ago T.Q. noticed a lump on the side of his neck. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. The doctors told him there was one small chance with another new med.

Blaine listened carefully that morning when Jere told me about this latest sad news of T.Q. As is his custom before his nap, Blaine said his prayer which is pretty much by rote. But, this day was different. Just before that 'amen' he pled, "Dear Jesus, our friend T.Q. is very sick and the doctor says he has a new medicine. But Jesus, if it doesn't work can T.Q. come to heaven and live with you?"

Needless to say, neither of us had a dry eye. My pride in this 'little hero' continues to grow as does he. I have known people I considered prayer warriors but none this tiny. Oh how I wish all of us had the insight, the compassion, the faith, and the love of this little five year old. The world would be a better place if we had more prayer warriors of all ages.

Please folks, remember T.Q. in your prayers.

Jan Elliott

The Gratitude Diet

2008-07-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

David Margolis, a remarkable man I met 3 years ago at Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success event at Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, has spent the last 3 years exploring and mastering Canfield's Success Principles and the Law of Attraction.

He has "distilled" his findings about what works, what doesn't and why into the Gratitude Diet. Please visit his website and take a test drive. You will be grateful for the expereince!

www.gratitudediet.com

I am grateful to have experienced Canfield's event with remarkable people like David.

Top 50 Ways To Make Someone's Monday

2008-07-03T12:11:00.005-04:00

Scott Stratten's new Thank Goodness It's Monday Blog is now up and running. The newest post is "Top 50 Ways to Make Someone's Monday" and he needs your help with the last few ways. Have a look at the list (47 or so now) and add yours to the comment section. If you have your own site/blog feel free to link back to it as well!

Just click here:

Natural Wonders

2008-07-02T11:16:00.005-04:00

We have been in a pattern of afternoon thunderstorms and high winds over the last two weeks. A few days ago, we had a thunderstorm blow through, after which we were given a unique opportunity to view an unusual meteorological event- a double rainbow!

It was not only one rainbow stretched over another, but the lower rainbow had a repeated color spectrum! Red,orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, red, orange, etc. which I have never seen. It was so spectacular that neighbors called each other to share the event.

What blessings!

The Energy Mirror

2008-06-26T11:15:00.002-04:00

Two neighbors, both is their 80's, stopped to chat with me while taking their morning walk. One neighbor has heart problems and the other is recovering from cancer treatments. They both remarked today that several times already this week, people they have never met in the neighborhood stopped their cars as they headed to work for the day to tell these women how much they have been missed as part of a morning routine. Each person that stopped asked if they were doing well because their morning strolls were interrupted by health issues.

These women were amazed at the reaction of unknown neighbors! I understand that the energy these women give off as they meander through the neighborhood each morning, enjoying the company of the other, greeting those out and about with a smile or a wave brings them energy mirrored back in the form they emit.

As I expressed this idea to each of them, their responses were the same: Aren't we lucky to live in a neighborhood where people care about others-known to them or not.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is a great example of gratitude.

Grace and Resentment

2008-06-23T10:39:00.001-04:00

"If you are not grateful, you are resentful".

James Allen, in his book As A Man Thinketh, states "Men do not attract what they want, but what they ARE".

The law of polarity states everything has an opposite: up exists because of down, right exists because of wrong. Gratitude exists because of resentment. To change your results, you must move toward the polar opposite of what you have in your life.

As you think about these two ideas, what would you choose? Gratitude or Attitude?

Daily Disciplines

2008-06-22T11:10:00.000-04:00

Here's an excerpt from an article by Jack Canfield May 24, 2008 entitled: Daily Disciplines for Success

4. Have an Attitude of Gratitude

It is critical to take time each and every day to focus on what you are grateful for. Some people do this in the morning before or after they visualize their desires; others prefer to do it in the evening. Focus on all of the things in your life (most of which you take for granted) that you are grateful for--your health, your children, your job, the nice weather, electricity, running water, a nice stereo system, your flower garden, your pets, your friends).

No matter what your situation, there are always things to be grateful for. The more you focus on what you are grateful for, the more things and experiences you will attract to be grateful for. You may wish to carry a "gratitude rock" like the one Lee Brower talks about in "The Secret."

To read the full article, go here: http://jackcanfield.com/page/?PageID=88

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack Canfield, America's Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Observations

2008-06-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

Guy Finley, Author of many books including The Essential Laws of Fearless Living, and Director of Life of Learning Foundation states:

"Our gift is to realize that the universe we gaze at lives within us."

