Daily Gratitude: What’s your definition of winning? I heard a great definition of a “winner” – “A winner is a person who is constantly and continuously striving to become better at what they do.” So you can see it’s not about the outcome which is what a lot of people think. However, what’s most important is that you develop your own opinion as to what winning is. Why? Because you are the one who is playing the “game” not someone else. I think this quote has hit it right on the head by saying that it’s not giving up. I don’t see how you can possibly lose if you never give up. Each and every day you should practice keeping going. There’s always something going on that you can practice with even if it’s just being stuck in traffic with a ton of things on your to do list. What can you do to keep your mind in a positive mode in your circumstance? It’s so important that you weed out any negative thoughts that tend to creep in if we’re not constantly vigilant. So if you’re stuck in traffic spend that time saying your gratitudes, saying mantras you’ve created for yourself, plan out what is going to happen when you finally get where you’re going. This is called pre-paving. It works wonders. Plan it down to the smallest detail. I used to do that with all the meetings I had when I was working. Pre-paving sends the vibrations into the universe and that tends to bring it into existence. Next time you have a meeting try it. I know I’ve gone off in a few directions today but i personally think they are all related to winning and not giving up. My goal for the rest of 2024 is to develop the habit of keeping all my thoughts on something positive!

Daily Gratitude: This is so important for retired people to pay attention to. And often it’s important for others who are still working but aren’t happy. No matter your age, you can and should have a purpose. Once you have that purpose, you’ll find yourself happier and willing to do things you never thought you’d do. The older we get, the more we do have to help and tell others. The wisdom that comes with age must be shared with others. That’s the primary way to not have history repeat itself – by telling others what you’ve learned. Don’t let anyone, or yourself, make you think you’re just taking up space. The universe has put you here for a reason. You just may have to work a bit to find out what that purpose is once you stop working and think your “important” life is over. No it’s not over. And don’t ever let people try to convince you of that. I went through that last year when I turned 75. Fortunately I finally got past that and pray that it won’t happen again. I have worked hard to figure the things I still have to “say” and they will keep me going. What about you?

Daily Gratitude: Who is that one person that has influenced your life the most? There may be several that have been important but I ask you to work through all of them and find that one special person. And no, it may not be your parents or a spouse. It may be but there might actually be someone more significant. For me it was Rev (Dr) Anne Kunath. My life was a mess before I met her “by accident”. Once I began to listen to her and her teachings I knew there was something special there. I won’t bore you but will tell you that all the others in my life can’t even hold a candle anywhere near her as far as influencing me is concerned. As she is gone now, she is a big part of my life”imaginary” mastermind group and I know that all I have to do is ask “what would Anne tell me” or “what would Anne do”. If you can find a similar person in your life, communicate with them. If they are still alive, make it a frequent communication and one expressing how much they mean to you. Let them know. If they have passed on, you can write them a letter and express the same things. But you can also continue to communicate with them even if you don’t want to tell your friends or family that you are doing that. They will keep giving you pointers to help your with your life if you just open up and let them. After you find this person, then seek the other ones that have impacted you and develop your own mastermind. You’ll be glad you did.