Attitudes Truly are Contagious, so ask yourself one Question. Is mine worth catching?

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"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the world worthwhile."
Carrying sad and painful memories of the past is what creates pain body. Living in the NOW is not easy, but it is so worthwhile. Carrying grudges, sad memories of the past, and trauma; keep one from living in the PRESENT. Clear your mind everyday of these thoughts and live LOVING the PRESENT. Living the present is what we are meant to do. God tells us to live in the image of him, and that includes our thoughts. It is just as sinful to hang on to past angry thoughts, as it is to covet our neighbors goods. Letting go of the things we left behind and taking only the lessons we have learned from them, releases us from pain body.

Going to the gym everyday, eating healthy, and losing weight will not do as much for us as letting go of the the things that make us victims in our own lives. Hanging on to the past makes us victims in the present, letting go of the past makes us healthy and happy in TODAY. Choose the PRESENT and be in optimal health, so when success comes to us we are ready for it!

"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it~"
Somerset Maugham

The Barbarian and Radical Way

Image by Mina Uk via FlickrIf we could see things from God's perspective we would choose them, but we can't; so we must depend on our faith, and knowledge of his word to choose his way. If radical obedience was "easy " we would all do it. We are obedient to many others, (teachers, parents, bosses) Why not God? We should all be "running" to the path of God's demands, yet, because he gave us "free will," we don't always choose his way. We don't choose his way because everything he asks us to do "we think of as hard," change your mind and decide to choose his way and life may not be easier but it will be better.
"The most spiritual activity you will engage in today is to choose. We think we want the freedom to choose rather than making the choices that bring freedom." Erwin McManus.
Think about the choices you make everyday, a teen may choose to engage in sex, but that choice may bring an unwanted pregnancy, a driver may choose to drink, but that may bring the death of him/her or another. Make choices today that bring freedom. "The real power of life not the freedom to choose, but making the choices that GIVE YOU FREEDOM" Erwin McManus, Author of "The Barbarian Way."
"How you set your mind determines what's going to happen in your day. What's going to happen in your finances, or in your relationships." Based on 1 Peter 4:12.
Joyce Meyer, Author of "Power Thoughts", and "Go Radical."

What mind set will you start your day with?

UNIVERSE, HEAR ME ROAR! IAM OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!

Image by tapperboy via Flickr

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When I originally created "Our Gratitude" as a business, it was with lofty and ambitious drive.  None of that has changed, but I am still waiting to hear what the Universe (source) is telling me to do with it.  I have never stopped trying, although I have shifted gears many times, but I never lost sight of my original three goals, one of which is about to come to fruition.
1.  Complete a cookbook with my family called "Traveling Recipes," in memory of two family members that died in the same week in June 2007.
2.  Create a blueprint for a day program for "high functioning" adults on disability, because when my depression manifested as Agoraphobia, there were no programs available to help me.  I have a wonderful counselor, so believe me when I tell you, if there was one, Debbie would have found it for me!
3.  To have a car that makes me happy and gives me FREEDOM to access the outside world, that I have missed so dearly.

Well, the cookbook is almost completed, and I am only waiting on a few photographers to allow us permission to use their photos, and for The American Cancer and Heart Organizations to repsond with their information to recieve the donations.  All proceeds from this book have always intended to be for them, and will always be for them, even as I create new books, a percentage of all those proceeds will also be donated to them.

But back to the Universe.  The journey I took writing and compiling "Traveling Recipes," is in itself a bit of a miracle, and I express gratitude for it everyday, but here is my dilemma...FEAR OF SUCCESS!  As many fears as I have overcome in the last 5 years of my life, battling this disease, none has been more difficult to overcome as the "fear of success."  How do I know this, you ask? (Well, in my story you do), Because I can still feel the fluttering of anxiety, the closer I get to the completion, (the part where the world judges you based on their perception of what you have accomplished.)  I know "it is not my business what others think of me," ("A New Earth:  Awakening to You Life's Purpose," Eckhart Tolle) because my closest friends and I have adopted that principle, and it has driven us to lofty heights of self confidence; but the anxiety remains.  Although, today as I am putting off taking an exam for a class, and fiddling around with the things I do on the internet, ( you know, the business thing) I realize that I should have that anxiety, I should be afraid, I should wonder why I am nervous...because that is where success takes you...OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.  I am not only "out of my comfort zone,"  I am "out of my mind."  Funny, huh? Out of my mind is exactly where I am supposed to be...again.  "Out of my mind," no longer trapped in the hollow corridors of my mind, afraid to face the world as who I truly am. 

