Monthly Archives: February 2021

21

Gratitude Attitude

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Another holiday is upon us, and we are still faced with the same old choices of how to respond.  On Thanksgiving, more than any other day of the year, it is a natural time to pause and consider all of the great things we have in our lives and, more importantly, all of the people who make your life go.  In today’s minutia, it is easy to pass by these things and people without so much as a mental mention. My challenge to myself and you is to find gratitude deep inside yourself and allow the thoughts to bring it to you to surface.  Here is my quick attempt to capture my own gratitude today.

See

How much around you do you notice? Really notice and appreciate it? From the way, it feels when cold snow hits your face to the old, worn-out way a tree looks in late November, with a few stray brown leaves clinging to branches as the chill wind blows them around in the dance of the inevitable. Most moments, we are wrapped up in our thoughts too much to notice much of anything outside of us.  That is a shame and a loss of possibility.  Start right now and put the thoughts of gratitude for the things all around you.  The sunshine on your face shows you all will be ok,  The rainfall and how it feels.  Too many people rush through the rain as if it is a major inconvenience, and in some ways, I know it is, but think of life, somewhere a person is lying on their death bed, wishing that just one more time they could feel that rain on their face. Please don’t take it for granted.

See the world, and appreciate it.  We all will face challenges, and people will disappoint us, and life will push us. Yet, it always gives you these tiny reminders of beauty to help us along the way.  If your troubles are too big to notice the small salve of nature and the miracles all around you, then you are too wrapped up in yourself. I have been there, and unwrapping your mind and letting the meaningless thoughts go is the first step. Be grateful for all the things in your life you never notice.

See Your Cast

Shakespeare claimed all the world is a stage, and we are merely players.  You are the star of your production of life, and you also choose who is cast into the leading roles in your life.  Too often, we allow people who don’t deserve to be even minor characters in your life, assume staring roles.  You determine who these stars are or are not.  Be grateful for the ones who deserve to be in your life. You will know

You have a choice to decide which roles you play and who is on the stage with you. Choose wisely, and your life depends on it.

Because they feel like sunshine. Not just once in a while, all the time. Warm, comforting, and accepting.  A wise person constantly evaluates their cast and makes sure to make changes in the production if warranted.

People are good actors, so sometimes it is hard to know who to keep and who to move on from, which creates all the good drama in your live production. Those who are not what they seem will eventually display their true selves.  Be careful of the attachments you build to the roles you play, they will change, and the people with you may change too.  Allow change to happen, create your cast wisely, allow those who care about you, and contribute to your best self to be in your life. You cast your troupe of players every day and have the opportunity for change. I have learned this lesson the hard way.

You Decide

You make all of the choices in your life, be grateful for that ability, and take full responsibility for those choices’ results.  Too often, we want the choices but only claim them as ours if it works out.  If things do not happen as we envision, we point the finger of blame at the situation, other people, the weather, God, or everything else but us.  We are the driving force behind our lives, be grateful for this gift because it means you really can do whatever you want.

Our thoughts are the power behind the momentum of our lives. A thought leads to an emotion that then will lead to action, and the results of those actions are what we call life.  You are the creator of thought and, therefore, of emotion and action. Choosing thoughts that will help you and not harm you is the first step in accomplishing anything. If you don’t like the results of a certain thought, then it is time to make a different choice and think some other way.  It is a great day to appreciate that skill in yourself. If you are not where you want to be right now, you have time to think of things you would like to experience and start moving toward it.

Next year you will have more to be thankful for and different people to think about, and probably new adventures to embark on.  Understand that you are the creator of it all and with great power comes great responsibility.   I wish you well on your journey.

21

Be a Thinker

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thinkOne of the things that all people can do is think. Some of us do a better job than others at this skill, but we all create thousands of thoughts each day. In all of this thought creation, it is fun to look at how the brain works. We can only hold one thought in our minds at a time. The tenor of that thought will affect us through a chemical reaction in the brain, so how you think can affect your health and quality of life.

Subconscious Workings When You Think

Most of us go through life thinking that we have control over our lives and the thinkthoughts we think, yet it is estimated that somewhere between 95-99% of our thoughts come from the subconscious mind and are automated responses to well-rehearsed stimuli. This is great in some ways because there are things we do like eating, walking, talking, etc., which would make life difficult if you had to relearn these tasks daily.  The problem comes when other ideas are accepted as true that limit your life abilities or your enjoyment of life.  Most of this programming is done to the subconscious brain during the first 12 years of life. That makes sense as our brains try to figure out the best way to manage our way through relationships, education, expectations, family, and all of the other things that life presents.