Whatever we identify in the "outer" world that we can be grateful for, is a greatness that lives within us. Once we acknowledge or notice something out side of ourselves, we create that appreciation inside of ourselves.

Imagine appreciating "good" and "bad" things for the gifts they bring into our lives.

"Imagine how different life would be if we understood nothing happens to us that isn't sent our way to help us learn more about the eternal nature of love..we would know whatever takes place in our lives has not come as something set against our best interests, but to help us REALIZE them."

Unlucky or Ungrateful?

2008-06-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

Friday the 13th. When the 13th of any month lands on a Friday, many people see this as a flag for unlucky things to happen. I see this superstition, when taken seriously, a dangerous undermining of our own power to create what we want for our lives.

I have always looked at Friday the 13th as a day I intentionally go out to prove the superstition wrong. I look forward to creating a great day by actively seeking things for which to be grateful.

Friday June 13th-what I am grateful for today:
I woke up! Alive!
My family is safe.
I enjoy my neighborhood and those neighbors I have met.
I do not have to believe, listen to or repeat the doomsday messages from media which are running rampant in an attempt to scare us into surrendering our power to create bountiful lives.
I enjoy my yard and the gold finch flock that comes to visit.
I am grateful that others live in gratitude.

Promoting World Peace

2008-06-12T09:41:00.003-04:00

Here's a great way to test the power of your beliefs!

I believe in the Law of Attraction and believe we can all change the tide from terror and mayhem to peace and prosperity. That is the one reason I started a gratitude blog! I know you want more peace in your life and in your world, so I thought you'd like a website I found.

I watched their movie and took the steps they suggested to create greater world peace. There is a "Personal Peace Impact Meter" which measures the peace each of us is creating!

The Personal Peace Impact Meter not only shows the positive effect you're having, but when the people you talk to, take positive actions towards peace, that shows up as part of the peace impact you are having, too, because you started the referral chain! And then their friends tell their friend's, and so on. It all shows up on the meter...really cool!

Here's the link: http://www.tenmillionclicksforpeace.org/?sid=68013c418MJu4663hE2084112

My goal is to touch one million hearts every day and this is one way I can achieve my goal. If you value peace and are grateful for opportunities which allow peace to enter your life, please take a look-if only to feel peaceful for 5 minutes today.

What do you Believe about Gratitude?

2008-06-12T07:42:00.002-04:00

The question for today is "What do you believe about gratitude?"

I believe that gratitude plays a very important part in our lives. Having gratitude, heartfelt thanks, for all we have, do and experience in our lives is essential to success and happiness. Each time I practice gratitude I find that I connect more clearly with what I feel is important in life. I consciously choose to be grateful for something every day. Sometimes it is a visit from my 4 year old "boyfriend" neighbor. Tuesday I chose gratitude for the helpfulness and honesty of the car repair shop I brought my car to for an oil change.

When the day seems to be taking a negative turn for me, I immediately begin to look for things for which I am grateful. The least I can expect from this practice is to feel better at the end of the day. Most times this practice changes the direction or flow of events for that day.

Having a practice of gratitude, I believe, balances out the negative things that occur around us every day and tempt us to jump on the pity train.

Do you believe that having gratitude makes a profound difference in your life? Let us know how!

Gratitude and Attraction

2008-06-09T10:37:00.002-04:00

Much is being said about The Law of Attraction since the introduction of the movie "The Secret". The Law of Attraction basically says you get what you think about.

How does that relate to gratitude?

My experience continues to reinforce my belief in the Law of Attraction because the more I discover I am grateful for, the more opportunities I have to be grateful.

Recently, my daughter came to visit for a quick weekend. She came down to give her friend a sendoff as he departs for bootcamp. Her time with me was limited, but I loved every second of it. I am grateful that I could hear her softly breathing as she slept. I am grateful that she teaches me lessons about myself and her world as a young adult. She also attracts wonderful people into her life. I truly enjoyed interacting with her friends and appreciate the opportunity to see the world through their eyes.

While my daughter was here, one of our cars died and had to be left at the side of the road for a while. I could have chosen to worry about getting it towed, getting it fixed, making complicated arrangements for me to get to a seminar in Baltimore and for my husband to get my daughter to the bus station in DC or to forego altogether the opportunity I was given to participate in the seminar with David Neagle (www.livelifenow.com). I chose to be grateful that we had two cars to begin with. I celebrated that I had choice, as did my husband and my daughter. I am thankful that no one was harmed due to the failure of the car while it was in motion.

