Daily Gratitude: I find this not only funny but pretty prophetic given that many people (including me ) often forget this part of life. It’s not uncommon to sit back and moan when things don’t go as planned, expected or hoped for. Sitting on the couch never got anyone anywhere, except maybe to sleep when their bed partner is snoring. We can sit there for eternity saying “when one door closes, another will open”, or some variation on that theme. But in the long run, we’re still left just sitting there. Or, we sit and plan what we have to do, step by step, downloading new project management apps and researching online all we need to know. But, we’re still sitting on the couch. We’re immobilized by so many things when what we need to be doing is taking action. “But I’m getting prepared to take action” you might say as you put your feet up on the coffee table. Or. “How am I supposed to know what action to take if I don’t plan?” Here’s the answer – take the very next small step you have to take. Stand up from the couch – be careful or all the potato chip fragments will spill onto the floor. Once you’ve stood up (and cleaned up your mess), move to that door, the one right in front of you) and put your hand on it. That’s right! Now turn the knob. If your house (your life) is like mine, you have no idea what might come tumbling out. However I would bet that your continued next step is stating you right in the face. We just need to be open to what the universe thinks is right, even if we don’t think so!

Daily Gratitude: This idea or way of life seems to be lost today. Can you resurrect it in your life? Is it worth it to you? Are you willing to be “different” than all those around you? Do you think changing your behavior might be recognized by these others …. And perhaps after awhile they might seek to emulate that behavior? It’s certainly worth asking yourself these questions. Which is easier for you – to feel hateful and spiteful? Or, to feel love and attempt to understand someone? How can you start changing the way you feel about something or someone? You have to start small though. No one expects you to automatically love the opposite political party today? That’s unreasonable and a setup to fail. When you begin a weight lifting program, you don’t start out with 500 pound weights. You work your way up, giving your muscles a chance to grow then rest then grow again. Same with making this change. Start with some THING, not someone. Ask yourself how you feel about it right now? Then examine what the basis for that opinion is and remember that it’s just your opinion – it’s not the gospel truth. Remember that nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so (thank you Willie – Shakespeare). Now, how do you want to think of this thing? What can you do to make that happen? You have to do the work but I bet you’ll be ecstatic when you find that your attitude towards this one thing has changed. Appreciate the joy and the effort you made to get to that point. Then pick something else and keep working. You can do it!!

Never Forget

Daily Gratitude: There’s 2 parts to this message and it’s important to distinguish them. The first is that no one can take your memories away (it’s too bad that a disease can). It is your responsibility, though, to make the best possible use of those memories. Many people let the past keep them prisoner by replaying things that didn’t go as planned or things they consider “failures”. They never seem to try to figure out what those memories or events might have been trying to teach them. For there is a lesson in each “failure” or “bad” experience we have. We should look at many of those things we dwell on as potentially good, but we don’t. We can change and shape our memories. Memory is usually invalid anyway. Ever sit around reminiscing with family and have an argument about what really did happen at “that” Christmas dinner? Part 2 of this message is just as it says. Each day is a new beginning as is each minute. You can make a new beginning at any time but stopping and walking away for 10-30 minutes. Tell yourself you’re going to start over when you come back to it. Ask yourself what you can do differently to make yourself a bit happier with the situation. Not to make it perfect but to make yourself “a bit” happier. That is not much but it’s something you can do. Why? Because this is how you begin to raise your vibration and that’s what will ultimately affect your happiness. You can inch your way up to that happiness step by step but once again, it will have to be in small steps. Try it.