Think About Limiting Beliefs

thinkThe limiting beliefs become a part of our programming and lead to our minds telling us what is possible. When we set a bigger goal, our subconscious mind will come up with an attack of negative self-talk. Which makes the goal seem impossible for us to achieve.

We are indeed our own worse enemy in this case.  We need to learn to put our foot down and refuse to listen to this talk. It is time to start to trust your talent and give your goal the attention and action it will take to achieve it. Our thoughts are the true measure of what we can accomplish. Our lives are a direct reflection of the quality and depth of the things we think. Our ability to accomplish is only limited by the level of thinking we create. High or low, you are behind it all.

Feed your brain positive and positive will result, negative will result in negative.

 

Life

Grow As A Person

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Personal Growth Leads to Living Well

personal growth 22There is nothing so important in our lives as seeking out and pursuing opportunities to grow as a person. Like any other living creature, our purpose in life is to contribute and move toward becoming our best selves continually. Just as plants are born and start to grow throughout their lives.

Look at your life and each activity you participate in, asking yourself about the growth potential.  We are all consciously, physically, and mentally going one of two ways.

  1. We are getting better or becoming more or growing.  2. We are getting worse, becoming less or shrinking.

Nobody is staying the same. Our actions that stem from our decisions each day are the forces that determine our direction.

Personal Growth Through Pain

Sometimes growth stems out of pain. We often

Unique personal growth can come from painful expeirences
Unique personal growth can come from painful experiences

wonder why painful events happen in our lives. Yet, these events often move you to strike out in a new direction rather than stay where you are. The pain can provide motivation and momentum to us to find new avenues for our talents or roads to travel, which we would never have conceived of before.  Our shell is broken, and a new life of growth will result.

With those we love, we try to shield them from the painful things in life. Our children, especially, under the guise of protecting them, are potentially robbing them of some of the most potent growth experiences. Being with them at painful times allows them to feel and provide empathetic support and sharing in their suffering, realizing that there is a time in life that pain happens, and all we can do is reassure them that healing comes. Eventually, it does come if you let it.

Life-Long  Education= Personal Growth

personal.growth.barrier.3.bGrowth can also occur through production by taking action. An interest will present itself, and through the natural forces of inquiry, a person will pursue their interest to find out more.  The student learns throughout their education and training to master their craft.

The problem is there is a lot of life left after your formal education is completed. Learning needs to be a lifelong pursuit that will continually keep you on a path of growth.  Most often, this is an individually motivated choice of practice. If you don’t look for ways to improve yourself, learn something new, or develop your mind and body, the alternative is to move backward slowly. Today we have access to a world of education and can learn how to do anything at all. We only need an internet connection to learn about anything from anatomy to rocket science.

Growth is NOT Difficult

It is not difficult to grow in your mind or in the talents you possess. Like anything ever in life, it involves taking an interest, developing an intent, and taking action potentialtoward completing a goal or developing a skill.  The passion that a person has toward achieving that goal will determine how severe the task will ultimately be.

Looking for opportunities to grow daily is vitally important. You are never too old, too weak, too significant, too small, or too anything else to find avenues for personal growth.  Reading something of substance each day is an excellent way to start. Each new idea or thought you experience will allow your mind to expand and think better and more efficiently. Once a consciousness expands, it takes a lot of neglect to move it in the opposite direction. Choose to grow!

“Every moment of one’s existence, one is growing into more or retreating into less.” ―Norman Mailer.

“Income seldom exceeds personal development.” ―Jim Rohn.

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” ―Henry David Thoreau.

“Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.” ―Morihei Ueshiba 

 

21

Give Them Kindness

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kindness-22744798One of the simplest treasures we can give to others is the gift of kindness. It cost no money to be kind, and it takes no talent. In fact, all you have to possess to practice kindness is a willing heart to undertake the action and actually be kind. Many are the person I have met who could benefit from putting the well-being of another, even in a small way, before the seemingly never-ending drama of their lives.  Drop a pebble into the lake that is kind and watch the ripples flow from it. Who knows where they will eventually reach. Your conscious choice to show compassion for another may ripple throughout the world.

