Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Being Grateful

The artic weather we have been experiencing makes me realize how fragile and vulnerable we all are.  One doesn’t need to be outside very long to realize how quickly the cold could do you in.  The extreme temperatures and the harshness of the outdoor environment makes me feel very grateful.  I am grateful for my home, for electricity, and for heat.  I am grateful my car has been starting with no problem and that it protects me from the elements on my commute to work.  I am grateful for my warm coat and the hat that protects my bald head.  Today we will warm up to 13 degrees and each day for the remainder of the work week it will get warmer.  I am very grateful for the sun and I eagerly await the warmer days.  Sometimes I think there are people who don’t understand the idea of gratitude.  Of all the good qualities one might practice and have I find gratitude the easiest.  If you simply take a few minutes to reflect you should be able to come up with a long list of things for which to be grateful.  Some people think you must experience something big like winning the lottery to be grateful.  I try to recognize all the small everyday things in my life that give me comfort or joy.  A Chinese philosopher named Lin-Chi once said, “What, at this moment, is lacking”?  As I type these thought the only thing missing is a cup of fresh coffee.  Coffee is another thing for which I am grateful.  As you go through your day think of all the good things in your life, take a moment, and be grateful.          

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