Thanks and Giving

Each year at Thanksgiving, many Americans share what they are grateful for or bow their heads in prayer to give thanks. You and I have much to be grateful for but there are many people whose life experience are stuck in survival mode.

You know we live in a society that's in a mad rush for stuff. America is the only country in the world where people have a two car garage filled with stuff, and a $15,000 to $25,00 car sitting in the driveway because they cannot get it in because of the stuff. The irony of it all, we are in a mad rush for more stuff. We want better and newer. The advertising entice us - its "new and improved" and we need this. We deserve this and we say "okay" and buy more stuff. 

If you ever feel if anything in your life is not enough, appreciate the abundance in your life. Even in the most apparently awful situations, we can derive some benefit if we have the right mindset.

When it comes to gratitude, the word that jumped out at me throughout is practice. I found these words to be a call to action. And because we manifest what we feel, we unconsciously create circumstances in our lives. Then there is a tendency to react to those circumstances.

Remember the spirit of the season. Celebrate the simple joys of the season. This the perfect time to renew connections with family, and friends . Engage all of your senses to appreciate the special sounds, sights and the smells that are the memories of a lifetime.

I believe, thankfulness is a state of being and a way of life, and we usually fail to live in state of thankfulness because we take it for granted,  In other words, being thankful is expressed through our attitude in living life.

Wishing you a joy filled thankful season of giving and receiving.

A thought for the day

Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them.

We have seen the stars so often that we do not bother to look at them anymore. In like manner, we have grown accustomed to our blessings that we do not show kindness. During this holiday season let all of us remember to show love and be thankful.

Peace of mind

Have you noticed “Peace” is a word that is uttered almost as frequently as “truth,” “beauty,” and “love.” It may be just as elusive to define as these other virtues. Yet it is so often absent from lives today. From “Road Rage” to “Conflicts,” our culture does not partake of peace on a regular basis.

We long for it, we wish we had it, but we seldom find it. Even in the church we don’t always see it. That leads to a question: Why is that some people have peace while others of us are going to pieces

We typically think of ‘Peace’ as the absence of war; or lack of hostility. As a school teacher, my students will use the word peace to mean chill out, or they say peace out to mean goodbye.  Any good dictionary will define "peace" as freedom from war, harmony, concord, agreement, calm, tranquility, serenity, quiet, undisturbed state of mind, absence of mental conflict, contentment, acceptance of one's state and the absence of anxiety. It will list its antonyms as war, anxiety, disorder, disturbance, disruption, conflict and commotion.

Peace can mean a couple of different things and as a culture we have all these saying: “Rest in peace”  “being in peace” could mean I am okay, or “Peace of mind” getting away from it all or “peace and quiet” solitude or rest. In many languages the word for peace is also used as a greeting or a farewell, for example: the Hebrew word Shalom or the Arabic world Salaam – which has multiple other meanings in addition to Peace which includes good health, wholeness, prosperity, well being (hallmark greet

In other words Inner peace refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace. Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss and happiness.

There was a time when I thought peace was a destination, in much the same way I imagined I’d eventually arrive at happiness, success or enlightenment. It seemed like something I needed to chase or find. I’ve since realized that peace is always available, and like any desirable state of mind, it requires effort, even if that effort entails consciously choosing to be still.

Sure, our circumstances affect our mental state, but they don’t have to control them, not if we make tiny choices for our well being. I believe Attitude is everything. Are you a glass half full person or a glass half empty person> I tend to be a glass full gal.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to choose peace when we’re going through tough times. I still go through periods when I get caught up in worries and stresses, and it can feel like that’s the only available response to things that have happened. But it’s not. There are countless things we can do to create peace of mind. I try to distract myself by putting on music and dancing around the house, or

No matter what happens in the world or in our own individual lives, there a place to turn for stability. We get to look toward the future with hope, regardless of life's and the world's circumstances? The world around us is ever changing. Hope is a powerful feeling that represents a mindset or an attitude. Allow yourself to enjoy the little things found in special moments. 

Gratitude

Gratitude is a great reminder to me to always count my blessings. One of My favorite holidays of the year is Thanksgiving because its history has a single purpose: to stop and express thanks for the people and the things that are such an essential part of our lives.

Each year at Thanksgiving, many Americans share what they’re grateful for or bow their heads in prayer to give thanks. There is plenty to be thankful for apart from the food on our plate. Thankfulness is something that should be practiced on a daily bases and not just a 1-day holiday in November.

Life presents challenging circumstances almost every day. It is easy to lose sight of the good things happening around us because we are consumed with the negative.  Feeling gratitude is an important practice that I have brought into my daily practice.  Feel grateful for all that surrounds you, grateful for the gifts that life gives you and grateful for your awareness. You are alive and here on this planet and that is something to feel good about.

Tis' the season to give thanks for all the many blessings in our lives great and small. I choose to be grateful for Life. Each day given to me is a blessing. I am alive; breathing, laughing, walking, talking, and smiling.  

The challenge is to carry this attitude past the Thanksgiving season. 

A thought for the day:

“Grace is, inwardly, the strength of simplicity and self knowledge, and outwardly, the beauty of acceptance and gentleness.”

Adaptation from The I-Ch’ing or Book of Changes, Passage No. 22, as translated and interpreted by Brian Browne Walker