There is probably no better method for improving a person’s outlook on life than to experience a little kindness. All people deserve your kindness, and like most things in life, the more willingly this gift is given, the more easily it is received. Are you the kind one today? 

Kindness is Contagious

One of the great things to see is that one act of kindness provides happiness that will be shared with kindness is contagioussomeone else, one way or another. You can’t help it when someone is kind to you, and there is a feeling of warmth inside that you want to share with someone else. And most people do.  Some people practice random acts of kindness and bring light to the world. Some people are just kind to others all of the time. It must be a wonderful way to live.

We can only be responsible for our behavior and choices and the example we set for other people to follow. Take control of your actions today and implement kindness into each interaction that comes your way. You will be amazed at how much difference it will make in your life and, of course, the lives of others that you come in contact with during the day. What is the alternative? To be selfish and self-centered, only concerned with yourself and how everything affects you? Let those things go and accept the chance to change the world in one small positive way, and it can be done just by treating the people you happen to come in contact with today with a conscious choice to be kind.

Kindness Defeats Mean

It is important to practice kindness with those who are unkind. They absolutely need it most. To be moving through your life and to consciously be unkind to others, a person must have experienced some awful things. Kindness can break through the darkness and bring light into those spaces where kindness countsmean, desperation once resided.  Some of the people I have cared about the most were tremendously unkind and callous to me. It took a while, but I had to forgive them because their life must be a miserable experience if they could treat other people with that kind of cruelty.

A mean person who does not practice kindness has probably forgotten how it feels when someone takes the time to be kind to them. Once they experience that, there is a chance that they will develop a more positive outlook and perhaps practice kindness toward others. Again it is important to stress that you can only be responsible for your actions. Others are responsible for theirs. If they choose to be mean, hateful, spiteful, and unhappy, that is their choice. Your choice is not to treat them like their condition is permanent. Kill ’em with kindness. That is all you can do.

Be Grateful

Look at your life and find the positives. I know there are many dark things and days in life. But there is always something good and positive too.  Always. You have to find it, recognize it, and be grateful for it.  Gratitude and kindness walk hand in hand in life.  Even if many tough situations come your way, even though you feel defeated, sad, and worn out, do you want to live in a world where there is no kindness?  Be angry for a time but then find forgiveness for those who hurt you, gratitude for what you learned, and the positive things in your life.  And, of course, find a way to treat someone out there in your life with kindness.  It is up to you to determine what kind of world you and your loved ones inhabit.  If cold, harsh words and actions are all you have, your world will reflect a shiny, cold hardness right back at you.

Amazingly, the people who look for good tend to experience good. Kindness brings more kindness.  Experiment today. Do something simple, like hold a door for someone, or let them go in front of you in line at the store.  Watch how that small action affects people. They often, almost immediately, pass the gesture on to another in short order.  Consciously thinking of others and their well-being first. That is the essence of kindness, you matter, and I see your value.  Remember that when you are contemplating your behavior.

Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” – Jackie Chan

“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” – Harold S. Kushner

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” – Princess Diana

“Because that’s what kindness is. It’s not doing something for someone else because they can’t, but because you can.” – Andrew Iskander

“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” – Scott Adams.

 

 

21

Shine Your Light

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Shine Today Like the Star You Are!!!

Focus on how YOU shine today!

There are enough negative influences in the world, and I believe that through a conscious focus of thought, we can improve our emotions, words, and actions and make the world a better place.  (See Video Here)

Whenever you do anything in life, from walking down the street to performing your job, you should always focus on how you shine.  This word means to be very talented and perform very well or, in another sense, to give off a bright light.  I think that both of these apply to how I would like to approach the world today consciously.  There is nothing I want more for everyone else to do as well. Approach everything worth your effort with a shine of enjoyment and accomplishment. When you shine, you make the world a better place.

Simple Way To Shine

Look at your attitude and actions today when it comes to other people.  You have a choice in every interaction to show caring and kindness or do not do this.  Every single act of service allows a person’s inner light to shine. It shows who they are and what makes them so great. So as you go through your day, rather than  become self

Shine through acts of kindness and caring

absorbed in what is in this world for you, look for ways to make other people have a better journey. Compassion and caring are great ways to do just that.  One simple act of kindness allows your light to ripple through the world, and there is no telling how far it can go if you let it.