So, the Universe has answered my roar, afterall, and has told me to step outside and ROOAARRR...as loud as I can, "I am exactly who I am supposed to be, I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and I am so truly, completely, and utterly, grateful to be here.  Not to be ungrateful though, but... where is my car?

Please watch for "Traveling Recipes," as it is scheduled to be release in October of 2009.
When you purchase your copy, be sure to try out the recipes, make them your own way, and send them to me with a story about yourslef, so you can be in the next of the series, "Traveling with, Traveling Recipes."

PRESENCE

Cover of The Science of Getting Rich

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I have been taking time to allow the practice of PRESENCE to settle within me, and come about when I can. It is so amazing, restful, peaceful, and almost magical how it makes me feel.
I am sharing my reading time now,with "The Power of Now," and "The Science of Getting Rich." The merge of the two books is filling me with such powerful and believable thoughts, it has gotten me back to complete my book project, which I hope will be done before June 26, 2009, which is the Anniversary of the deaths of my two family members; the book is to honor.
The books have given me an entirely new approach to the content and it is coming rather quickly,I am totally enjoying this process. I love my life at this very moment. How is yours? Get your hands on these two books and see how everything around you begins to change, when you begin to change.
I hope you will come back and let me know.

PEACEFUL COMPANY MY FAVORITE PLACE

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A few months ago my daughter brought home these amazing sponges that hse ordered for the health club she manages, they were from Peaceful Company.
The sponges are called TWIST European Sponge Cloth #20. I have been using the same sponge for more than 3 months now and I have given some to my friends also. Imagine having a sponge that never smells, stays clean (because you put it in your dishwasher)and it replaces at least 17 rolls of paper towels. If you don't believe me try them out for yourself, then write me a scathing email and I will post it on my website in big letters. I went to the Peaceful website to purchase some new ones and I found this amazing little tool that we can all use.
Every grocery store now sells their own shopping bag, and although I try, every time to remember them, I never seem to, and I end up using plastic or purchasing more eco friendly bags. Well, I found the solution at Peaceful Company, they are called FLIP TUMBLE BAG. It fits directly into your purse when you are done with it, so you always have a shopping bag. It is the perfect solution for when we cannot remember to take those bags with us. We can still help the environment despite our short mind span.
It is a great idea to check out Peaceful Company and Twist Clean for some really environment healthy things we use everyday anyway.

THINGS ARE NEVER WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE!

Image via WikipediaThings are never what you think they will be! I have been anticipating this oral surgery and "worrying" about how bad it would be. Funny thing is, it's done, and it was nothing even close to where I let my mind go before the procedure. The only think I know to be true, is the image I had in my mind, about how I would feel about how I looked. That much is true.

Think back to the last person you saw that had no teeth...yeah, nice thought huh? Well, welcome to my world. I had to have my top teeth removed today and because I live in Massachusetts, I will have to go without my teeth until Mass Health says I can have them. No person should ever have to go without their teeth. Immediate dentures should be a priority for those of us in Massachusetts, and in any state that disallows them as "immediate." My issue now is...when.

Every Senator and Representative in Massachusetts should have to go through this, and I guarantee that if they did....no one would ever go without "immediate dentures" again. It is not degrading enough to be on disability, subjected to the rules of the state but then to humiliate one even more, they disallow "immediate dentures." If you are in a position to aid in making this change, please step up and look at the people that are being subjected to this arrangement.

