Attitude of Gratitude

A friend of mine wrote about an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE in the church bulletin and it resonated with me deeply.  The daily practice of gratitude is essential if we are to connect to one another in the Universe.  Now more than ever, we must reach out to one another, extend a hand, a greeting, share a smile and simply acknowledge that we share this place on this Earth, and that we should strive to make it a peaceable kingdom for ourselves and those around us.  These are very simple gestures, but can be very powerful on the receiving end. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it presents a formality of that which I personally practice each and every single day, without fail.  Even in the light of turmoil, or strife, because it allows me to adjust my attitude or the nature of that which may be presenting itself as some sort of obstacle.  

Giving thanks is a release of anguish, and an invitation to peace.
Afterall, Thanksgiving IS for giving thanks...and there is always something to be thankful for!  And if you have doubts, get a camera and go out of doors, and capture a moment with Mother Nature.  You might be surprised what you see at the end of the lens. 

And as we approach the Christmas Season, I am always reminded of my favorite Christmas show...Charlie Brown's Christmas and these very special words from Linus to Charlie Brown...

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,

 good will toward men."    

Now, more than ever, let it be so.

Linking up with Kara for Tuesday Afternoons...stop by to say "hello"!

Gratitude in the Snow

Yes, the practice of gratitude is especially important when the Universe connects us through the various attributes of Mother Nature.  On this day before we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the northeast United States, the wet snow falls...ok, dumps is more like it because it's coming down really fast.  Yet, I walk outside to feel the wetness as I raise my face and hands to the sky and Give Thanks for all that is NOW!

    “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite — only a sense of existence. ”

 –Henry David Thoreau

Random Acts of Kindness

Giving...Giving Thanks...Thankfulness...Gratitude...Blessed Be...Loved...

Life!

Truly, when one awakens to a brand new day, whether the sun is shining, or the rain is falling, or the cold winds blow a pretty white flurry of snow flakes through the atmosphere, it is a day for Giving Thanks!

Always show kindness.  Now something we always do as a family, and I mean always, unless of course an 18-wheeler pulls up behind us at the toll booth, (you'll get that in just a bit) is, we pay the bridge toll for the vehicle behind us when crossing the river.  (It costs much more, per axle in fact, if a tractor trailer pulls up behind you to cross the bridge.)

This is the first time the middle child has ventured off away from home for Thanksgiving.  And just before leaving the house, suitcase in hand, stopped to double check that there was enough cash at the ready to pay the bridge toll for the car behind her as she went over the river and through the woods, this Thanksgiving Day.

Now, think about this; depending on the recipient of this very small random act of kindness, the person pulling up to the booth could be so immersed in some mental turmoil full of angst almost ready to stomp the gas pedal and push your vehicle a little faster through this toll booth process.

If that is the case, this simple gesture has instantly, without warning, transformed the negative mindset of this stranger into a positive vibration first made obvious by a smile...a genuine smile that comes naturally when a happiness occurs.  A complete 180!

I'd like to think that this angry person, ok maybe just a tad cranky, with their own toll cash at the ready to toss out to the toll taker, forks that cash over for the car directly behind him, just because he's still so stunned by having his toll paid for.  And maybe, this next recipient is in the same "former" state as this lucky individual who was just awarded a sign via the cosmic universe...a very symbolic gesture indeed, that we are all connected...

-

Now, the case may be that the vehicle, (car, SUV, mini-van, pick-up truck) pulling into the toll booth is already in a happy state of being; singing all the way up to the toll taker, tunes a-blasting.  Again, cash at the ready, is now presented with or given a present, via a very simple gesture of a kind soul, who just passed through the booth, and paid your toll...without hesitation you keep on singing, and you do the same!

Yes, pay it backward!

Nature...the good, the bad, the ugly...always brings peace!

Either way, to either of the lucky persons "steered" in behind you as you approach the toll plaza, you are blessed!

Rejoice in that, and SMILE!
For Smiles spread JOY!
And Great Joy is LOVE!

A Love Divine!

Listen, and you will hear the message being spoken to you, to your heart and soul through the quiet noise of Nature.  Join in the dialogue.  It will have a profound impact on your life...

Giving...Giving Thanks...Thankfulness...Gratitude...Blessed Be...
Loved...Life...

