what there is

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. - Charles Dickens

today i want to remind you to be grateful for your blessings. the small things that we take for granted are often the best parts of our lives. a home, heat, food, sunshine, people we love.

here's my list:
i have a strong, positive spirit.
i am smart and creative.
i am compassionate and giving.
i am loving and loved by family and friends.
God loves me as He does all people on Earth.
i have many interests that keep my mind active.
i have support to keep my body active.
i have money to pay for my needs and some wants.
i have plenty of food that I enjoy, not just to sustain me.
i have a comfortable home.
i have had great experiences and expect to have many more.
i have made mistakes and learned from them.


Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. - Ernest Hemingway

so what can i do with all of that?
i can write to share my strong, positive spirit.
i can come up with ways to support myself, if only to apply for help from the government.
i can smile at strangers and shake their hand. i can listen when others need to talk.
i can call or visit loved ones.
i can go to church or out in nature and remember i am part of something much bigger.
i can go to the library and read about many things.
i can exercise and feel strong and motivated.
i can go on living and searching for new experiences.

what are your blessings? what do they allow you to do?
there is always something!

wonderful evenings

i've got a collection of quotes. i've decided to use them as starters for positive thinking ideas.
my 1st one:

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
- Groucho Marx

this time of year there is a lot of pressure to be cheerful and have a good time. if you don't feel cheerful, the pressure can make you feel even worse. or, like 3 of my friends this past month, you've had a tragic loss. cheerfulness is just not happening. or, you're like many people at the holidays and your problems seem overwhelming and unbearable. sometimes it's incredibly difficult to be positive.

so don't force it. ignore that pressure. feel what you need to feel. just remember that in the past there were perfectly wonderful evenings. there will be more in the future. so while you're feeling down, think back to a favorite memory, or envision a fabulous future evening. your 'in the moment' may not be great and that has to be addressed. yet you have an imagination - use it to create a happier future.

moments of hope or crisis

this is a busy time of year for most people. some things are stressful and others are fun. i'm writing today to remind you to appreciate moments. you may not have time to slow down, but it is possible to appreciate moments during the busy-ness.

if you're in line to pay for something, you might see that the waiting is a time for you to rest. you might notice the people around you and remember 'it takes all kinds' to make the world more interesting. you might feel grateful that you have the money to pay for what you're buying.

traffic can give you a breather. it's no fun but you have no control over it. you might as well enjoy the enforced slow down.

if you're the type of person that does everything for everybody because you like to please them, remember the person/group who will see the results of your hard work. think of how they'll feel. see that all of your busy moments will create even more moments to appreciate.

if you're not fortunate enough to have people to please, look hard for good moments. the world is full of them even though they might seem hard to find. are you healthy? is the sun shining? can you sing a happy song? if you're sick, the sky is full of clouds and all hope seems lost, find someone like me. i care about what happens to you whether i know you or not. there are others out there who feel the same way. go to - http://www.contacthelplines.org/ or call 1-877-266-8222. if you're not in nj, maybe call information and ask for a crisis center. someone out there cares about you!

it is a time of 'good will to all.' don't forget to feel good will toward yourself.

tell them

do you ever hear...life is so short? i just read a [true] story in which a woman was killed at the age of 45. so short. i'm already 40 myself.

i'm here to urge you to spend time with people who make you happy and tell them how you feel. i tell my husband i love him everyday. i say 'i love you' to my family at the end of each phone conversation. i try to look for ways to express my gratitude to the many wonderful people in my life. i put effort into maintaining the relationships that enrich my life. loved ones are the greatest treasure on earth.

so take some time to express your appreciation for your loved ones. simple phrases like 'i love you,' 'thank you,' and 'you're great' go a long way. you may even hear them repeated to you. if the words make you uncomfortable, actions speak loudly. give a pat on the back, a hug or even a hand shake. these gestures of kindness are equally powerful.

just be kind while you can. life is too short to leave positive thoughts unspoken. if you know me, please know i appreciate your presence in my life. you're awesome!

the most important person in the world

as a teacher i asked students at the beginning of the school year, 'who do you think the most important person in the world is?' kids would guess: my mom, God, the President!

then i would show them my 'magic box.' this box will show you who the most important person in the world is. each student will look in the box, one at a time, to learn this secret - but don't tell anyone until i ask the question at the end.

each student discovered the answer with a smile or giggle. when everyone had their peek i asked them to answer all at the same time, 'who is the most important person in the world?' i would hear a cheer of variations of, 'ME!' inside the box was a mirror.

i went on to explain that each of us are our own 'most important person.' no one is more important than their neighbor, but we have to treat ourselves well because every one of us is very important. some kids still insisted that their mom or dad was more important.

i saw it as my job to help kids see the truth in my statement. i hope you can see it in yourself. only you can make sure you are treated well. by doing so, the world at large will be a better place.

