Daily Gratitude

Daily Gratitude: I don’t know about you but I have had a problem with perfectionism – well, it was a well disguised coverup for fear (which is the basis for most perfectionism). If I never completed anything, then I couldn’t be criticized because there was never a finished product for people to judge. So. If you’re looking to try to overcome that trait, take some time to contemplate this. Bill Beswick offers this: “mastery, where there is intense desire to achieve while avoiding the frustration of non-perfection. Mastery accepts that the performance might well include mistakes and setbacks but prides itself on continually striving to achieve your very best despite these.” If you are trying to master something (instead of it having to be perfect), you will accept mistakes and even setbacks (which you formerly called failure) as the “way”. If you’re giving it your best, then this mastery is what we should be aiming for. How does that resonate with your personality?

The Cafeteria

Emmet Fox wrote this short piece about his experience when he first came to America. He saw a nice looking restaurant, went in and sat down. He waited and waited and waited and yet no one came to him to take his order. He was upset and a bit perplexed as many people around him were eating and seemed quite happy. He was feeling very neglected.

Finally he realized what a cafeteria was. They didn't have them yet in England where he came from. He discovered that there was plenty of food and goodies to have but you had to go up to the tables and choose from them.

The universe operates in just the same way. No one is going to bring you happiness or joy. You have to go up to the "buffet of life" and make your choices. Otherwise you may sit and wait forever, not getting anything out of life that you want.

So, if you want happiness, go to the happiness section and tell the universe mentally that you are claiming happiness for yourself. You don't necessarily need to detail what happiness means to you and in fact, you probably shouldn't. Why? Because what you think will make you happy today might not be it at all. I don't know if you remember when I told you i had wanted to be a neurosurgeon but then my epilepsy kept me from doing anything surgical. I thought that would bring me happiness and maybe it would have. But i will tell you that all the different things I ended up doing in my life made me extremely happy and I'm pretty sure I would not have been at such a state had I been able to go into neurosurgery. I received happiness and you will do once you claim it. But you don't really know today what will make you happy for the next 20 years or so.

Don't sit around waiting for things to happen for you. You have to take action in life. Once you decide what you want, then focus on that thought and ask youself some questions:

- What does this mean to me?
- What can I do today to start me on the way to x (whatever it is you picked)?
- How can I stay focused while it's being delivered to me and how can i always keep it in sight no matter what's going on around me?
- what actions can i take to repay the universe for these wonderful things that are going to happen to me?

You want to start taking action to help yourself. It's the start that stops most people.

What's on your plate today?

How Do You Want to be Remembered

I had the honor of attending the memorial service for Dr. Anne Kunath today. It was so well done and brought back so many amazing memories of a phenomenal woman.

Amongst other things it made me wonder what a legacy really is and how you would want to be remembered,

Dr. Kunath was the most self-less person I’ve ever known. The only thing important to her was always how “you” were, not how she was. She cared about everyone else. She epitomized the concept of doing something for others every single day. But she never stopped with just one thing or one person. Anyone who ever came within her presence left as a changed person. How unique is that? Have you had someone in your life that lived that way?

Everyone today talked about the impact she had on them. It was definitely inspiring but it left me wanting to recommend to everyone that they practice what she preached every day as she did. To follow her example. To be a guardian of at least one other human being. To let others know every day that they are loved and are worth gold no matter what others may say. That brings a person’s spirits up more than anything else you could do for them. Love and respect are worth so much more than money. Money comes and goes but with self-respect comes confidence and with confidence you can further yourself and be all you want to be. This is what she did for everyone near her with just a look, just a smile, just a word.

She would do so much more though. She would help you see what you need to do to achieve whatever you wanted. She never gave up on you and never criticized you if you didn’t get it the first time. She was always there nudging you along with more education (not really advice but guidance). She’d hold your mental hands and was always there in case you needed some shoring up while you got back on track.

Everyone who has come in contact with Dr. Kunath has a responsibility to spread her love, light and knowledge as far as they can and to as many people as they can. It’s not enough to just talk about remembering someone although that’s important. But the real test of a legacy is continuing to keep her spirit alive by doing the same things she did. Each of us can have a positive impact on others every single day of their lives. Every morning when we wake up we should set the intention of somehow touching at least one other person that day. In that way we will keep her essence alive.

As her daughter said today – Dr. Kunath is present elsewhere. Her spirit is that of love and she exemplified love for everyone and anyone better than most famous people.

Today’s Gratitudes:
I am grateful that I was able to go to this wonderful service

I am grateful that my squirrels have not yet gotten to the bird seed

I am grateful that my windshield wipers worked even though they won’t turn off now….age does things to each of us