Beauty All Around

This afternoon, I completed a project (almost completed, got bulk of it done) and it inspired me so much that the drive home was almost magical. The project was converting an e-book called "my little book of blessings" into a PowerPoint Presentation format that can be viewed automatically rather than paging through like an e-book. It contains scriptures and quotes that were specially selected to be inspiring. Reviewing the quotes was quite inspiring to me, helping me to tap into that beautiful, gentle, unconditional Spirit Source. The sky was so blue, the clouds so amazing, marshmallow puffs lined up as if they were getting ready to march across the sky (actually, they were sailing with the breeze!). The grass gone to weed was waving at me as I drove down the road - I actually waved back, seeking to get into the full appreciation of the moment! The fence posts and telephone poles and roadway guardrails all stood in perfect symmetry. The air was crisp and cool. The colors of Autumn - though fading - were brilliant in green, brown, red, gold, rust, orange, dusty yellow - a complete rainbow of visual sensation. I don't know what it was - it was almost painful, the piercing beauty that filled my heart - I actually felt a little pain there but it was not sad - just amazing. It's kind of hard to describe but the only thing I could say was "Thank You for this Beauty - for this magnificence of creation.

So, Thank You, Spirit, for creating through me Your message of beauty, hope, faith, and healing. I am grateful and humbled to be Your Servant.

Note: The PowerPoint Presentation will be available in a few days at www.spiritstreams.webs.com (and here if I can get a link to it); the e-book is available now at the same website, and a full book version will be available within a month (150 pages filled with inspiring quotes and scriptures plus over two months' worth of journaling space; it will ve available on www.Amazon.com - the title is "my little book of blessings and prayers."

Got Gratitude on your iPhone?

Wow. Just when you think they can't invent anything else, along comes a really super way to help you be even more grateful! I found out about this on Rebecca Fine's website, The Science of Getting Rich (find it at http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/update.html). She just sent out an update today and this was included.
I don't have an iPhone, but I would have loved to come up with this idea! Carla White was inspired to create it after discovering how powerful an attitude of gratitude can be! Yeah, Carla!
Even if you don't have an iPhone, you can get inspiration just from looking at the promo they have of this product - it's very cool! Click on the image above to find out more...
Thanks, Rebecca and Carla, for such wonderful creativity and sharing!
Blessings!

Some things to be grateful for...

On my way back from lunch today, I consciously chose to notice things to be thankful for; here are a few things I noticed:
- fast food lunch places - they allow us to get lunch quickly when we don't have a lot of time, and for the people who work there to prepare, cook, and serve the food, take the money, clean-up the place, and for the suppliers who provide everything needed to do the same
- drive-thru lanes - they allow us the convenience of ordering, paying, and receiving our lunch right from our car
- lane markings on streets - they clearly identify which way we should drive and mark "our share" of the road
- stop signs - and other roadway signs - they provide protection, instruction, and guidance while using any form of transportation
- railroads - the tracks provide a reliable avenue (without stop signs!) for trains to move materials and supplies across the city or across the country! And for the people who operate trains and train depots
- parks - for providing a safe place for birds and squirrels to live, a playground for kids to play, a path for people to walk, benches to sit and enjoy the nature around you, grass and trees to add beauty to the landscape
- cars and vehicles that provide ways to travel around town or the country - so much easier than walking!
- for power poles and telephone poles that provide an organized way for electrical wires to be directed to bring their power to us, and for power stations that convert raw energy into consumable energy, and the people who work there
- schools that provide a place for children and adults to learn and grow together, and for the support staff and teaching staff who create and organize these opportunities
- good bosses - great places to work - for they give us a sense of peace about our jobs knowing they appreciate what we do and that we have their support
- photographs of our children - they give us moments in time caught of those special to us so we can enjoy "being with them" anytime we look at their picture
- paved road surfaces - makes it much easier and cleaner for traveling
- sidewalks - makes it much safer for people to walk alongside the road
- fences - protect people and animals in addition to identifying property or boundary lines, helps keep order
- pet cemeteries - provides a beautiful peaceful place for people to put their beloved pets to rest when they make their transition, and for the people who care for the property and help the people make good choices for their deceased pet
- people cemeteries and other methods of providing for the deceased - provides a place for deceased loved ones and friends and others to be laid to rest where their graves can be visited if desired (even though their spirits are no longer of this earth), and for the people who care for cemetaries and manage the processes of caring for the deceased
- random acts of kindness shown by others to us unexpectedly

There's more to be sure, but this is just a smattering of what has gone through my mind in the past few minutes when consciously focusing on being grateful.
What else can you think of to be grateful for?
Blessings!