The alternative is not to extend this light. Not just behaving in the opposite manner of cruel selfishness but just withdrawing the sun you have from the world.  Having lots to offer and giving nothing is defeating to you as a person. The world doesn’t benefit from what you have to offer.  Look for ways that your kindness and caring can infiltrate the world and shine their light today.

Being Your Best Self

Every person in the world has the opportunity to be the best version of themselves every day. The relationships we pursue, the jobs we work, and the activities we fill our free time with should be a reflection of your desire to become the best version of yourself. Being unique is how you shine.  When you are functioning at your best, doing your best, the positive impact on the world is immense. First, you are an example to others that to pursue your interests is something that you can thrive.  Second, the results of your pursuit are going to make the world a better place just by having the best version of you in it. You will shine.

There are interests in you and your talents undiscovered. Our job is to keep seeking the skills that exist in us and become the best version of ourselves that we can be.  Put aside our society’s negative programming and decide for ourselves just what talents we want to develop and what skills we want to learn. It is totally up to us, and in the pursuit of this growth, you will shine.

Shine Today

The focus is for you to shine today.  Do this through your conscious choices and behavior and do this through your pursuit of finding your true calling.  The results of your efforts probably won’t be realized immediately, but the quest will allow you to shine as bright as you possibly can, and that will make the world a little bit better place directly.   Don’t miss the opportunity to make the world a better place.

“The beautiful light behind her smile makes her eyes glow with a love for life I’ve never experienced before. What true beauty is.”   Anonymous

“Space for the sunflower, bright with a yellow glow, to court the sky.”   Caroline Gilman

“Shine your light on love and truth, and your soul will glow.”  Anthony D. Williams

“Let your light shine. Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine.”-Oprah Winfrey

“Shine your light and make a positive impact on the world; there is nothing so honorable as helping improve the lives of others.” – Roy T. Bennett

 

21

Think

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Creating positive mindsetThings To Consider When Creating a Positive Mindset

Every word we use has an energy attached to it and impacts the lives of all that hear it. Too often, we use our words without consideration of how they will affect others. Words are the building blocks used to build our mindset, either positive or negative. Our words radiate around and within us long after they are spoken. All people must be vigilant in noticing the charge of our words and their thoughts. Focusing on speaking positively will allow us to create a more positive mindset. This will make life a happier and more enjoyable experience.

Positive Mindset Musts

The most negative words that are used at some point by everyone are those of gossip. Gossip has the power to draw almost anyone in and drag 3e904ff58b78afd415f20809bbd9610athem down as well. Gossip is attractive because it allows people to feel included in a secret group of thoughts that only the group currently gossiping knows. It allows someone the opportunity to judge someone, their actions, and their lives without knowing anything as a fact. Gossiping leads to many problems and lessens your life. The most important drawback is the negative energy you generate in your life.

When you participate in talking about others and their lives when they are not present, you increase your life’s negative energy. You are spreading rumors, speaking about things that are at best half-true and worst outright lies. This sticks with you and will stay with you. If you are speaking with people who thrive on gossip, guess who they are talking about when you leave the room?

Each time you speak negatively about someone else’s life, you are diminishing your own life. You destroy your integrity.  Our behavior tells the world what we are and our actions define and accentuate that. When you participate in negative talk like this, then your life will be decidedly negative. It is difficult to experience happiness when we are constantly looking at and talking about others’ negativity.

How to Speak Positively

The great thing is that we all have a choice about how we speak and the things that we speak about. It starts by paying attention and what you thinkmaking good choices, creating a positive mindset. The simple way to manage your words is to be consciously aware of all the words you use and what energy they bring.

Learn to T.H.I.N.K. about what you are going to say, and this little acronym will allow you to look at all of the things you say to yourself and others.   Use this before you say anything about anything, and it will allow you to speak more positively about yourself and others, which will make your energy and life more positive.

T- Is it true? That is a significant factor in speaking about you or someone else. If it isn’t true, don’t say it.

H- Is it helpful? If you are about to say something that is not helpful, then choose not to say it.

I – Does it Inspire confidence? If you are about to say something that does not inspire confidence in yourself or others, you should choose not to say it.