So, what did I attract with my gratitude? I still am not aware of all that I have attracted: but the car started right up when we went to rescue it, my daughter arranged her own transportation to the bus station, my husband had a day to relax by himself, I attended the seminar and met several fantastic people and enriched my understanding of the role beliefs play in our lives.

:)

Finding Grace

2008-06-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

In the last post I introduced you to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor; a "stroke triumphant" and neuroanatomist. I hope you have listened to at least one of her interviews with Oprah (http://www2.oprah.com/spiritself/oss/guest/oss_guest_jboltetaylor.jhtml).

Today I want to share her experience as the effects of the bleeding in her brain during the first few hours of her stroke bring her to new realizations.

From her book, My Stroke Of Insight:

p.41 "the harder I tried to concentrate...As the language centers in my left (brain) grew increasingly silent and I became detached from the memories of my life, I was comforted by the expanding sense of grace."
p.42 "Instead, I now blended in with the space and flow around me....WOW, what a strange and amazing thing I am."

As I read these pages and Jill's description of the early phases of her stroke, I am amazed at how more intensely we would experience ourselves if we could learn to turn off the chatter in our minds. Since reading page 42, I practice saying to myself as often as I can "WOW, what a atrange and amazing thing I am."

Just those few words are so empowering to me. I am grateful that Jill has allowed us to grow through her experiences and insights. I am also reminded that many times we discover the most about ourselves and our abilities in times of great pain (physical or otherwise).

Mind Chatter

2008-06-05T11:12:00.000-04:00

WOW! I just finished listening to Oprah's Soul Series interviews with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (http://www2.oprah.com/spiritself/oss/guest/oss_guest_jboltetaylor.jhtml) and I am really amazed at the insights Jill shares with us as she journeys through a stroke at the age of 37.

If you are not yet familiar with Dr. Jill, she is a neuroanatomist who studies the functioning of the brain. In 1996, while at the top of her profession in brain circuitry research at Harvard's Medical School of Psychiatry, she suffered a rare type of stroke which usually results in death.

In her book, My Stroke Of Insight, she describes the experience she has in understanding the untapped abilities of the human mind. Over the next several months I will share some of Jill's moments of gratitude. To truly experience the enormity of her experiences, I urge you to read the book AND listen to the interviews!

Distinctions

2008-05-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful that I continue to distinguish between things I enjoy and those things that I enjoy which are also good for me!

Let me explain a bit. I love people, ideas and synergy. Many times I get caught up in the energy of an opportunity without taking a moment to understand if the energy is pulling or if it is the opportunity itself. Sometimes we are given opportunities so that we can determine if they are here at the right time.

Have you ever gotten really excited about something, really caught up in the moment to find, in retrospect, that it is not what you need most in your life right now? Think about the last time you went shopping and saw something that just took your breath away. You HAD to have it! You may have thought about it, pondered it and decided to buy it, despite some reservations. You bought the energy that it gave you. Later you say to yourself, "Why did I buy that anyway? It doesn't look right, fit right, etc. It was way to expensive for my current lifestyle."

I now ask myself several questions before I make these "energetic" decisions:
1. How would my life change if I choose this now?
2. Is there something similar that fits my needs better?
3. Do I need this or WANT this?
4. What cost would I pay for not following through right now?

I still get caught up in the energy sometimes. When I do, and later realize the choice may not have been the best for me, I am grateful to have discovered yet one more way to define what I really desire.

Charlie Brown-Happiness Is

2008-05-22T10:03:00.002-04:00

From "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"

HAPPINESS IS FINDING A PENCIL.
PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE
TELLING THE TIME.
HAPPINESS IS LEARNING TO WHISTLE.
TYING YOUR SHOE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

HAPPINESS IS PLAYING THE DRUM IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL BAND.
AND HAPPINESS IS WALKING HAND IN HAND.
HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM.
KNOWING A SECRET.
CLIMBING A TREE.
HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS.
CATCHING A FIREFLY.
SETTING HIM FREE.

HAPPINESS IS BEING ALONE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
AND HAPPINESS IS COMING HOME AGAIN.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME TOO.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.

HAPPINESS IS HAVING A SISTER.
SHARING A SANDWICH.
GETTING ALONG.
HAPPINESS IS SINGING TOGETHER WHEN DAY IS THROUGH,
AND HAPPINESS IS THOSE WHO SING WITH YOU.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME TOO.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.