-

Choosing Your View with Gratitude

I receive "The Letter" from Lee J. Colan and his most recent "Letter" fits in well with the idea of gratitude for what's going on around us; too often we get upset over something that's happening in our environment without stopping to look for the value in the experience. Lee writes about a friend's experience and how he chose to change his view and appreciate what was happening. Here is the text of Lee's letter - I hope you will receive a special message from it (and you can subscribe to the free e-mail edition of "The Letter" simply by sending a request to Lee at Lcolan@theLgroup.com. You can also get Lee's "Orchestrating Attitude" by clicking HERE.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~

”Dear Friend,

Our experiences are much less important than how we choose to think about them. The way we interpret our experiences shapes our beliefs about the past. Furthermore, our interpretations either limit or enable our future success. For example, a mission-critical project you are leading has "promotion" written all over it, but it bombs – it's over budget, past its deadline... the works. How you choose to interpret those facts is where you can shape your future. Are you a failure, a poor leader who is maxed out and on her way out? Or, are you a great leader in the making who is learning some tough lessons that will help ensure success on the next project when your true colors will show? Facts are facts, but the view you take is your choice.

Think the best ALL the time. What's the harm? If you choose to protect yourself from disappointment by always thinking the worst, you have also chosen disappointment as the filter through which you view all things and people... and that's just what you will get. On the other hand, you can choose to think the best all the time. Sure, you might be disappointed occasionally but, most of the time, you will be programming your mind and others to achieve their best.
If you find yourself having a negative thought, say "STOP!" out loud, and replace it with a positive thought. Saying "STOP!" out loud is important so that you can actually hear yourself controlling your own thinking. Let's see how it works.

A friend told me about a situation that used to drive him crazy. He would drive home after a hard day through rush hour traffic and find the driveway to his garage impassable, blocked by his children's bicycles and toys. He reacted something like this: "These kids have no sense of responsibility. They never pick up after themselves and it's a hassle for me to move their junk just to get in the driveway."

Then he said, "STOP!" out loud. He decided to choose a more positive view and he responded with, "My kids are still kids. It looks like they had a great time today. Boy, how time flies... I had better seize the moment with my kids."

Sure, the driveway still looked like a yard sale after a wind storm and his children did not put their toys away. Nothing changed except his interpretation of the facts. He substituted gratitude for anger and changed his mind for good.

Remember, when you change the way you look at things, things change the way they look.

My BEST Always,
Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.
(972) 250-9989
Lcolan@theLgroup.com
Copyright © 2008 by Lee J. Colan and The L Group, Inc.”

Proclamation of Renewal and Manifestation

January (or anytime!) is a good time to think about your commitment to yourSelf, your dreams, your goals, your desires, your Spirit, and your relationship with GodSpirit. Here is a resource you may find helpful in renewing your commitment to yourSelf - it's called "Proclamation for Renewal and Manifestation" and the purpose of the document is to help you know that your Good is already here for you, to give evidence to your desire and intent to become more
aware and accepting of this Amazing Good in your life now!

This Proclamation is filled with positive statements created to help you get in tune with your Good! Your signature at the end of it gives indication of your commitment to yourSelf. Keep it with you and review it at least once a day. There are easy to follow instructions that will guide you in becoming relaxed and receptive; at the end, you are instructed to keep your Awareness of your Proclamation and continued Renewal in mind while being alert to opportunities to receive your Manifestation (thing you desire). Acknowledge your Good, your Blessings, your Renewed Spirit. Give Thanks. Then go forth expectantly, ready to receive, eager to bless others, happy to claim your Life as your own. Feel free to pass along this Proclamation as you deem appropriate. It is given freely and without cost of any kind (other than your commitment to yourSelf.)

Here is the link to download the PDF document:

http://www.geocities.com/greatspiritpublishing/RenewalProclamationLink.html?1232476877219

(Please let me know if you have any problems and it can be e-mailed to you.)

Blessings!

Gratitude - 365 days a year? It's Possible!

I have been receiving daily "gratitudes" for over a year from Sherrie Austin, who publishes "365 Days of Gratitude." I really must commend Sherrie - she has something new and different to be grateful for every day of the year and I don't think she's repeated herself once! She does a fantastic job with this and you might find it interesting to go to her website and check out what she's doing there... it's http://www.365daysofgratitude.com/. I'm sure you'll find something there to inspire you! And be sure to sign up for her "365 Days of Gratitude" daily e-mails - she will challenge you to come up with new things to be grateful for in your life!
Keep up the good work, Sherrie! You are appreciated!

Beasts of the Field...

As I left work one day, I passed by a field that has cows in it - at that moment, all the cows were belly-high in grass, all their heads bowed as they munched the spring greenness - the wind was waving through the grass and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the beauty of the moment - it was really a beautiful scene! Therefore, be thankful for the cows and horses in the fields, belly-high in wind-swept grasses, heads bowed in reverence as they take nourishment from the earth. Whether you are a meat-eater or vegetarian, be grateful for livestock and wildlife, for they provide comfort, inspiration, and even entertainment in our otherwise human day!