Monthly Archives: November 2016

7 11, 2016

Thankfulness: the beginning of gratitude

By |2022-11-13T18:13:53-06:00November 7th, 2016|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

give-thanksBlogging about thankfulness and gratitude in November is cliché, but there’s no better time than the month when our whole nation pauses and gives thanks to focus our thoughts on thankfulness.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that in order to achieve contentment, we should “cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.”

As we celebrate the coming holiday in America, most of us will have a thankful attitude on Thanksgiving Day. Too often, though, our attention wanes for the rest of the year. We should seek out things daily to be thankful for, i.e. give thanks continuously as Emerson suggests.

Here are two ways to focus an attitude of thankfulness beyond one Thursday in November.

  • Use social media

Surprised? In our plugged-in culture, it’s impossible to avoid social media no matter how hard you try so why not use your posts, pictures, videos, and tweets to cultivate thankfulness on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Heaven knows we get enough of wars, earthquakes, floods, fires, sick children,  murdered spouses and, lately, politics.

It seems the more suffering and mayhem, the more mass media coverage. Yet research shows the opposite: good news spreads faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.

By sharing positive, uplifting posts, memes, and videos, you encourage attitudes of thankfulness in yourself and others.

  • Keep a gratitude list.

According to Henri Frederic Amiel, gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Writing down what you’re thankful for everyday reinforces positive thoughts and grateful feelings.

We’ll explore gratitude lists more next week. For now, can you think of ways you can foster thankfulness?

2 11, 2016

How’s Your Journey Going?

By |2016-11-02T19:08:07-05:00November 2nd, 2016|Wednesday Words of Wisdom|2 Comments

We recently  drove the San Juan Scenic Byway, also known as the Million Dollar Highway. It’s a spectacular ride if you don’t mind steep cliffs, narrow lanes,  zero guardrails, and hairpin “S” curves cut directly into the sides of mountains.

While we human passengers were white-knuckled and breathless, our little Maltese gazed out the window contently enjoying the ride.

Made me think of this quote.life-is-a-journey

If your life is on a path filled with hazards and challenges, relax and enjoy the journey like Buster.

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