Blogging Your Blessings

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.— Henry David Thoreau We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven.—Abraham Lincoln The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.—William Blake When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself. – Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief If you cannot be grateful for what you have received, then be thankful for what you have been spared. – Yiddish Proverb  Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you. – Lao-Tzu Whatever I am offered in devotion with a pure heart — a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water — I accept with joy. – Bhagavad Gita  He that is hard to please may get nothing in the end. – Aesop

“To Be of Use,” Marge Piercy’s marvelous poem, suggests something of the human condition—that we all long to be useful, to help, to work together toward a common goal. This is surely the best part of the human spirit. Meditate upon this: What is my true purpose? What am I here to do in this life? I recommend that you contemplate this question deeply and for a very long time—days, weeks, months, and years even. Let the answer speak through your service to others.

Religion is grace and ethics is gratitude.—Thomas Erskine Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.                         —John Milton Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.            — Fred De Witt Van Amburgh Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.                         —Francois de la Rochefoucald You may believe anything that is good of a grateful man.—Thomas Fuller

The Hebrew word mitzvah means a good deed or an act of kindness. Judaism teaches that the world is built on kindness.  There are myriad ways you can practice random acts of kindness. Ane don’t forget to include yourself when you are doing them! • Pick up trash you see on the street and make the world a better place.  • Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line. • Buy a cookie for a coworker and leave it on their desk.  • Hold the door open for someone. • Smile at a stranger. • Send a thank-you note through the mail.

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.—Ernest Hemingway A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things.—Plato Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing… a grateful heart!           —George Herbert They are not poor that have little, but they that desire much. The richest man, whatever his lot, is the one who ’ s content with his lot.—Dutch Proverb  If you can ’ t reward then you should thank.—Arabic Proverb You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.—Buddha

As the wise sage Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Laughter and good humor are infectious. Sharing a funny story or memory with others helps to bind people together, increasing happiness and intimacy between friends, acquaintances, and loved ones. According to www.helpguide.org, laughter triggers happiness and can strengthen the immune system, boost energy, relieve physical and emotional pain, and battle the effects of stress. The more you laugh, the less you need to see the doctor. Today is a great day, let yourself enjoy it.