It has been one heck of year and we have all been through a lot. But we have so much to be grateful for. I’m grateful for my family and friends and all of you! Thank you for your love and support, it is so greatly appreciated!
I wish you a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
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Everyone can use a little cheering up, especially these days. So I’m sharing with you a few thoughtful ways to brighten someone’s day. Again, these are just ideas to help get your creative minds going:
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” LaoTzu
How are can you brighten someone’s day?
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Here’s another idea, give your loved one a morning greeting with their coffee!
Researchers have found that smiling, evokes a feeling of happiness and has many positive effects on our overall wellbeing. On my morning walks I’ve encountered many people on the road especially these days. But to my surprise, a lot of them were, well, grump misers. I would smile and give them a nice “Good Morning” a few would respond but a lot would just grunt and keep going.
My parents always told me stories of how I was the happiest baby, always laughing and smiling and I still am. Truth be told, it just makes you feel good. Sure, life isn’t perfect and things go wrong for all of us, but it comes down to what are you going to do with that curve ball life just threw your way. Are you going to be miserable or are you going to make the best of it and find something to smile about. Personally I prefer to find that silver lining in the cloud.
With all these morning grump misers, I thought I can’t let them be this unhappy, because happiness and positive energy is contagious. So I upped my game. I started giving everyone a big smile with a resounding “Good Morning!” And if that didn’t work, the next time I’d add in a twinkling little wave along with my big smile and greeting. I was determined to share the happy!
Funny thing started to happen, even the grumpiest people would get happy when they saw me coming their way. The happiness and positive energy has been so contagious, that they are now, seeking me out for that “Good Morning” smile and it’s just really nice to know that your smile and positive energy has the power to brighten someone else’s day.
We have unusual circumstances these days where many of us are in environments where we have to wear masks a lot but you can still see a smile in a person’s eyes and you feel the positive energy radiating from them. So don’t use that as an excuse not to smile and share the happy. Imagine how different the world could be if more people would share a smile and positive energy.
Who did you share your smile with today?
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh
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I read an interesting article written by Chip Gaines in the Summer 2020 issue of Magnolia Journal. In the article he posed a good question: “If fear wasn’t a part of the equation, how would your life look different?”
It really got me thinking. Fear always plays a pretty big role in all of our lives everyday. We don’t move forward with projects out of fear of failure. We hold back on meeting new people because we’re afraid of being rejected. We don’t sing, create art or dance to our hearts content because we’re afraid of being ridiculed or laughed at.
But ultimately, we end up hurting ourselves. We lose out on life, by sitting on the sidelines allowing fear to grip us tight and hold us back. I’m not saying that fear is bad, it’s also a good thing because fear keeps us safe. But often times we let it get out of control when it isn’t necessarily needed. We need fear but we also need to keep it in check. We need to be sensible but when it comes to living our lives and being in the present moment or sitting it out on the bench, please choose to enjoy life! It is so much more fulfilling and it’s one of the reasons we’re here. So live your life to the fullest everyday!
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” ~ Lewis Carroll
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I am a collector of quotes. They inspire and motivate you and touch your heart and soul. These are a few of my favorites from “Inspirational Quotes illustrated” by Lesley Riley.
This book quickly became one of my favorites. Lesley did a magnificent job collecting 130 quotes and paired them with beautiful illustrations by various artists. The pages in the book are perforated so you can easily tear them out and frame them if you like.
“We are not human beings have a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” ~Helen Keller
“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as the attitude you bring to life.” ~Khalil Gibrain
“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” ~Emory Austin
“We have a tendency to obscure the forest of simple joys with the trees of problems.” ~Christiane Collange
What is your favorite quote?
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Not sure if you read last week’s Thoughtful Thursday Post but I entered a virtual challenge for the week from Garmin, competing against 9 other runners. The goal was distance. It officially ended on Monday and I walked 33.9 miles and took 1st Place!! That was such a milestone for me. I was never able to do this when I was younger, much less win 1st Place but I was determined. I wanted to throw in the towel a few times but I had to reach down deep and find the courage and perseverance to keep going. Everything in my body was starting to hurt. But I really wanted to win.
I had no intention of walking this much but Jon, who was in 2nd Place was absolutely relentless. Every time I tried to put a little more distance between us he up’d his game and closed the gap. I am very thankful for Jon because he pushed me to do more and more. More than I ever thought I was capable of. Almost 34 miles in 1 week!!! It was unbelievably hard and I’m so glad it’s done because I’m exhausted.
After finishing this race, my confidence in myself definitely went up a few notches. I now know that that I have the drive and ability to tackle what may appear as a monumental task and come out victorious. Even if I don’t know how to go about it, I’m more than capable of figuring it out and that’s a very good feeling.
This wasn’t an official race. There were no trophies, no one cheering you along from the sidelines. It was just me and my Garmin, tracking my miles. But I’m very proud of my virtual win because for me this was so much more than just winning.
What area of your life do you need to boost your confidence in? Take on that monumental task and prove to yourself that you CAN do it!
Our Little Bambino
Last week when I went on my walk, I was saddened to see a squirrel that had been hit by a car. About 3 days later, I went on another walk with my husband. We almost didn’t go that morning because a very bad thunderstorm was moving in.
To our surprise it moved in much faster than expected and we had to cut our walk short and run most of the way to get back home before it started to pour rain. As we came around the corner, we saw something small in the middle of the road and didn’t know what it was at first. But as we got closer we saw it was a baby squirrel which was a few feet away from where the adult squirrel died a few days earlier.
We carried the baby home and put him in a box. He was so small that he could fit in the palm of your hand. The poor little thing was very weak and we knew he needed help fast. So we made a few phone calls and found the Florida Wildlife Center would take him in.
We debated taking care of him ourselves but he was in such bad shape and needed lots of care so we thought he’d have a better chance with them. We drove him across town and dropped him off at the Center. Their policy is to rehabilitate the animal and once they’re ready, release them where they were found which made us happy.
I just received news today that the little guy is doing well. He was malnourished and dehydrated but other than that, he is recovering just fine. From what I read online, orphaned baby squirrels can’t make it in the wild until they’re around 4.5 months old because their survival instincts aren’t developed yet. I’m guessing, this little bambino has a few more months to go before being released so I’ll keep you posted.
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Gratitude
Gratitude is defined in the dictionary as:
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful
Since I was little I always gave thanks for everything that came my way. I even gave thanks when things didn’t go according to plan or when things really went sideways for me. It was in these situations that I assumed there was a lesson to be learned, so I was grateful for that.
A few years ago I read an article where the writer practiced the art of daily gratitude by writing in a journal. I thought this was a really nice idea, so I started my daily journaling practice of gratitude. The idea is to write down 2-3 things everyday that you’re grateful for. It could be something as simple as seeing the sun rise or something more personal and deep, it’s up to you.
You don’t need expensive supplies to start, just a pen and a notebook. I normally practice my gratitude journaling at the end of the day. It helps to ground and center my mind after a long hectic day.
If you want to add a little pizazz to your gratitude journal, you can add art to your pages. It doesn’t have to be anything super detailed, fun doodles work great and it’s just plain fun. It’s a good way to unwind.
Another idea is to start a gratitude jar. Same concept as the journal but instead of writing in a notebook, you cut pieces of paper into 1″ – 2″ squares, write what your grateful for on the paper and drop it into the jar. This is a fun way to involve the whole family, especially the kids. It’s a beautiful practice to do everyday.
What are you grateful for today?
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Flowing Waters Art 