Category Archives: gratitude

How Far I’ve Come

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Well, I’m on my way! I’m operating on about four hours’ sleep, but that’s part of the adventure! The 5:50 a.m. flight departing from Prescott Regional Airport went without a hitch. It was nice to be at a small airport again, reminiscent of the days when my private pilot friend and I would fly from Islip, Long Island, NY to have dinner in Nantucket, RI; venture down to the Bahamas and explore cays that were not accessible to visitors flying commercially; and a host of other adventures (or mishaps as the case may be). Here I now sit in Denver International Airport waiting for the next puddle jumper—well, not really—flight to my final destination, Grand Junction. There awaits a week of fun and connection with my dearest friend, Esther, and her wife. We plan to go tube kayaking on the Colorado River; meet with their numerous friends; attend a CSL Sunday service; play Mexican Train; celebrate my birthday; and, most unexpectedly, go house hunting! … which leads me to the main topic of today’s blog post: gratitude. Gratitude for how far I’ve come. After getting a little rest on my flight from Prescott to Denver, it started registering with me … Continue reading →

Believing that God Exists

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Once you accept the existence of God—however you define Him, however you explain your relationship to Him—then you are caught forever with His presence in the center of all things. – Morris West “Having our Higher Power as an integral part of how we experience all the hours of a day (whether they hold burdens or blessings) heightens our awareness of the fullness of our life. Believing that God exists for us and in us profoundly changes how we see every aspect of our day. “A number of us didn’t believe in God when we joined a Twelve Step program. Or if we did, many of us believed in a demanding or punishing God who had no relevance to our daily life. What a difference it makes to let a loving God take charge of our thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and plans for the future.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 16 *As We Understand God I was one of those individuals that didn’t believe in God when I joined a Twelve Step program. I was a devout atheist, and even though I’d suffered with an eating disorder my entire life, it took me five years … Continue reading →

There is Some Benefit in Everything

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There is nothing the body suffers the soul may not profit by. – George Meredith “Adversity comes in many forms, and it is sure to come to everyone. This might seem unfair to those of us who are recovering and trying to live by our faith. But it helps us to know there is some benefit in everything we experience. “God’s help is always available to us… God always shows us the way out of adversity and makes it an occasion for growth—if we are willing to listen to God.” Adversity that comes my way can be an opportunity to learn. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 15 *As We Understand God Along the lines of the aforementioned excerpt from this morning’s reading, I have come to believe that there is a blessing in everything. Now, I know that that’s a broad statement and some might object, thinking how can that apply to adverse situations such as the pandemic, for instance. During the pandemic, for a large portion of the population, being forced to stay home provided the opportunity for people to slow down, spend more time with their family, try out new pastimes, acquire … Continue reading →

God’s Invitations to Grow

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“When we withdraw our opinions as to who people should be, we loosen our grasp and give ourselves the opportunity to know people for who they are. We are then free to truly know ourselves and share what we learn with others. “Holding on tightly to the past—the known—can shut us off from God’s invitations to grow. Our openness to the unfamiliar, whether ideas or people or new opportunities, will enrich us immeasurably.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 14 *As We Understand God There is no question that being with other people expands my horizons, and even more so when I let them be who they really are. I am only responsible for myself, as is every other individual. Setting them free, sets me free as well. I have an upcoming trip in a few days and I am most excited about it. It’s my first vacation in four years; I’ll be flying from the local regional airport for the first time; I’ll be visiting my dearest friend who relocated to Colorado; we’ll be going tube kayaking on the Colorado River; I’ll be meeting her new friends of her spiritual community; and, the list … Continue reading →

Constructive Criticism

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It takes a rare person to want to hear what he doesn’t want to hear. – Dick Cavett “Accepting criticism is difficult for most of us. “We not only cheat ourselves out of the serenity that comes when we accept our fallibility, we also miss the opportunity to learn from others when they offer helpful criticism.” I will not turn from my critics today and will try to evaluate their words objectively. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 3 *As We Understand God I have to say that I’m not one to mind constructive criticism from others. I seek to improve myself, in order to improve my life, and also so that I can be of better service to Spirit and others. I pride myself in being objective and as long as the person dispensing the criticism is coming from a loving space and is accurate in their assessment, I think I’m amenable to hearing their words. Unlike many others, I also like change. So perhaps I am open and receptive to constructive criticism because it contributes to change. After all, growth is change, and that is what can proceed from constructive criticism. I’m sure … Continue reading →