N – Is it Necessary? This is important to consider as we speak. Often the answer is no. A thought is not worth expressing through your words.

K – Is it Kind? One of the most important considerations that we should consider when looking at the way we speak about others and ourselves. Speaking with kindness is positive and builds positive energy around yourself and others.

By following this simple guide and evaluating your thoughts, and being mindful of the words you speak, you can make your life and the lives of those around you exponentially happier by developing a positive mindset.

 

21

How You Look At It

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Interesting Point of View
Interesting Point of View

What are you sure of in life? What philosophy can you stand behind and not shy away from because you know its validity? We all have some non-negotiable items in this cache. The sun will rise; the sun will set. Life is fleeting. It would help if you worked hard to be successful. The government is looking out for your best interest. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Many points of view are considered by people constant, unshakable, and permanent fixtures in life and creators of our reality. Yet, they are only new points of view that you can choose to believe or discard as you see fit.

Our thoughts on things have power. How we perceive is essential to the reality that we experience every day.  But let’s look at the interesting points of view, which are not factual in any way but held onto by people just as if they are.  You probably have a few. There are two main areas we all stay strong emotional points of view, love and money. The majority of our time is spent dealing with these two issues. Getting enough money to experience the life we want and finding someone to love us for it.

Money Matters

When it comes to money, we are all carrying points of view developed when we are young. Our

How you look at things determines their reality
How you look at things determines their reality

parent’s attitude toward money will go a long way in establishing our personal beliefs about money. Some believe it is hard to get; some believe it makes you greedy to have a lot. Some think that money is going to solve all their problems. It doesn’t matter what you think about it; all of these things are simply thoughts in your head and not reality. It is just as easy to believe that money is an energy that can be attracted to me quickly. Or Money comes easily, and I always have more than enough.  What you choose to believe is going to determine the reality of your financial situation.  Any point of view can be changed, at any time, instantly.

I Love You

Love is a topic that takes up a lot of time in life. We have even more points of view when it comes to experiences love in life. I think that it is because we all have experiences in this area, and the collective pain and pleasure of those experiences have combined to contribute to our feelings of love. Yet, it seems pov-different-exercisethat most of us have thought wrong about what love is. We are looking for someone who fits our point of view of love.   I don’t deserve love. Love is difficult to find. Love never lasts. Nobody could love me. On and on we go and put our points of view about love out there.  A point of view is just a thought, and thoughts can be changed instantly, today, right now.

The actual definition of what it means to love will be different for everyone based on their experiences. When I say I love you, what does that mean? Does it mean a commitment for a lifetime or a week? It depends on the person. This understanding implies that clear explanations of your perspective about that emotion will lead to many fewer problems.

Since Point of View is a Choice, Choose a Good One

There are many different philosophies on beliefs and how to change them. Still, the bottom line is that if you are carrying a negative, limiting knowledge about anything, it affects your life.  The first step is to recognize the shortcoming, and the second is to change that belief into an interesting point of view that will be more beneficial to your life and happiness.

Change is constant and continuous in life; we are all changing physically and mentally every day. You can move these changes in any direction that you choose. It all depends on which interesting points of view you decide to entertain. Since it is all a choice, decide to hold onto points of view that will make you happy and pursue those.

21

Change is Happening

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Here Comes the Change

Accepting changeThere are many ways change occurs in our lives. Sometimes it is quick and jarring, leaving trauma and drama in its wake. These are the changes that make you consider living a different way. Nothing will ever be the same. But more often, change is like a dripping faucet. As each drop slowly accumulates, you never notice until the thing that once was one way is now totally another.  Change is happening to us all day, and Heraclitus was right; it is one of the constants we can always rely on. All we can do is work on our ability to accept change and make choices to roll with it. 

Getting Better or Getting Worse

Each of us is changing every day, and it is important to take stock of ourselves and where we are in life. Each day we are either getting better, or we are getting worse.  Nobody is staying the same. It is impossible. The movement may be minuscule and hard to see, but you move in one direction or the accepting changeother each day.  That makes it important to know exactly where you are in all areas of your life, physically, spiritually, mentally, or financially so that you can understand your progress.

Each of us makes decisions both large and small, which will dictate your direction. Do I go to the gym or skip today? Do I spend money on that new pair of shoes or not? Do I practice kindness or not? Do I participate in gossip or not? All of these and many more choices are made by you each day, and the only person responsible for them is you. You are in control of your destiny and determine if you are getting better or getting worse.

