 Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 19 “It began in mystery and it will end in mystery, but what a rare and beautiful country lies in between.” – Diane Ackerman Life is a divine mystery! We don’t really know what lies beyond this life, and there is a realm we can’t see which is intangible but oh-so-real! The most important aspects of the unseen are love, peace, joy, and wisdom. And the most vital of the seen are, perhaps, the profuse outpouring of life everywhere, colors, music, art and beauty. What a fantastic life this is……. I am so very grateful. June 20 I am so grateful for the surprises of Spirit which appear each and every day if I am noticing. So often there are gifts bestowed upon me from the universe that are freely given, and fill my heart with joy and awe. The majesty and beauty of Mother Earth is so incredibly rich this time of year. Happy Summer Solstice! June 21 “Everything can be taken…but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl Once I finally got out of the victim mode in my life, I realized I was always at choice! How amazing to be set free like that! Knowing that nobody can hurt my feelings, only I can let myself be hurt. Knowing that I can choose to live my life exactly as I want, and I am free to co-create what happens in my future. I am incredibly grateful for this ultimate freedom that we innately possess! And I am thankful for inspiring people, like Viktor Frankl, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama, who show us the way. June 22 “The grace of a river is a reminder of how nature seeks elegance and achieves immense beauty of cohesion and balance… if only our lives could achieve, or indeed allow, such grace and elegance.” – John O’Donohue I am grateful for the steady flow of meandering nearby rivers! I have a passionate love affair with rivers, and it is pure joy to swim in them on hot summer days. Yet I am even more thankful for the flow in my life. If I relax and let myself float along, trusting I am being guided, instead of pushing or struggling, all is grace and ease. How happy I am when I can let go! June 23 Today I am simply thankful this workweek is over — it was hectic and somewhat stressful. I am grateful for the beauty and stillness where I live; for my hubby and darling dogs, and for my free form Saturdays where I can do exactly what I want with no “shoulds” or “musts.” I appreciate having a flourishing business with lots of money coming in, and I am also glad to take my little nose off the grindstone this weekend and reeeeelllllaaaax! ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021
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 The road to living in gratitude can be paved with bumps and detours. Some people incorrectly think that once you learn how to live in gratitude, it’s a steady, ongoing state of mind. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but once you learn to shift your thinking about what’s going on, it becomes much easier. I actually have an exercise I use to help me in getting back on the road to gratitude.
I’ve written before that I’m a hand-wringer, by nature. If I’m given some news that upsets me, it can be difficult to move away from worrying about it and fretting about an outcome. So what I’ve learned to do is ask myself some questions when I find myself in the place of worry.
Then I move to the first question – what is the absolute worst thing that can happen as a result of whatever it is I’m fretting about? The worst case scenario never seems as bad as the dread I initially felt. I also find that the odds of me experiencing the absolute worst outcome aren’t that high. It calms me a bit to acknowledge this. When I ask myself what I’m truly afraid of, I often find I’m fearing something that is superficial. I’m afraid I’ll appear less than perfect to others. (as though I ever imagined myself to be perfect in anyone’s eyes) I fear I’ll look like I’ve failed. (everyone fails – and it’s through failure that we learn the most) Someone will be disappointed in me. (usually it’s more a case of me being disappointed in myself because my expectations are unrealistic) People will stop loving me. (there it is! The fear many of us have because of conditional love we experienced as children. Old business – no longer applies!) I’ll feel shame. (this is the most destructive feeling we can have – and it’s a choice, so unless I choose it, I won’t feel ashamed.) What does this tell me about myself? That as far as I’ve come in my progression and growth, there is still so much to be done. And that’s okay! We are all works in progress. As long as we are growing, we are moving in the right direction. So self-discovery is a wonderful blessing. Is there something I’m to learn? There is always something to learn. Sometimes I have to go through a lesson over and over again before it becomes ingrained in me. Sometimes I’ve made a decision that wasn’t the best one, and I can examine that and learn something. Or maybe I’m on the wrong path completely and this is a sign. Look at all the positives the speed bumps and detours can bring! It brings me full circle from worry and dread, back to gratitude. There will always be a small mound of worries next to a big pile of blessings. Remaining in a place of gratitude depends on which thing you choose to focus on. