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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Gratitude

“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”
― Marianne Williamson

Morning over the canal, I love how the sun's rays shine through the clouds.

Hello friends,
I find myself in a situation where the past three weeks have produced much strife, many challenges, and just an all around hard time. I find myself searching for relief around every corner because every avenue in life I turn seems to take me down a dark road of pain, and discouragement. The challenges I face mentally are mounting and I find my memory, focus & cognitive impairments to be yet my greatest adversary. I have fought the pain for years now but the deteriorating health of my mind & mental status is something I feel I'm not yet armed to deal with. As I continue daily to raise up my prayers to the Lord, I look for answers to help me fight this illness head on. I ask that my ears be open to hear His voice, my eyes to see His ways, & my heart be soft enough to take in His word. The writings below were taken from an article I recently read. I find it is more for myself to learn from, but wanted to share with you so you to can benefit from it's excellent points on gratitude. The opening quote from Marianne Williamson seemed fitting for it as well! I hope you find the following inspiring! I hope you'll join me on my Facebook page and continue to follow my journey & cheer me and others living with chronic illness on. https://www.facebook.com/TheShellLadyofLovingCoastalLiving

Warmest Beach Blessings,
The Shell Lady
~ Lynnette

Your life at present is marked with achievement and success because of the people who helped you get to where you are today.  There are people who could only dream to have the talent, the time, the money, the opportunity you have right now. Think about that. Ponder that. Appreciate that. Let that sink in. Big life moments would never happen without the little steps that have been taken to get there. Notice them.  A grateful heart sees the value in every single human being.  Recognize and appreciate that every person has potential to teach you  something new and help you become a better person. See every single day as an opportunity to take charge of what you can take charge of, and then purposefully, diligently and intentionally make beautiful use of it.  You can’t do life on your own. We like to think we can – like we’re tough and impenetrable and that life won’t drag us down.  In order to have quality friends in your time of need, you need to be a quality friend in their time of need. Important investments take time.  People who approach life with a sense of gratitude and calm are those who make the time to pause. They create quality pockets of time in which they can kick back and relax. It becomes their safe place where they can recharge, rejuvenate and refresh before heading back into the rat race called 'life'. DON’T IGNORE REST!  Imperfections can be our greatest teachers if we see them as the catalyst for personal growth and change.  We allow ourselves to believe it’s not good to cry. It’s not good to feel pain. It’s not good to feel sad, or be down, or experience setback, or go through heartbreak. But true happiness and inner contentment happens when your heart is grateful for everything your life experiences – the good, the bad, the hard, the easy, the defeats and the victories. The gratitude you express – or choose to not express – spills over into everything you do and everyone you meet. It’s refreshing to be around people who appreciate what they have, love who they are and embrace where they’re going.  Embrace the here and now, seeing every day as an opportunity to become a better version of yourself and enjoy the journey in the meantime.  Focusing on your faults will not change one single thing about yourself or your situation. Focus on what you do have and what you are. Have a continual inner display of happiness regardless of life’s uncontrollable circumstances by practicing gratitude on a daily basis.

This article was derived from:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-things-grateful-people-dont.html?mid=20140916&ref=mail&uid=148070