Accepting Change

Change is so difficult for most of us because we are so attached to our current lives. Even if things are not perfect and things are changing for the better, it is our instinct to resist because deep down, we are afraid that a change may make things worse.  It may not be perfect now, and I may not enjoy my accepting changecircumstances, but at least I can handle them.  Don’t fear the changes that are happening in your life. Let life flow, and it will most often take you to a better place.

If you have a goal and it doesn’t involve your current job, relationship, or the area you live in. You can’t be afraid when life starts moving you in a new direction. All of your dreams and goals will be found by trying something new and accepting the changes that come into your life.  Each new change will teach you a skill and help you become a better, more well-rounded person. Accepting change will allow us to grow. 

Life is full of ups and downs; things will never stay the same, and change is happening every day. Your choices can help dictate the direction of the change that you experience. When the big ones come, a death, the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship, understand that pain is a part of the process of letting go. It will never be easy because we have attachments to people and situations. Circumstances will come, and they will go, love people as best you can, enjoy each second of all situations because one way or another, it may all be over at any time. 

“The only thing that is constant is change.” ~Heraclitus

 

21

Gratitude

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gratitude 1I have often considered that truly practicing gratitude is an important step into bringing more of what you want in your life into your life.  Every day, I am more and more convinced this is true.  I had often talked a good game about being grateful, really taking a moment, and appreciating the things in my life, but my process was off. The past year has taught me many valuable lessons. One of the biggest is to be grateful for every day you have to live and every person who brings something positive into your life. You never know when people you count on will be gone, or the positives will be harder to find.  List, think about and feel positive about the good things you have. They are always there; it is sometimes hard to notice them because our focus strays so far toward what we don’t have. Be grateful, enjoy those moments, accept your positive things.

What I used to do for Gratitude

I would take a moment and be thankful for things in my life, people I came across, and things that happened to me. I think this might be OK for others, but my problem was that it was inconsistent, and I might not recall something I had real gratitude for.  I also spent inconsistent amounts of time thinking of the blessings in my life.  I would try thinking of them on the way to work, but I am easily distracted, and one thing would drive out another. I was inconsistent and sloppy with my gratitude, and I met a lot of blocks in my life. Things that stopped me from achieving success or getting things I really wanted in my life.

It is difficult sometimes to maintain your gratitude when you have gone through a big shakeup in your life. Losing someone that matters to you, or having a job change, or just being put out of your “normal” routine, whatever that is.  When the negative entered my life, I had little focus for what I was glad to have and a lot of anger about what I did not.  That is a path to more frustration in life.

My New Process of Gratitude

gratitude It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out what to do differently. I was inconsistent, so I needed to add a complete gratitude practice in my life.  To build that consistency and to make the topics of my gratitude consistent.  I had to take a moment each day to write it down. I didn’t try to write down a million things, just three to focus on and get my energy of being grateful to flow through me.

I always try to have my gratitude notebook with me, so when I have a moment each morning, I jot down my list of things I am grateful for. I would suggest this for everyone for this reason. Even though it seems a simple thing, there is a contemplation moment that happens when you actually write down your gratitude.  The thought has to travel from your mind through your arm to your hand and onto the paper.  My lists are not all that elaborate because I am pretty grateful for the little things in life.

I am grateful for good cups of coffee, good conversation, something interesting I read on a blog, a book I read, having money in the bank, a text from a friend who made my day, or a long, verbose Facebook message was awesome to read. The list gets a bit long, but I have tried to keep it to what comes to mind.  I can always look back to see what I wrote before.

The Blocks are Disappearing

It may just be a coincidence, and those who are negative will say that is all it is, yet I don’t believe that. After a short time, I mean a matter of days,  blocks I was having in life was melting away.  I could give specific examples, but they will only mean something to me.  Making a gratitude list for me has become something real and powerful.  I know how it sounds, but I can feel the difference.

Being grateful is the key to accepting more things into your life. Whatever it is.  If you are lonely, look for when you don’t feel too lonely during the day and be thankful for those.  If you are poor, be grateful for the things you do have. If you are not feeling well, find the moments you don’t feel as bad and be grateful for them.  If you are particularly down, find the little things around you all the time, the weather, a smile from a stranger, flowers, and unexpected fortunate turning. Whatever you come in contact with, be grateful for it.  A momentary contemplation of thanks is all it takes.