*the magic box idea was one i found in a jack canfield book.

the people we meet

do you ever think about the people you meet in passing? at the bank, out shopping and other public places we go, we must meet hundreds of people. then there are people we see occasionally like doctors, bus drivers, maybe mail carriers. they are people we see fairly regularly but don't get to know very well.

on may 10, 2008, i wrote about interactions. the thought reoccurred to me today because i met someone new, though someone i may not see again. she was friendly, chatty and smiling. when she left i felt cheerful. so here i am hoping to pass on that cheerfulness. our interactions with one person can affect the next person we see. not only did this person make me feel good, but the good feeling gets passed on in my following interactions.

for each person we meet our mood can be shared. offer a smile or a 'thank you' to the people you meet. that good feeling can grow exponentially!

the secret

I've been watching a motivational movie called 'The Secret' that has inspired me. Some of you may find it hokey. Some of you will try to be open-minded. Some of you may be interested. Some of you may be inspired to rent the movie. Some of you will feel like I do – empowered.

The secret is this: the law of attraction. Your thoughts attract things to you. If you think about your poor health [like me], you will continue to have poor health. If you think about debt, you will continue to have debt. If you think about all the things you don’t have, you will continue to not have them. We must focus on the things we want – the strong body, the wealth, etc. It is easier said than done. I’ve heard an author call it the power of intention. I got frustrated when I tried to intend to be healthy. This is the same idea but the speakers in the movie made more sense to me.

We must Ask for what we want, Believe it is possible, and Receive what life offers.

We must have Gratitude for the positives already in our lives.

We must Visualize our goals and desires.

if you can, see the movie. it is empowering.

singing

singing is one of the things i do to lift my mood. today i felt like a song about friends. the only ones i could think of were 'you've got a friend' by james taylor and 'friends' by michael w. smith. i wanted something upbeat. i made up some words to the tune of 'zippity do dah' [please excuse my spelling].

zippity do dah
zippity ay
my o my what a wonderful day
plenty of sunshine headin’ my way
zippity do dah
zippity ay

friends make me happy
friends make my day
my o my what my friends they do say
talking and playing every day
friends make me happy
friends make my day

sending happy tunes your way.

please share songs you like. i'd like to add to my list.

shining my light

i don't know enough about the universe expanding. forgive me for writing without research. i just watched a short msn video about 'dark energy' taking over as our universe expands. this spurred me to send out a message carrying as much 'light energy' as i have to offer.

sending light to all who read this.

you have it, too. let your light shine!

the universe may expand until it is somehow destroyed. in the meantime, let us live with love and light.

end of war

i recently read this quote:
George Santayana: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

i will always try to live and spread peace, but i'm beginning to wonder if 'peace on earth' is actually possible. there is no time [that i know of] in history when there was not fighting somewhere. there are so many people who think violence is the only way to solve problems. rather i should say - there are not enough people who see that peace is the only way to peace.

i'll keep spreading that message. will you do the same?

meeting of minds

i had my book club meeting tonight. my apartment building suggests a monthly book to read and discuss. we do discuss the books, but we also talk about our local community and world issues. tonight we discussed our government and the sad state we're in because republicans think x and democrats think y and there seems to be little compromise. we discussed what we should be doing about it.

our book tonight discussed the holocaust. what was the average german doing when atrocities were happening? for the many, not much. so in our turn, do we sit by and watch our earth be destroyed? our people go hungry? the economy struggle? i don't think the average american sits idly by as things go wrong. a lot of us try to do our part, but we're still not working as a group, as a nation. how can we assemble a meeting of minds [in addition to the many community groups or national groups] and find solutions to our problems? how can we get the groups to work together? i'm open to suggestions.

the kindness of strangers

when you need help, who do you call? no, not ghostbusters. do you have a list of family and friends who will do everything they can to help you? if so, you are very lucky. i am one of the lucky ones. i have family and friends near and far who would, and often do, go to the ends of the earth for me. thank you!

what happens when you don’t have such a list? what happens when your family and friends are unavailable? i highly recommend asking the person nearest to you, whether you know them or not. i have asked people passing me on the street, people in public places, and neighbors who hardly know me. i was about to write – every one of those people did what i asked and offered help beyond my initial request – but that’s not true. there was a woman at the mall once who said no to me. still, i must have asked more than 20 people over the years. one out of 20 isn’t bad.

thanks to all the angels who have helped me. life would be much harder without them.