Blogging Your Blessings

Write Letters and Send Postcards The things that make me the happiest have an emotional and physical effect.  And even more so when you do something for someone else.  One of the most lasting of these things is a personal letter. Being born in the transitional time between letters and computers, many people in my generation have already shunned snail mail as a way to communicate. This makes them rare, but a very inexpensive surprise. My grandmother was one of seven children, and they communicated with a round-robin letter. From mailbox to mailbox, they would add an update on their life and send it around to the next sibling. She taught me that letters are a valuable form of communication, something she’s emphasized as her memory slowly fades. I got into the habit of writing letters and during the times where I was most stressed, a paper due, a newspaper deadline, or turmoil, I would write a letter. Letters live somewhere between thoughts and stories. They are a confid...

Sponsor a Low-Income Family via www.boxproject.org The Box Project joins struggling families in depressed regions of rural America with individuals or groups. The idea is not just to provide financial support (volunteers send about $50 worth of food, clothing and medical supplies monthly), but emotional support as well; most participants develop long-term relationships over many years, cemented through letters. In addition, the organization encourages volunteers to learn about where the family they help lives, so they can impact public services and local policy. I know this is helping a lot of people in my home state of West Virginia where hard times remain.

I witnessed my mother tithe at church when I was a child and noted she did so with pride. I was also not unaware that she “did without” and did not get herself new purses or clothes or anything so she could take care of my sisters and me and be able to give her little bit of extra pocket money to the church. I learned about self-sacrifice and also about living from your values in this way. Experiment with tithing. There is a universal law of tenfold return. This means that when you give freely, your return is tenfold. You don’t give to get the return; you give freely, and what you give flows back to you tenfold. Particularly in terms of money, many of us think the law of attraction doesn’t apply. It does. Money is simply energy, and when you allow the energy of abundance to flow through you, then money and other resources continue to flow to you. When you stop the flow of abundance out of fear, anxiety, and worry, the flow of money stops. During the next six months, experiment. Whe...

Give Away Your Old Stuff  We all have  too much stuff .  Do a favor for people in need and give away some of the things you no longer need or use or wear.  Others would be happy to have it and it will help you simplify your life and enjoy your time more.  Find a few locations that you can drop off your stuff or call an organization that collects your goods to redistribute to those in need. There are Goodwill’s or Salvation Amy centers in every town, large or small so you can donate there to help others and quickly.

Think Happy to Be Happy We all need reminders now and then.  You don’t leap out of bed every day knowing you are amazing and about to have an incredible day.  All of us have a lot of demands, pressures, to-do’s and responsibilities so we find ourselves rushing around, working hard to please others.  Most of the time, you find yourself at the back of your own bus, having made everyone else happy but your own damn self.   Then you go and beat yourself up about it.  Let’s stop that, shall we? 

Be accepting. No matter a person’s race, age, culture, or sexual orientation, accept everyone for who they are. Embrace the beauty of humanity and how different everyone is. By opening your eyes and mind to the possibility of love and friendship, new people will flow into your life and change your perspective in miraculous ways.

Are you software-savvy? Sign up to teach older adults computer and technology skills through SeniorNet (seniornet.org).   Helping our elderly with tech skills is so rewarding. I have seen grandmothers go from never having email before to loving the world-wide-web and brining a lot of wisdom to the world

Put down your smart phone and make eye contact. Person to person.  Nowadays, I consider that a major acts of kindness and courtesy.

  Upon learning about the Veteran’s History Project, I was reminded that our service men and women are doing just that, SERVICE. And they should be thanked for it. Many of these noble souls are very far away and receive little mail to their camp or barrack. Take a few moments to acknowledge their contribution and offer a friendly hello from back home in the USA. You can learn all about Operation Write Home at operationwritehome.gov.   I have heard of great pen pal relationships come out of this gesture of gratitude, too.

The Hebrew word mitzvah means a good deed or an act of kindness. Judaism teaches that the world is built on kindness. I recall what my Bobbie, a dear friend in Salt Lake City who was my son’s first caregiver, used to tell me about the importance of doing mitzvahs. She believes in the power of doing something good for another person but not telling them about it. She is a perfect example of someone who practices random acts of kindness, and also one who sees and acknowledges the beauty in everyone she meets. I always feel better just by being in her presence. Entire campaigns focused on practicing random acts of kindness have sprouted up. This, along with “having an attitude of gratitude,” enriches my days in many ways. There are myriad ways you can practice random acts of kindness. 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...

I have seen this excellent exercise put into practice at work, family reunions, and dinner parties. It never fails to bring a group of people closer, and it brings out the best in anyone. It is especially effective among a group of fractious folk, and it calms roiling waters easily. Time your moment well; never at the beginning of a get-together. Whenever there is a lull would be best. Call everyone to attention and say you want to acknowledge your appreciation for the group. Do so with simple statements. Examples: “What I appreciate about Rich is his humility; he is brilliant but never showy.” “What I appreciate about Nancy is her kindness and generosity. She helped me out when I was in a bad way. I will always be grateful to her for that.” Offer a positive appreciation for each person and encourage others to do the same. Talk about a “turnaround”—this can turn stormy skies blue in five minutes flat.

Forego using technological devices today. Texting your friend, watching your favorite show, checking your email—all can wait until tomorrow! Turn off your devices and turn on your senses! Read a book, cook a meal, and enjoy the outdoors by taking a walk or tending to your garden. Technology distracts us from the real world, occupying our attention with game applications, chat rooms, social media website, commercials, and so on. Want to know what’s going on in the news? Read a newspaper. Be aware of the here and now by finding activities that don’t require electricity or a battery. Just turn off the tv, unplug and recharge.

Choose to Be Happy This is your life, only you can truly control your choices, and choosing thankfulness and happiness is the best way to achieve being a good to yourself as well as the world. Here are some suggestions for how you can ensure simple joy in your life: ·   Be the best you can be by your own standards ·   Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make you feel good ·   Focus on what you have, not what you lack ·   Optimism trumps pessimism every time! ·   Smile often and genuinely ·   Be honest, to yourself and to others ·   Help others ·   Embrace your past, live in the present, and look forward for what is yet to come

"In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitud"e.— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude.— Dietrich Bonhoeffer The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.—Henry Ward Beecher Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present—C.S. Lewis

      Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parents of all the others -Marcus Tullius Cicero Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  -William Arthur Ward   Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turn denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. -Melody Beattie

Give thanks For what had been given to you, However little. Be pure, never falter.—Buddha

"I didn't expect to recover from my second operation but since I did, I consider that I'm living on borrowed time. Every day that dawns is a gift to me and I take it in that way. I accept it gratefully without looking beyond it. I completely forget my physical suffering and all the unpleasantness of my present condition and I think only of the joy of seeing the sun rise once more and of being able to work a little bit, even under difficult conditions."—Henri Matisse

I arise this day  with love in my heart  through the warmth of the sun,  the radiance of the moon,  freedom of the wind, joy of rushing water,  splendor of fire,  stability of earth,  serenity of stars,  and the wisdom of silence. I embrace this day  through the grace of life to guide me  and the promise of love to inspire me.  —Irish Prayer

Gratitude, in itself, is heaven.—William Blake Ingratitude is the most abominable of sins…For it is a forgetting of the graces, benefits, and blessings received – St Ignatius Loyola Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder, and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.                         —Thomas Merton The poor man shuddered, overflowed with an angelic joy; he declared in his transport that this would last through life; he said to himself that he really had not suffered enough to deserve such radiant happiness, and he thanked God, in the depths of his soul, for having permitted that he, a miserable man, should be so loved.—Victor Hugo The smallest act of kindness is w...