Category Archives: Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude

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.Daily Gratitude: This is one of the most important concepts you can embrace these days. It’s hard to feel at peace when you look at the news and all that’s happening in our cities- things previously thought about when considering “other” countries.

All the uproar is screwing up our nervous systems. And most of us don’t even realize it. We may feel “uneasy”, whatever that means. Some may even identify the feeling as “anxiety”. No matter what label you impose on those feelings, it is the release of survival chemicals because your brain and its allies (at least something has allies) are preparing for war – that is how they interpret your environment if you let it rush past you untamed.

You’re probably thinking “But what the heck can I do?”.

The most important answer here is to find a way to calm your nervous system and do as we said in the Navy – send all those troops (the components of your nervous system) back to “shore duty”.

Find a way (breathing, meditation, yoga, walking, whatever) to calm your inner being.

You will be ineffective at anything until you do. It’s the old “put your oxygen mask on before you put them on your kids” theory.

I recently read a book that has me contemplating its main idea – that there is a difference between a thought and thinking and that thinking is what causes our negative thoughts.

There are parts of this I am not totally accepting right now but I am examining what goes on between my ears more closely now and there is a great degree of truth in his idea.

Anyway, the point is to stop and take some deep breaths when things seem to be going poorly. It will help until you can find another way to help calm you down (meditate when you have time for example).

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Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude: We all need this advice, now more than ever. Being soft doesn’t mean being someone who can be bowled over easily. It means being kind, generous, calm and grateful.

It’s easy right now to feel anger and even hatred, judging others and how they behave. But that doesn’t do any good for us since we cannot do anything about it. Remember to control the controllables (control what is within your power to control) and don’t let the others stuff cause you anxiety and pain.

There are multiple opportunities around you to practice being soft. There are many people who need help and kindness. Almost everyone needs some of that, including you.

Set your intention each day proclaiming that you will be soft and kind that day.

Then follow through and review your actions each night.

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Daily Gratitude

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If everything is significant

Daily Gratitude: Do you know people who are always in some sort of crisis?

Always up in arms?

Always down in the dumps because “nothing ever goes right”?

I think we all know these people and we should be grateful, no matter how draining they are.

They can show us the wisdom of this quote.

You need contrast in your life.

Otherwise, everything is the same. And what fun would that be?

I do these “fixed time” races where usually you go round and round the same exact loop for x number of hours (anywhere from 6 hours to 10 days or more). You really learn the meaning behind this quote doing those races. Every loop is the same essentially. It’s up to the participant to find a way to make them significant.

But they have to be unique in order to be significant. If you do the same loop 100 times in 3 days let’s say, how much significance can there be.

Flowers don’t usually bloom in that short a time. But the weather may change making one time period significant (“wow it’s hail”); different people can enter the course while you’re passing making any one particular moment significant.

One of my fondest memories was at a race in New Jersey when a big time ultra hero was doing the race. I came out of my car to do a lap while the rain had slowed and I passed this man’s tent. He said “Hi Terrie. You’re doing great.” I was astonished that he knew who I was AND knew my name too. Of all the 150 or 200 loops I did that year, that was the most significant and the one i remember. If you find yourself thinking that everything that happens to you is great or awful or noteworthy, take a step back and think about how significant each thing was. Can you readjust the lenses you’re looking through?