14 Comments

Bill, One of your best and your most important posts. In my experience, people who practice gratefulness daily are more resilient, thoughtful, empathetic and have more impact. Gratefulness is an important aspect of self awareness. I’ll tell you that the evidence of your own self awareness is the time, energy and passion that you put into your OMT crusade. People as experienced and accomplished as yourself don’t have to do this very difficult work........unless they care and are selfless. You certainly do and are. Grateful for you and your work.

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Thanks Jeff. I reposted this from Janice because I like it and it lined up so well with my own post for today. When several people sent me condolences about losing my spouse, I realized that I had not made that clear. I appreciate your very generous comments.

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Right on, Janice. Nothing happens TO me, everything happens FOR me, and my spiritual growth and development. When I remember that, it’s all grist for the mill ❤️😊

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Carol, That is a great way to think about it. Everything happens for me and my spiritual growth.

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Great Janice. Looks like our topics were aligned today.

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Love this post Janice especially the ‘go looking for it’ bit. Really good advice all the way through. Thanks. 🌞

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Beautiful, Janice. What we focus on expands! Definitely. I find my self being grateful for the hot water that miraculously flows out of the shower head! The toilet that flushes every time! The instant heat under my coffee pot! So so many things we take for granted that other people lack. Thanks for this reminder to us.

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I truly believe that what we focuses on expands.

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I wonder if we even think to be grateful when we're young and everything's coming at us at hurricane speed? (Or so it seems.) I remember my grandmother talking about being grateful as we sat on her worn leather sofa looking around a threadbare room in a house that needed painting 20 years before. She lived alone unless one of us was there to keep her company, and since we were only summer visitors, she spent many long cold days by herself in Upper Michigan, where snows keep breaking their own records.

I remember thinking she was a bit naive, but what she was was wise. She had lived a tougher life than any of us could imagine, but she'd decided at some point that feeling sorry for herself was a useless way to spend the rest of her life.

I think now some of that might have rubbed off on me. I cry when I need to, mourn when I need to, and live when I need to.

It's a system that seems workable and I'm grateful for any lessons that might had led me here.

Love this, Janice, so much!

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Hi Ramona,I'm a little late here, I thought I was getting notifications when there were comment I missed. I smiled when I read your grandmother story, because it brought back so many memories. We visited my grandmother every Sunday after church. She lived alone int a six bedroom house for years but never seemed to complain. She listened to her baseball games - the Detroit Tigers, baked cookies for her grandchildren and seemed super content.

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I am forwarding this to a friend - a very fortunate friend - who recently has had a challenge, is having a challenge.

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Oh this is a wonderful, timely post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts - and, the gratitude prompts. I’ll be using those in my journal :)

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So insightful life truly has its suffering. But we continue to learn, grow, and heal and develop our compassion. You certainly have a lot of that. I am so sorry your your loss. So thankful to have come across your helpful information.

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Hi Laura, Thank you so much.

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