Daily Gratitude: Practice this daily. People can get “grumpy” out in the winter. The darkness and the alleged holidays (that are not holidays for many) can make someone look like Scrooge when they are depressed and sad. Don’t judge them. Smile at them. It may the entire day around. You don’t know. But you really don’t have any good reason not to smile at them. You could even save a life. Get outside yourself and show others how important they are in this world. It costs nothing. You might wonder why you should smile on Pearl Harbor day when so many Americans were killed. Smile for all those people who have their lives for us to be able to be where we are today. Smile about the gifts you’ve received over all these years. Smile because you can. What’s the alternative? Is that what you want?

Daily Gratitude: Many of us sit around with regrets about not having accomplished this or that. Why not simply concentrate on making progress? That could be a big step or a little step. In this case (as in most cases) size does NOT matter. It’s that single step that counts the most. Remember that it’s the start that stops most people. That’s resistance and it’s all throughout your life. So if achieving a certain goal seems overwhelming with all else that’s going on in your life, make one small step (and remember the moon landing). Then once that’s done take another one. They may be so tiny that no one notices. But you will notice. Maybe right now that one step is simply to write down a goal. Don’t think of a goal as something earth shattering but as a project perhaps. Just something you’d like to do. Make that goal. Writte it down now before those voices in your head are yelling “you fool- you can’t do that. How foolish of you” and other things you’ve heard all your life. That is your first step. Your second step is to hang up that goal where you’ll see it a lot. In your bathroom and kitchen. Maybe your car. Just so you’ll see it frequently. Third step is to read it every time you see it. I put my 2024 goal list on the cabinet in front of the toilet and anyone with an overactive bladder can tell you that I looked at it many many times. Maybe TMI but you get the point. Baby steps are progress!

Daily Gratitude: I don’t think I need to add much to this but of course I will lol. It could also say home is people, not a place OR THINGS! When I was a child the only good memories I have were of my preparation for Christmas. I would try to figure out a lot of little things to give my mother and I made what I could (so I’m pretty sure they sucked) and I also wrote a little poem or note for each one. I couldn’t wait until my mother opened them. I didn’t care about any of my presents (except maybe when I got “The visible man”) I just wanted to give her joy. She put up with such garbage in our household that she deserved everything I could find for her. These gifts were given – and received- with love and that’s what mattered. Who is important in your life that you can send a note to during this time of year. Maybe they are lonely and feel unloved. You can fix at least some of that. And it may not cost much. There is no price on heartfelt love