Daily Gratitude: “Generosity is not a thing we spend, but a flow that increases in size the more it is shared.”

I always try to explain how the more you give, the more you get back. And being generous doesn’t have to “cost you” money. You can be generous with your time, with your words, with your smiles, with touch. There are so many ways to be generous.

You see this in natural disasters. People of all persuasions come together to help each other. That is Generosity and once the trend has started, there really is a flow. Everyone gets on the bandwagon. Everyone is helping everyone else.

Just think how much fun it would be to start a trend like this maybe just in your household or maybe at work or perhaps on a much bigger level.

Humans mirror actions of other humans. That’s why parents and teachers need to model the behavior and qualities desired in the young people they have in their charge.

Make it part of your daily routine to be generous in some way and then reflect on it each night. As you’re getting ready to fall asleep think about it and how it made you and the other person feel. What a beautiful thought as you drift off to sleep.

Daily Gratitude: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

This sounds so easy doesn’t it? But we all know it’s not easy. It may be simple but that doesn’t make it easy.

I’m working on facing my fears and I have to do small tasks still. But I’ve also learned that if I force myself to write about the experience after (and maybe even before I make the attempt), the positive results become more cemented in my mind.

I’ve told you before about my fear of the telephone. I probably called it an aversion or a dislike but what do they say “a rose by any other name”… it’s fear.

It’s stupid. It’s a small thing and yet it’s there. Calling it names or trying to make it seem less (like saying it’s stupid) will not shame me into making the damn call. That just makes things worse. I’m sure you parents and teachers can verify that. It just is.

The strange and actually humorous thing is that I feel so good and so free once I’ve gotten around to doing it and getting it over with. What doesn’t work in the moment is to spend time trying to figure out why it doesn’t work. Ha ha. That’s called procrastination.

But If I write about it and put my feelings down on paper – both the fear and the elation – it helps me express more of what went on inside. And even if I still don’t understand it, the success and the associated feelings of that tiny little success stick with me longer and make facing that phone call easier the next time.

Never diminish your fears. Never try to bully yourself into feeling less than because you have the fears. Just deal with them the best you can and record your success AND the associated feelings once you’ve done something that was hard because it involved a fear.

Daily Gratitude: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through.”

Not only that but we also judge, often harshly, their existence as a caterpillar. I can liken that to the development of many humans. They are less than desirable beings at a younger age and then through intense self work and much time and effort, they become totally transformed- they become butterflies in a sense.

Those are people I respect and admire. They are able to see they have faults and problems and they take action to improve. They are willing to work to pass through another stage.

Can you look back over your life and see the metamorphosis in you? Think about where you’ve come from. And see if there’s more you’d like to change. Self reflection and examination of your life and behaviors and beliefs is essential for continued growth.