Daily Gratitude: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

This is a great way to practice gratitude for all life’s gifts. You don’t even need to know who planted the tree you’re sitting under. Just acknowledging that you didn’t make it to where you see now by yourself is a major key.

If you look around you right now, you’ll see so many things that make your life doable and comfortable. Stop and say “thank you” for each and every one of those things. Without the person who invented it built or delivered them for you, you’d be out in the cold (or heat) on your own.

The roads you drive on, even with their potholes. The cars you’re driving. The places you’re going. The clothes you’re wearing. The air conditioning blowing on your face. The coffee in the cup holder. The cardboard or plastic cup the coffee is in.

See how many things you can spot that help make your life easier. Do this all the time but especially when you’re feeling down or things don’t seem to be going right. Just remember that they don’t seem to be going right because they arent going the way you expect them to; not that they aren’t going right in the grand scheme of your life. You are not all knowing. Things happen and it’s our job to think about whomever and whatever planted the tree that got us sitting here in the shade.

Be grateful even if you don’t know what the outcome will be. It will be all right.

Daily Gratitude: “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”

We hear about this all the time. “Be present”, “Be mindful” etc. But what does that really mean and how do we do it?

I believe that being in the present moment is different for everyone. It can be taken very literally but that’s hard to do. As I write this I’m too much in the present moment as for some reason, my kitchen has been overtaken by flies, real flies, not fruit flies. I have no idea where they came from or what to do. It’s ruined my morning routine as I am taking off for Vol State and can only envision the disaster that will await when I return, So, all I can think of is the flies. That’s defnitely being in the present moment,

Do I want to stay there? It’s not a pleasant place to be and it’s not productive. I don’t want my eulogy to talk about how my last moments were zen thoughts about flies. So, I think we have to be realistic. Often when someone is in pain, it helps to think of some place calm and serene that they’d like to be. It’s the same process as dissociation but this is voluntary. When dissociation usually occurs it’s an unconscious thing due to some horrific or intolerable trauma. But you can practice dissociating to help ease your discomfort. This is NOT a bad thing if it helps you deal with pain.

I think that being in the present moment can best be done by practicing gratitude. Going on a long car ride might have you thinking about what’s going to happen when you get there or who you’ll be with etc. You can, though, concentrate on the wonders and beauty surrounding you. Even looking at the various cars you’re passing or who are passing you can fill you with gratitude. Think about who invented them and why – where did the ideas come from. Why did one person think this or that improvement would be better. But then come back to your own life and be grateful that someone, anyone had the idea to create a car. What would your life be like without it. Be thankful.

Practice this on your way to work or church or school or to a hobby. Whatever. Look around your room or house as you read this. What (or who) can you be grateful for?

What’s your definition of being in the present moment?

Daily Gratitude: “…hope is a choice…Being a decent human being is a choice.”

Both of these are things we must remember each and every day. One applies to our own personal and internal existence and the other applies to our treatment of other human beings.

When we give up hope, we lose any reason to live. It’s hard to hold onto a goal without hope. It’s hard to continue to push forward for your family without hope. In reality, it’s hard to do anything without hope.

You can choose hope. Your belief system can be based around hope. Sometimes you have to convince yourself that you have hope but if you practice telling yourself you have it when things are ok, then you’re more likely to keep saying it when they aren’t so great. Why not choose hope…over no hope? Answer that question before you make your choice.

Every day we should also choose to be at least a decent human being and preferably a good one. That is an even easier choice than choosing hope. How much effort does it take to be a decent human being? Why would you choose not to be? I’d like to know why someone would choose to be a mean person.

What choices are you willing to make?