The worst thing that will happen is you will feel better about life. The best thing that will happen is that you will open yourself up to more of the same experiences.  It doesn’t really matter if you believe what I am telling you or not.  Just contemplate what will happen if you do nothing different? Nothing different will happen. If you are lonely, sick, poor, or just generally unhappy, what the heck do you have to lose? Give it an honest attempt and see what an increased awareness of gratitude does in your life.

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” —Gilbert K. Chesterton

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” —Zig Ziglar

“Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.” —Jim Rohn

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” —Oprah Winfrey

21

Think

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We think all the time! From the moment you wake up to the second your slip back into sleep at night, our minds are a thought creation machine. Smarter people than me estimate we are producing somewhere around 70,000 thoughts per day. The other shoe that must drop on this amazing statistic is that 95% of those thoughts are repeats and totally unoriginal footprints left from days before.  That leaves about 5% of original powerful thoughts to create in your day.  And there is more.  The tenor of your predominant thought patterns, either positive or negative, will determine how things are playing out in your life for you.  It is not what happens to you that matters but how you choose to think about them.  Remember this as we delve into the ideas I am thinking about today.   Think about it.

Thoughts  Lead to Happiness or Not

We think so much that you would be more aware of the thoughts we create and how they affect our lives, but we don’t, and those thoughts control the enjoyment and even success in life we experience. Thoughts that are positive in nature lead to how much you choose to enjoy life.  Those who are of a negative nature lead to the opposite of enjoyment. If you let your thoughts move unchecked through your existence, then your mood will change at the whim of random thoughts, which can easily be manipulated by someone else.

We live in a society that constantly bombards you with negative messages, so it is no wonder that the mind will produce a virtually nonstop stream of negativity left to its default state.  About other people, situations, and of course yourself and how you don’t measure up.  The greatest hope is that in all of our thoughts, we have a choice if we allow them to hook into our consciousness or not.  We can even create our own positive thoughts to buy into if we choose to.  Conscious creation of positive thoughts is the difference between the happy and the sad, and even the successful and unsuccessful in life.

All Things are Twice Created

Everything ever in existence was created twice. The first creation is in one’s mind as a thought.  The second is when forces combine to make that imagined thing a reality. It is true for every building, car, road, or stick of furniture around you.  All of them were once just a thought in the mind of someone, and only through action and pursuit of that dream were created in reality before you.  Can it be that much of a stretch to think the same is true about your health? Your financial well being? Or any other aspect of your existence.

Look at your reality today, and then follow your thoughts about that area of your life.  If you are not happy with your current financial situation or relationship situation, then it is time to examine and consider changing the way you think.  Choosing the thoughts about the way you want things to be like is the first creation. The second will come as you pursue those things in your life.  Of course, you have the choice to stay with the thoughts you have carried your whole life, but you can’t be surprised when those thoughts deposit you right back where you are now, in the same situations not making you happy. Choose to create the things that will make you happy with your thoughts.

It Can Change in an Instant

The great thing about refocusing your thoughts is it doesn’t require a long, drawn-out process to accomplish. You have to start to create a focus around the things you are thinking.  What are the negative thoughts you believe about yourself? Money? Success? Love? Whatever?  We predominantly think the thoughts are based on the programming we received when we were very young children, trying to figure out how to survive and thrive in this world.  The things which were true for us then clearly, at the very least, are no longer applicable today. At the most, they are inaccurate and faulty programming we accept as true without question.

Look at the thoughts you believe in and challenge them.  The worst thing that will happen is you will know some beliefs you want to hang on to. But the best thing will be that you will edit or remove faulty thinking from your reality.  Success, money, love, or anything else are available for everyone, and our thoughts are the place we need to start to take control of our own reality.  The alternative is to believe you are operating at the will of every other force in the world. You are not. Each of us has the ability to be a unique and powerful creator in this world.

 “If you realized just how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” Anonymous

 “Change your thoughts, and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” Willie Nelson

 “Every thought we think is creating our future.” Louise Hay

“Begin to believe in the power of your thoughts.” Anonymous

“Thoughts have energy. Make sure your thoughts are positive and powerful.” Anonymous