Thanks for Everything!

Thanks is a powerful word that can influence each and every situation in life. If we can come from a place of appreciation, then we can feel better about our lives in each moment. How many times do we find ourselves in the company of someone who is grumbling? It is so easy to chime right in and say something about your life that adds to the drama. It is challenging instead to say something to shift the conversation to something more optimistic. "Let's intend a positive outcome." When someone is complaining, we can walk away while saying to ourselves," I choose to be happy right now!"
Louise Hayes wrote Gratitude as a Way of Life, in it she tells a story of a grandmother known for saying," Thank you God, one hundred times a day. She would chant, "Thank you God " for the sunshine pouring in her kitchen window, for the food she was about to eat and for the pot boiling over. Her grandchild ask why she said Thank you for the bad things. Her reply was that the challenges in our life make us stronger and provide contrast in order to better appreciate the good in our lives. How refreshing, to develop an attitude where we appreciate whatever happens in our life.
I have started chanting this same phrase and sometimes shorten it to "Thank you G." It makes me smile while doing it. It takes me to a place of appreciation and I realize just how blessed I am as I continue to think of other things for which I can be grateful.
I tell my husband how much I love our life and him. I appreciate the world we live in and all the opportunities that have been granted to each of us. Thanks to the world of technology we can connect from all corners of the world. We have many reasons to express appreciation. I keep a Gratitude Journal and write down what I appreciate in my life and the list keeps growing. Try this and see how many big and small things you can name in your rampages of appreciation.
Julia Cameron says," The key to practicing blessings is the willingness to accept the full value of each moment." Thank you!

Pay-Out Watercolor Party

Celebrating life's accomplishments is important to feel gratitude for all that has come your way. Last evening,we gathered with good food among good friends to share successes and to acknowledge the joy in each of our lives. We had lots of delicious food and shared recipes of  Michael's tamale pie, Debra's avacado and corn salad, Cec's  Chicken with Coconut &  Peanut Sauce and Cheesecake by Catherine's brother. Everything was delicious. Watercolor was introduced to the group allowing everyone to tap into their own creative muse. We concluded the evening in a prayer of gratitude and sharing of successes that the Universe has paid out in subtle rewards and moments that have made our lives much richer in our awareness of them. Louis L. Hay has a new book on gratitude that I am looking forward to reading. 

Sometimes in life things are happening so fast. We solve this challenge and two more show up. We feel really great in the morning and get so caught up in life we sometimes forget that morning excitement. The simple concept of gratitude can pull you back to a place of peacefulness. We can say thank you for the challenges that make us stronger. Thank you for the way that things have turned out. Although you may not like everything, say thank you anyway.

Melodie Beatty says."Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life." She says,"It turns what we have into enough,  it turns denial into acceptance,it turns chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a house into a home. a meal into a feast,a stranger into a friend. Practice grateful thinking and see how all things gain this fullness of life and feel like MORE. 

Let gratitude create it's magic. Look at your life and count the ways that you can be thankful. Life pays out dividends for those who appreciate what they have, WARNING because you will get rewarded with MORE. Thank you!