Living Life as a Thank You : The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude

Ergens een behoorlijk Amerikaans geschreven boek, maar vind de insteek echt mooi. Gratitude is the intention to count your blessings every day, every minute, while avoiding, whenever possible, the belief that you need or deserve different circumstances. —Timothy Miller Hassidic saying, “You should be grateful for everything that happens to you, even your pain.” grateful people have a sense of wonder and look at the world through the eyes of astonishment and joy. By focusing on what they have, and being grateful for it, they bypass feelings of neediness, anger, or greediness. Grateful people express their gratitude by being thankful. Gratitude resides in their hearts and souls. In turn, grateful people often express their thankfulness through their own actions and deeds. the ancient Indian ritual of darshan, which means sitting quietly and humbly in the presence of someone whom you revere, growing simply from being there Life intends Life. There is no death that is not another life beginning. There is no end that does not start anew. In every loss, in every grief, there is the hand of comfort, the hand of faith, waiting to move forward into new ways. —Julia Cameron Create a prayer of farewell for a person in your life who is leaving, and a thank-you for what they have meant in your life. With each thank-you, acknowledge a gift that this person has given you. Then say, “We know that God goes with you.” Try the Japanese gratitude practice called Naikan, which means “looking inside.” Practitioners claim that it helps people understand themselves and their relationships, and put things into better perspective. Cari Stein was able to find the gift in her situation. The practice involves asking yourself these three questions: What have I received from this person? What have I given to this person? What troubles and difficulties have I caused to this person? WEATHER REPORT by B. J. Gallagher “Any day I’m vertical is a good day” that’s what I always say. And I give thanks that I’m healthy. If you ask me, “How are you?” I’ll answer, “GREAT!” because in saying so, I make it so. And I give thanks that I can choose my attitude. When Life gives me dark clouds and rain, I appreciate the moisture which brings a soft curl to my hair. When Life gives me sunshine, I gratefully turn my face up to feel its warmth on my cheeks. When Life brings fog, I hug my sweater around me and give thanks for the cool shroud of mystery that makes the familiar seem different and intriguing. When Life brings snow, I dash outside to catch the first flakes on my tongue, relishing the icy miracle that is a snowflake. Life’s events and experiences are like the weather— they come and go, no matter what my preference. So, what the heck?! I might as well decide to enjoy them. For indeed, there IS a time for every purpose under Heaven. Each season brings its own unique blessings. And I give thanks.