Happiness

2008-05-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

Recently a great group of women created a list of what happiness, true happiness, is to (us). Here's what we came up with. Please add your ideas:

Happiness is a simplified ego and simplified soul. A simplified ego practices acceptance, acknowledement and appreciation. A simplified soul is unmoved by turbulence, has a deeper understanding of mankind, is in gratitude 24 hours a day/7 days a week, operates from purposeful living and empowers others to do the same.

Happiness is harmonious consciousness. Time is spent allowing and serving the greater good. The pasing of time is not measured in what has not been accomplished, but is true bliss with no regret.

Happiness is total presence and connection to every thing. It is celebrating the purpose in every thing-good and "bad".

Happiness is when you smile so often your cheeks hurt-all the time!

Happiness is coming................

Grateful Giving

2008-05-15T09:39:00.001-04:00

This entry is from a dear friend I met on a cruise this past October.

I have had the most wonderful afternoon! The installer was here changing our satellite service to Direct TV. I was in my office working on locates when I thought I would attempt to return the man's kindnesses. He had gone to a great deal of trouble to run cable up to the tree house. He had told me he would hook up our existing recorders and the grandchildren's games. He also displayed patience in teaching me DVR olgy.

I explained to him what I was doing and asked if there was anyone he would like for me to locate. Without hesitation he blurted, "my brother, Howard!" "We were brought up in the boy's ranch out of San Antonio and we have not had contact with him for nearly thirty years". There had been three of the brothers at the ranch with a sister having been raised by an aunt. I made him no promises and went back in my office.

Twenty minutes later, he came down the hall on his way to another set in another room. I called out to him, "John, come here please." "Your brother is on my phone". He walked into the office with a look of total disbelief. Without a word to me, he took the phone and asked firmly, "who is this"? Of course, I could only hear his part of the conversation but, it was clear that he was testing this person claiming to be his long lost brother. "Do we have any siblings?" "Oh Dear God, that's right". I later learned that the third brother's name was Fred G. Jr. but these two brothers called him G.G.

I left the room as his voice started to choke. A few minutes later I walked in to get my cell phone and heard him tell his brother, "I have three sons Howard." "Three!" "Yes, they are 27, 24, and 17." "I love you man!!!"

When he had finished the call, he walked outside where Weldon and I stood trying to give him privacy. He thanked me profusely and went on about his work.

I walked into the last room he was hooking up to tell him I was leaving for an appointment and to thank him. As I walked into the room, he was holding his cell phone to his ear with his shoulder as he worked with the cables. He looked up and again had tears in his eyes. He was talking to his sister and trying to convince her that he had actually talked to Howard and they were planning a family reunion.

Was it chance that he was the one sent to install the system or was it the divine hand of the Master Communicator? Lordy, I love my job!

Jan Elliott

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T20:13:00.001-04:00

I am grateful that I knew my mother. She taught me many things, some through her own mistakes and some through her own difficulties.

I believe I taught her some things, too. I taught her to believe in herself no matter how many things she felt she did wrong. I taught her to accept that she did the best she could. I taught her how different I was (LOL). I showed her that she could still dream in her 70's.

I celebrated her graduation from High School at age 50, her first job in over 40 years (other than raising 7 children herself) and her strength as she learned to deal with her lung cancer. I celebrated that she lived longer than the doctors gave her. I celebrated her death.

Mom passed away 9 years ago, but she lives on inside me. As silly as it may seem, there are times I do something, notice something, capture a random thought- and smile a smile of thanks- for I know it was my mom checking in.

Happy Mother's Day!

Grateful Giving

2008-05-09T09:39:00.000-04:00

This entry is a story from a wonderful woman I met on a cruise this past fall:

I have had the most wonderful afternoon! The installer was here changing our satellite service to Direct TV. I was in my home office working. He had gone to a great deal of trouble to run cable, hook up our existing recorders and the grandchildren's games. He also displayed patience in teaching me DVR olgy.

I explained to him that I locate people and asked if there was anyone he would like for me to locate. Without hesitation he blurted, "my brother, Howard!" "We were brought up in the boy's ranch out of San Antonio and we have not had contact with him for nearly thirty years". There had been three of the brothers at the ranch with a sister having been raised by an aunt. I made him no promises and went back in my office.

Twenty minutes later, he came down the hall on his way to another set in another room. I called out to him, "John, come here please." "Your brother is on my phone". He walked into the office with a look of total disbelief. Without a word to me, he took the phone and asked firmly, "who is this"? Of course, I could only hear his part of the conversation but, it was clear that he was testing this person claiming to be his long lost brother. "Do we have any siblings?" "Oh Dear God, that's right". I later learned there was a third brother.