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScPAuthor of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 12 “It doesn’t matter how much you have. It all means nothing if you are not happy with yourself.” – Donald Duck Who knew a cartoon character could be so profound?! I am so thankful to realize the true riches come from within, and at the top of that treasure is self-love. I am so thankful to love myself more and more as time goes on, letting go of petty complaints about myself and realizing deeply that I always do my very best. I let myself off the merry-go-round of expecting “perfection,” because the truth is that I am imperfectly perfect, or perfectly imperfect. And I am ever so glad to be me. June 13 “The sacred is not in heaven or far away. It is all around us, and small human rituals can connect us to its presence.” – Alma Luz Villanueva I am grateful beyond measure for the sacred everywhere — beneath my feet; in a new blossom popping up to surprise me; in the scrumptious dawn of a new day; in the heavens, in the acts of kindness and love witnessed constantly; in the creatures of earth, great and small. Everywhere I look and everything and everyone is sacred! I celebrate this, and know when someone has turned away from the sacred, and inflicted purposeful harm, they are not aware of, and not observing the magic and divinity of being alive. It is a blessing to live, and what’s more, to live forevermore. June 14 “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.” – Mary Jean Irion It’s almost trite to say “be here now” but it’s oh-so-important, hmmm? I cherish every single day, waking up at the break of dawn, embraced by the dazzling beauty of mother nature in my surroundings. I reside in the present moment, savoring it and honoring it, knowing that it truly is perfect and all that we really have. Thank you, God. June 15 From time to time, I feel compelled to share another gratitude aficionado’s thoughts of thanksgiving because they are just so good! Thank you, Lee Inkmann, for such an inspiring and beautiful one! Today, I am grateful for the tropical winds of change that come ricocheting off the Pacific Ocean. We are buffeted by gentle warm channels and cooled by gusts that whirl through our trees and gardens, our hearts & minds. Nature is a powerful reminder that we are simply spirits inhabiting these human forms temporarily. Stewards. I am thankful that I have so many choices as to: how to live, to manifest love, to share, to care, to create, to relate, to nurture, to extend, to let go – Guided by a force more sweeping and awesome than I can envision. June 16 “To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.” – Roy T. Bennett Today, as we move closer to the Summer Solstice, I celebrate and revel in the light -- the light of the sun which plays, creating amazing reflections and shadows, the early morning light, the magical dusk, and glorious sunsets. And I know that the light within, the illumination that we all have when we don’t let it be dimmed is the most dazzling radiant light of all. I am so grateful to shine my own light brightly. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 5 “Gratitude places you in the energy field of plentitude. Perceiving life in a consciousness of gratitude is literally stepping into another dimension of living. Suddenly the seeming ordinariness of your days takes on a divine sparkle.” ~Michael Beckwith I am grateful to delight in the divine sparkle of life as I relish and savor all that I have to be grateful for. There is so much more to appreciate than to complain about. I bask in the extraordinary world of thankfulness whenever I can. June 6 Incredibly thankful for the love and connections I share with so many — with my cozy family consisting of my husband and our two cherished furry friends; and with my dear sisters who are so close to me; and my stepkids and darling grandsons; and with the close-knit spiritual family I am so blessed to have chosen; and with all the fabulous friends who I share interests with like fellow authors and artists and prayer partners and progressives I know that love is of utmost importance in this life and I am happy to share my love with so many, including loving ME. Grateful grateful grateful! June 7 I am very grateful that I am usually able to keep a positive, optimistic outlook on life, even when things go awry in a less than ideal way. This is a true gift and I know not everyone possesses such a trait. So thankful to stay in a high vibration expecting the best and then watching it unfold! June 8 “Follow your nature and accord with the Tao; Saunter along and stop worrying.” ~Hsin-hsin Ming, 7th Century A.D. I skip and meander along my path, letting go of all worries! I am filled with great gratitude to cast off burdens as I go, assured that the Way is always shown. June 9 “When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated.” ~Brene Brown This week I had an opportunity to set healthy boundaries with someone. It can feel intimidating to do so, because I am unsure of the reaction, but I’ve noticed when I draw the line, a person is usually respectful and accepting. I am very grateful for this acquired skill that has gotten easier as I age. It is sometimes absolutely necessary, and let’s me feel powerful and autonomous and free! ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021 |
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