THERE IS A BLESSING IN EVERY EXPERIENCE!

Image via WikipediaI’m finding it’s amazing what you can fit into a day! A little micro-managing can always come in handy.

When you have spent time in reflection, the discoveries just keep coming. I am amazed at how much you can really misunderstand another’s perception of an issue that you are both experiencing. Everything “without” is an individual’s perception. Nothing, anyone else experiences, will ever be the same for you. It is impossible, no two people share the same mind (brain), so we are actually blessed with “individual thought (perception) at any given time. Two human beings will not see everything the same in similar experiences. I have realized that there is an experience in my life that is very disturbing because it is something that I personally, would never do, and yet I find that I have in some way enabled this behavior and I am disheartened by that thought. I am not responsible for the other person’s decision or perception, but my experience leads me to believe that I so strongly disagree with this issue that I must distance myself from it, knowing that I can never continue to enable this behavior. This is not judgment, because I do believe each of us makes our own decisions based on our own thoughts and they are reinforced by our feelings, so distancing myself is the only way to no longer enable this behavior.

I have said before there is a blessing in every experience and I am so grateful to have my own perception to choose how I decide to feel in my life, in my day, or at any given time.

Our individual experiences, make us who we are, depending on what we choose to take from each experience. I thank God for the wisdom to know the difference.

WHEN YOU SEE WILLIE NELSON TELL HIM, HE IS MY HERO!

Image by Editor B via FlickrWHEN YOU SEE WILLIE NELSON TELL HIM, HE IS MY HERO!

God I am so grateful for the Spring. I just came in from a 40 minute power walk and the whole time I was out there, with Willie playing in my ears, I was thinking, "How do you know me so well, Willie? The simple pleasure of "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain", motivating me to smile at everything and everyone I saw. The pace picks up a little with "If You've Got The Money, I've got The Time", and pure bliss flows through me with "Georgia on My mind", watching this Magnolia ready to bloom. "Blue Skies" made me walk with my head pointed at the sky, talking to the Universe, although "within". Universe, Thank You for this beautiful day, and the power to leave my home, and go out into the world, and enjoy the pure essence of "within."

I guess "My Heroes Have always Been Cowboys," brought me around another bend with anticipation of "On The Road Again," and a respite of "Always On My Mind", played as I watched this little, beautiful, blonde, pony tailed, little imp walk past me with 3 tiny little water balloons, reminding me of the first beautiful day of every Spring when I would go out and buy balloons and let the kids fill them up, as a celebration of the season, and the start of school vacation. By the time my mind moved past this beautiful child, "Always on My Mind" was helping me reminisce about the kids and the balloons. It is knock out, gorgeous days like this, that put pure joy in every one of us, and sharing it with water balloons and the kids was the purest of life.

"City of New Orleans", reminded me of my oldest getting married in New Orleans, and not telling anyone, until they got back, but my son was lucky that Willie, followed up with "Forgivin You Was Easy."

"Living In The PromiseLand", finished up my walk as I circled my neighbors gardens to see what Spring had left on their doorstep this year. A beautiful array of tiny, little, beginnings of perfect miracles that will share their joy with them, through into the Fall again.

THANK YOU WILLIE FOR A PERFECT DAY, AGAIN!

IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE WALK!

Image by Farruska via FlickrIn a conversation today, with a friend, I remembered that I have always said, when people are “thinking or feeling” that others dislike them, or are talking about them or they believe they do not like them, this is what I think “unless you tell me that you do not like me, I will assume that you do.” I have always played that in my mind. I developed it a long time ago when I was trying to find “self-confidence” in myself. I find it funny now that I was actually looking for confidence in myself. If I was believing or thinking that others did not like me or were talking about me, then I was lost in “ego”. Most grow up believing that “ego” is a good thing about a person. Most have always believed that when a person has a good “ego” they have a good sense of themselves, they are confident, but, how do you have a good “ego” when the “ego” is what separates you from God. The “ego” is where you go when you are not “within“.