So Much Has Been Given Me

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One of this morning’s readings was focused on gratitude. It included the following quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart. So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” – Helen Keller Helen Keller was an American author and educator who was blind and deaf. Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities. Now, I’d heard the first statement, but I’d never heard the second one, “So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” It is quite humbling for me to hear those words from a person who had such a challenging life after becoming blind and deaf at 19 months of age due to an illness (possibly scarlet fever) and was left with only the sense of touch as a means to communicate with others. With the tremendous help and dedication of her remarkable teacher Anne Sullivan, she graduated from Radcliffe College, the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She led a rich … Continue reading →

Enthusiasm and Gratitude

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“Enthusiasm doesn’t just happen to us. It’s an attitude that is either fostered or hindered by our decisions about what we’ll bring to our experiences… “Gratitude… heightens our enthusiasm for living. “The power to enjoy life fully, to bring enthusiasm to whatever we do, is within our grasp. In fact, it’s within our own mind.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” May 27 *As We Understand God I admit that I find it a challenge to tap into enthusiasm from within, that at times I need outside circumstances and people to help me along. This week has been filled with enthusiasm and gratitude. My enthusiasm has been fueled by the circumstances I entered into by making the decision that I needed and deserved a more fulfilling job; seriously searching for a new role; putting the time and effort into a lengthy, rigorous interview process at a higher education institution; accepting the job offer; and, starting my new role this past week. And, my decision and actions have yielded me the experience of a role and a work culture that feeds both my intellect and my spirit. I am blessed. I’m not surprised that enthusiasm and gratitude … Continue reading →

Thankful Thursday

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Today being Thursday, I was searching online for some writing ideas about this day of the week; I came across the site Happier Human which had a post about Thankful Thursday by Sarah Kristenson. I’ve not heard of that term before, although of course I realize the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving is always celebrated on a Thursday (fourth Thursday of November). So, it turns out Thankful Thursday is a gratitude practice based on Thanksgiving. Digging deeper, I learned that Thankful Thursday was introduced by Jeremy Watkin at Phone.com as a way to incorporate gratitude into the workplace. Every Thursday, anyone in the company could take a moment to share their gratitude for something at work or outside of work. Jeremy was the pioneer of this special day, and it brought many smiles to the faces of the team. Others have carried on the practice. Giving thanks and expressing gratitude is a profound habit that may create a more optimistic impression and appreciation for life. Much scientific research shows that practicing gratitude on a routine basis can profoundly affect your health, happiness, and success. I think it synchronistic that I learned of the concept Thankful Thursday this particular week. You see, … Continue reading →

I Am Grateful

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“Gratitude is like a healthy plant. It grows and grows and grows! “My life is full of things to be grateful for!” – “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe, May 23 I thought I’d write this evening’s gratitude list as a blog post instead of my usual practice of writing in my gratitude journal. I Iist 10 things, people, or circumstances for which I am grateful. Below they are listed in no particular order: I am a grateful for 7½ hours’ sleep last night, helping to prepare me better for my first day at the new job. I am grateful for my morning sabbath. I am grateful for the onboarding schedule created for me at my new employer. I am grateful for the meet and greets and helpfulness of my new colleagues. I am grateful for the interesting tools and software I will be learning and using, stretching myself. I am grateful I took a 30-minute walk after work. I am grateful I cooked a healthy, hot dinner meal. I am grateful for a new friend I met online whose message to me was hanging out for four years!! I am grateful for … Continue reading →

Freedom and Joy

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Two of today’s readings were about freedom and joy, so I contemplated on where they were showing up in my life. “There is a Power operating through me; a Presence, inspiring, guiding, and sustaining me. Upon this Power, I place my reliance. “I know the Creative Law of Good is infinite and has all power to accomplish. I know Its whole desire for me is freedom and joy. Therefore, I declare that this freedom and joy are mine today… I know freedom and joy cannot be separated from me…” – “365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes,” May 22 Last week I resigned from my job in the financial technical services field and tomorrow I start my new one in higher education. When not a sole entrepreneur, most of my career has been in the financial services field as a technical writer, analyst, and trainer. However, I did work in academia, but it was as an adjunct instructor in the field of computer science and information technology. Tomorrow I get to start working in a position melding it all: working in academia as a technical writing consultant and trainer on a financial transformation project. I … Continue reading →