The SW REGION Piet's Family Blog

The List

Do you have anything to be thankful for? In his classic novel Robinson Crusoe, author Daniel Defoe has shipwrecked Crusoe take inventory of his life. He makes two lists. One is a list of his problems. The other is an inventory of that for which he can give thanks.

A problem he writes is that he has no clothing. On his corresponding list he writes that the weather is warm and he really has little need for clothing. Another problem is that all of his provisions were lost at sea. But on the other list he writes that he has fresh fruit and water and can provide for himself. And so it goes. He lists his problems and likewise lists all that he has going for him. He is surprised at the size of the list of his assets.

How long would your list be if you took inventory of your blessings - all of that for which you can give thanks? For family. For friends. For faith. For health and the necessities of life. Did you know that some one million people will die this week...how is your health? Those who have food, clothing and shelter have more than much of our world's population will ever possess. Do you have these necessities of living?

How long would your list be if you took inventory of your blessings...and added one new item daily? Would you be amazed at the size of the list?

You have 1,440 minutes in every day. How would your life be different if you spent just 15 of those minutes daily giving thanks? Just 15 minutes filling your mind with concrete examples of how fortunate you are? Most of us would discover even after a few days that the exercise was life changing!

Poet Courtland Sayers put it this way:

"Five thousand breathless dawns all new;
One million flowers fresh in dew.
Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;
One million snowflakes served ice cold.
Five quiet friends, one baby's love;
One white sea of clouds above.
One June night in a fragrant wood;
One heart that loved and understood.
I wondered when I waked that day -
In God's name - how could I ever pay?"

Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, "If the only prayer you say in your whole life is 'thank you,' that would suffice." I suspect he is right.

It is official!

Our home is for sale...well, home is where the heart is, so let's say our "house"...we will take the laughter in the walls with us .

Last night Jim and I planted the FOR SALE sign in front. What a moment! We have lived here longer than any other place. 8 years...soon to be 9.

Ok--must go! But wanted to share that news! We were just working all day and night yesterday...and getting back to it now Must clear out the garage...we don't have basements here in TX, so they tend to be storage units .

Oh..I updated the link to our ONLINE FAMILY FORUM LINK (right column, down...look for it). I had it printed incorrectly there.

Have a fabulous day! Keep my aunt Patsy in your prayers and my cousin, Andrea. Thanks!

"All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it’s truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy.— Dennis Prager"

LIVE WITH GUSTO!!!

And don't let opportunities slip by ...

"While there's everything to be said for living a life of integrity and goodness, balance and moderation, service and love — here I want to talk about life as CELEBRATION.

Each of us is born equipped for pleasure, for enjoyment. That's basic design, no argument. The news flash, folks, is that sensuality — the art of enjoying the pleasures of the senses — is not only a good thing, it's a VERY good thing. We can embody both correctness and joie de vivre.

As we carry out the duties of the day, we can have fun with sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. There's a whole array of possibilities for living with pleasurable appreciation.

Don't let those opportunities slip by. Regret, I'm here to tell you, is one mangy, ill-tempered dog that's best kept outdoors.

How many of us are able to live fully, enriching our days with satisfying experiences, accumulating warm memories that will keep through the winter of our lives? We all can pull from our pasts those special events once embraced and wonderfully absorbed, then permanently recorded for future delightful replay.

Who has not taken deep pleasure from a sound snooze, a sumptuous meal, an especially memorable interpersonal romp?

For those who believe in an eternal existence, life can be viewed as a dress rehearsal for the hereafter. Are we proving our worthiness by being open to life's pleasures? Are we able to recognize that life is many things, but that it is also succulent? Do we know how to enjoy and have fun? (And for those who believe this is all there is: Get it while you can!)

Anyone can be miserable — there's no talent in that. Anyone can live a dull and unimaginative life.

Whether proactively or by opportunity, our task — should we choose to accept it — is to live with gusto. As we proceed through life, let us do so with playful deliberation, with a twinkle in our eyes and a bounce in our steps.

We need to relish the moments we've been given. Are we up to the challenge?"



~ By Leslie Miklosy, author of Which Is More Round, the World or Your Tummy?: Offbeat Reflections on Serious Living
Originally published on November 11, 2006, in the Saturday Extra's "The Readers Write" column of The Fayetteville Observer.
Sky's the Limit with Inspiration Line
(123Greetings Photo contributed by Diane who lives in New South Wales, Australia)




Don't forget to get Fr Stan's weekly blessing on the link to the right (side column).

Tips for loving life, even when you get stressed!

By Roger King
www.SoulTalkStories.com and www.RogerKing.info

· Be in nature at least once a day, even if it’s seeing a flower on your desk!

· Say "thank you" a lot — even when you cry!

· Sing in the shower or while you drive or walk!

· Live BENEATH your means.

· Choose loving and positive thoughts at every opportunity — you will then attract much more love.

· Be forgiving of others and yourself, especially when you are learning something new.

· Treat people you meet in the way you want to be treated.

· Do your best not to criticize or gossip — it breaks down your spirit.

· Make new friends and nourish old friends.

· Do things in the home without being told or complaining.

· Cease blaming others and take your power back.

· Let people pull in front of you when driving or waiting in a line or queue.

· Find ways that you ENJOY — to get and stay in shape.

· Be willing to laugh and play, children will love you!

· Appreciate finding and playing music or find great music and play it on a good stereo.

· Make sure you put dance time into your weekly routine, even in the kitchen!

· If you have a partner, really listen to them. If no partner just choose to be open to attracting one!

· Avoid any lawsuit if possible; it will help you live a much longer and happier life.

· Bless the day gently when you wake up and when you go to bed.

· Watch and listen to the news only occasionally, people will often tell you bad news.

· Send love to tough situations in the world ... instead of judgements.

· See how good can come out of so-called evil situations.

· Meditate daily by just closing your eyes and sitting comfortably. Then ask: “What is it I need to learn and give?” Be patient the answers will come!

· Tell those who are close to you “I love YOU!”

· When you feel you’re really down in the dumps, buy a lovely bunch of flowers ... and if someone asks, “Are those for me?” ... give them away, and THEN see how you feel!

· Take holidays and then re-live them in your mind and with the people you went with, it is so precious.

· Cook and make meals with love to nourish love.

· Radiate love to yourself in the mirror each day, by saying, “I love and approve of you!” You will then attract and give love to all you meet.

· Remember that the invisible spiritual laws of attraction govern everything. Whatever you choose to think and say creates your moment-to-moment experience!

· Know that when life is tough there is always something to learn and know ... and to give to and receive from your soul.

Listening to a TV talk show as I was cleaning my floors....just had this thought....

The way I see it is that nasty comments or put downs that someone says when speaking to you (or writing to you) only reflect on the person who said it/wrote it, not who they’re aimed at. Just be gracious (the only way to be in life!) & say a little prayer for THEM, that they heal from whatever is inside of themselves that makes them act this way....maybe they suffer from poor self-image, and the only way to lift themselves up is to put others down....and maybe that poor self-esteem came from their past...perhaps someone they loved did this to them in life...and that is a very sad thought....that shouldn't happen to anyone. So, really, they are to be pitied. That is probably the matter and they are not "being mean" on purpose. They are probably wounded inside, and this is how they react to that...and they may not even know it.

What do you think??

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