Being “within” is peace. I have been recovering from Agoraphobia which manifested as panic attacks. Funny, because Agoraphobia is a state of fear, as is anxiety. But “within” there is no “fear”, and there is also no “ego”. The simple fact that I know that is enough to separate myself from the “ego” and remain within. Quieting my mind.

I went out today for a power walk. Looking at me, you would never call it that. But, for me, the effort is great to actually do it. I was trapped in a mental illness for more than 4 years, that kept me confined to my home like a prisoner. I did not need locks on the door to keep me in, my mind was doing that quite well. The simple joy of taking a walk outside, something we all take for granted, was to me, today, the greatest blessing I could receive. When I was done walking I just stood and watched, practicing not labeling my vision. What peace, what joy….and to think, it was just a simple walk.

GOD REALLY HAS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR!

The Law of Attraction tells us "thoughts become things" "You are what you think about"
"Ask, Believe, Receive" and "The Secret" says...there are no coincidences. I believe all of that so tell me what you think of this:

I have 2 favorite products that I love to eat, both are products grown from the ground, potato is one and rice is the other, In the past 2 months I have found a rock in both of my favorite products. I'd like to know what you all think about this. Coincidence?
It could just be that "I am the Queen of the Universe", but in case that is not the answer, maybe someone has some suggestions. You have to agree, it is really remarkable that one single person would get two different products with a rock in each one and the manufacturing process is not the same with them.

What do you think I should do? I contacted the first company and they were really nice about it, and then I let it go. But the other day when it happened again, I have to wonder...how funny is God's sense of humor, because who else could pull off a coincidence like this. I keep looking around for Ashton Kutcher to say "You are punked" but to no avail.

So I am left with this dilemma. Please make a comment and weigh in on this.

THE FIRST DAY !

As a huge fan of affirmations and quotes, I seem to run across two or three everyday and sometimes there are several that actually show me the direction my day will take.

"There is nothing we like to see so much as the gleam of pleasure in a person's
eye when he feels that we have sympathized with him, understood him At these
moments something fine and spiritual passes between two friends. These are the
moments worth living."

Don Marquis
From Oprah’s mission Statement Newsletter 04-03-2008


"Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you."

Cynthia Kersey


Today I am beginning a new project. A project out of love for a friend to reward a woman who has been a nurse her entire adult life. Funny thing, I have never met her, but I know her already. I have her photos in my living room which I am about to through to create a video of her life, as she celebrates her retirement with her family and friends. She has received many awards during her life of service to others, and she should be given the respect and admiration that a life like hers deserves. And I will create and complete this project with that in ">mind.

We each go through our lives, doing what we do, because of who we are. There are some that are rich and powerful because they have been born into money, there are some that use entrepreneurial skills to create a huge empire, there are those that work a physically laboring job everyday, and some that work at home raising children and providing a haven for their families. We all have some manner of purpose in our daily life. I think that people that dedicate their lives to the service of others, deserve accolade upon accolade when that job is done. This woman truly deserves that and I will try my best to put that into this project, so she knows how thankful the world is for people like her.

Putting gratitude into a project first, is assurance that the task will be completed, and the ways will be shown to do them. As I shuffle through this woman’s life through her picture and memorabilia a way will be shown.

There is no task impossible, there is a path through any door, it just always starts with gratitude and baby steps. Fear of trying will be just that….FEAR. Fear does not exist when you create from within. Quiet your mind and the ways will approach. Open your mind and you will hear the directions.

Please remember that this is Autism Awareness Month and there is a project going to awaken the world to the need for services and recognition for this topic. Join these incredible moms and others, to hit this ball out of the park. (No, I am not a fan of baseball, I just do not always know where these words come from, I am just the vessel that are delivered in.)

Make a choice to watch it, read it or live it…but at least try it, and remember this:
THE SECRET

Thoughts do become things.
There are no coincidences.
Miracles are all around us.
Ask, Believe and you will receive.
It all begins with baby steps.