I left the room as his voice started to choke. A few minutes later I walked in to get my cell phone and heard him tell his brother, "I have three sons Howard." "Three!" "Yes, they are 27, 24, and 17." "I love you man!!!"

When he had finished the call, he walked outside where I stood trying to give him privacy. He thanked me profusely and went on about his work.

I walked into the last room he was hooking up to tell him I was leaving for an appointment and to thank him. As I walked into the room, he was holding his cell phone to his ear with his shoulder as he worked with the cables. He looked up and again had tears in his eyes. He was talking to his sister and trying to convince her that he had actually talked to Howard and they were planning a family reunion.

Was it chance that he was the one sent to install the system or was it the divine hand of the Master Communicator? Lordy, I love my job!

J. Elliott

Amazing Grace!

2008-05-05T12:10:00.002-04:00

I was having a bit of procrastination this morning. I found myself moving from one task to the next, then on to something else with very little focus. After exercising, I took the dog for her walk and there the day unfolded.

I met a neighbor several streets from my home. As I guided my dog around her so we would not disturb her lawn mowing, I said hello and the world changed. The dog instinctively laid down in the shade, while "Sandy" and I began to chat-this after telling the pooch we only had a few minutes to roam. Sandy began to remark about the house next door that sold last year and had recently been up on the market again. From there, we talked about her children and family, her own situation and about coaching.

As I listened intently to the wisdom she shared, I stood in amazement. This woman had endured raising an Asberger's Syndrome child, let go of a dear relative with complete acceptance, empowered her daughter after fear and anxiety set in during the last of her teen years and letting go of a spouse. She said, "Until now, I never thought I'd overcome struggle. I spent those difficult times doing one thing, then doing the next one thing until the day was through." Sandy used some of the very tools I use in coaching.

Reframing the situation- Sandy clearly understood early on that it is necessary to see things as they appear "on the outside" in order to choose what to do. A new perspective allows new options to appear.

Focus- Knowing in which direction to move can be the key to success or temporary failure.

Matching beliefs and values- When your values are in opposition to a belief you have adopted,achieving a balance is essential to building momentum.

And gratitude-When you are grateful for what each situation brings to you, you are given more.

Sandy, thank you for showing me through your experiences in life, how much I have to be grateful for today. You expressed the lessons I needed for today.

Struggle

2008-04-28T13:23:00.000-04:00

In Dr. Wayne Dyer's book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, he challenges his readers to recognize where they have created restricitions for themselves that keep them from new and expanding experiences. Once the restricitions are discovered, such as not writing the book within you or going mountain climbing, "plunge in where you've never before wandered." (pg 277)

What have you held back from doing that, when done, would provide a new opportunity to experience gratitude for the opportunity?

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
ISBN 978-1-4019-1184-3

Child's Gratitude Prayer

2008-04-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

I am at peace in this world.
I have clarity of purpose.
I am here to live as a child-
free, curious, giving, loving and accepting.
I realize there is no security in the real world.
I find peace within myself and
I am secure.

Renee Canali

Awareness-The Greatest Gift

2008-04-20T21:41:00.000-04:00

How much of your day is spent truly aware of what is around you? Awareness propels us forth toward true gratitude. For to be grateful for what IS, you must be aware that IT exists.

Notice something new today.
Appreciate it.
When you do not see it, appreciate it.

Try the exercise in March's newsletter, Cultivating The Seeds of Change. Share your experiences and observations: http://tinyurl.com/2hwwee

Gratitude in The Face of Adversity

2008-04-17T16:06:00.004-04:00

Every morning we have a choice to listen to doom and gloom or read about terror and hardship. When I choose to hear what is going on around me, I use different listening skills than I use for normal conversation. I put on the heavy filter for sensationalism and negativity. I listen (or read) with my mind wide open to receive the vital pieces of information that affect my life and the lives of those I love.

Then I seek out something to be grateful for.

Recently a neighbor of 80+ years old found out she has leukemia. I am saddened by her situation and continue to pray for her to have the strength she needs to face whatever is ahead of her. However, I am grateful that I met her years ago and have had many pleasant conversations about gardening, friendship and life. I am grateful that she has lived this long without many health issues. I am grateful she has family that loves her and is gathered around to give her the support she needs. I am grateful that several neighbors keep in touch about each other in case someone is in need.

Life always presents us with challenges we need to grow stronger. For this I am learning to be grateful.