Aloha

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

Onward...

"Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

~anonymous 

As I ponder my own actions and feelings of late, it is apparent that I am really in a good place right now.  The daily stresses be damned...I have a beautiful family.  We are all in good health.  We have a roof over our head, (thankfully after the firemen came to put out the chimney fire before the house became fully engulfed last night).

So with all this realization that comes from not having your house burn down, I am beginning a peaceful journey forward as I prepare to let my baby fly.  Yes, it's that time when the last child prepares to go off to college and I, as the mother, look back and wonder where all the time went.  

It's had its ups and downs...however, it is abundantly clear that, the ups outweigh the downs by far.  My life is full! 

"I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be!"

                               ~ Abraham Lincoln

When looking forward, it is important to draw on memories that have made you laugh.  Try to think back to the light hearted moments when nothing really mattered at the time...nothing, but that you were having a great time full of fun and laughter.  

An aha moment, like the one I had when I went to see the Steelers play the Oilers at Three Rivers Stadium for Monday Night Football with a friend...(aging myself again, as the Houston Oilers and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh are both long gone)

There we were on the 50 yard line, just a few rows up having a great time when the TV camera came rolling by panning the crowd of die-hard Steeler fans.  Since I could not be seen on the 50 yard line, on national television, on Monday Night Football when I was supposed to be somewhere else, (like work) we ducked.  We put our heads way down, while the entire crowd that surrounded us was cheering and waving into the camera with Iron City draft beers in hand...now that was one of the funniest moments of my life!  And thankfully, one that recently came to mind prompting me to take the initiative and contact that old friend and have a great laugh all over again.

Yes, though I often tell my children, "Don't look back, you're not going that way"... that happens to be where the past lies.  Good and bad.  And the past is what has brought us to this point in life.  We are what our past has allowed us to become.

Draw on the good...learn from the bad and move on!  The good is where the laughs are and the laughter is where the fun is!  Having fun is the best part of living.

 "Don't take life too seriously.  

You'll never get out of it alive."

~ Elbert Hubbard 

Human Spirit and Giving Thanks

© 2012 hula~la

• "How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it." (George Elliston)

This day is truly beautiful as a result of a random act of kindness that I have witnessed first hand.   Generosity comes in many forms.  It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone, or raking the leaves for someone who is not able; a kind word said to another can make a difference in their world.  It is also quite nice to bake and deliver cookies to a neighbor...just because!!!  Or shovel the dreaded snow that is sure to be falling very soon here in the northeast.  This is a good one...pay the bridge toll for the car behind you, and just drive away.  Now I'd like to think the person who you just paid for, who has their cash in hand ready to pay, upon finding out his toll was paid, will now use his cash to pay for the car behind him...pay it backward in this case. 

What I witnessed today was a gesture so sincere that it truly took my breath away.  For someone to reach out and help another financially who they have never met before, most assuredly will restore anyone's faith in mankind.  The recipient of this generosity is a person who is always so caring and giving, yet is also someone who would never ask for help...of any kind.  Selfless caring and kindness is embedded in every human spirit, yet it must be nurtured through everyday living.  

• "You will discover that you have two hands.  One is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others." (Audrey Hepburn)

There are those in this world who feel compelled to take advantage of others.  That is how they live. For they somehow feel entitled to be something they are not, or have something they can not.  They are lacking in their soul the common decency that drives humanity.  Or the will to give of themselves freely, for how can they possibly take at the same time as they are giving?  Perhaps they have never been on the receiving end of a kind word or gesture.  Maybe they have never experienced the feeling of love or true goodness from the heart.  The determination to give of ones self comes from a place deep inside the human soul and is initiated by the brain with a simple thought of just being kind.

• "Things of the spirit differ from things material in that the more you give the more you have."  (Christopher Morley)
  

For those of us who have a heart and who have the will to make this world a better place, it is very easy to perform a simple random act of kindness towards another human being.  Make eye contact with everyone you meet and smile.  A great BIG genuine smile:)  It's that simple.  That single gesture can be the spark that lights the unconditional desire to show kindness of the human spirit towards another.  It's what truly makes us whole as individuals.  JUST DO IT!  The feeling you will have as a result will be your worthy reward.  And always, always give thanks!