Each week, I will be posting Daily Gratitudes here. I send them out to my email list Monday through Fridays, and now I want to share them on my blog, as well.
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 info@graceogratitude.com and let me know of any you particularly like or send in your own. I would love to hear from you. by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal. 1-23-17 “Our call is to stay in Amaze!” Mark Nepo I am so thankful to be in constant awe of the magic of life, realizing how wondrous it truly is! Sure, sometimes I forget, but I maintain a steady viewpoint of wonder. Creation is sublime, whether God’s infinite creations throughout universe upon universe, or the astonishing beauty of each person’s own creativity, or my own bubbling brook of art and writing. I relish my wide-eyed wonder, my childlike exuberance, my zest for life. And I am grateful to be sure that I will stay in Amaze forever. 1-24-17 “The covenant of love is to expect that those we care for will change and blossom.” Mark Nepo I am grateful to go against conventional wisdom that says that people don’t change. In my own life, I have watched myself and others evolve, grow and change in monumental ways, so I know it is possible. I am so glad to watch those around me use their life lessons and challenges as spiritual fodder to become more of the best of themselves! Thankfully, I honor transformation and the new. 1-25-17 “Perseverance furthers.” I Ching I am grateful to watch healing happen in my life, both physically and emotionally. What started out as a medical wake-up call is being reversed with actions steps, and querying into root causes underneath the diagnosis. Completely thankful that I listened, paid heed and corrected places where I wasn’t taking care of my body temple and even more thankful to uncover unhealed places within, with the help of amazing healers. 1-26-17 I am grateful for sparkling sunshine and deep blue skies, after snow and rain and winter fog! Today’s show of bright light was dazzling! When the sun shines after somber grey skies, I feel like a groundhog blinking in the light, coming out from my hole. Along with later sunsets, today’s sunshine reminds me that warmth and comfort and verdant new growth will be here soon. And the weather and seasons are a metaphor: When I’m feeling sad or depressed, I am grateful that newfound joy is never that far away either. 1-27-17 I am in gratitude for remembering that beyond all the discord and upset and anger in the world, that is even within me to a degree, there is also a quiet, comforting, serene Presence always there for us. It is the quiet love, the quiet peace, the oneness that permeates all of life, and is deep within me and you, always. Right there for the listening. I am thankful to be able to connect with God and feel that support and guidance. 1-28-17 “Happiness is to appreciate what you have; unhappiness is to dwell on what you don’t have.” Rabbi Shimon Ben Zoma (2nd century) The idea of being grateful couldn’t be simpler. It is focusing on what we have, thus feeling fulfilled and rich with appreciation! It’s not always easy to stay in that space, though, with all the twists and turns and dramas of life. I am so thankful to dedicate myself to being a Gratitude Gal. If I lose my perspective and start griping or complaining, then I mentally start counting my blessings or put them on paper. A wise mentor told me to go on a Rampage of Appreciation when feeling down, thinking of every single thing that is great about my life, and I find it works. When I stay in gratitude, I stay in peace and love and joy.
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Most of my life, I have been an avid journal keeper. Starting with the magic and fun of locked diaries when a little girl; to journals chronicling my life in my 20s and 30s; eventually graduating to Julia Cameron’s suggested stream-of-conscious journaling later on, from her great book The Artist’s Way, I have done it all.
Then, about 10 years ago, through a spiritual mentor of mine, I was introduced to the path of gratitude! She recommended to a group of us that we begin recording 5 things we are grateful for every day for 40 days in a journal, to change our habit, which would bring about more joy and peace and satisfaction in our lives. The bright idea she proposed was that with focus on what is right in our lives, instead of lamenting what is wrong, we would invite in more positivity! This practice really worked for me! I was hooked, and I keep a Gratitude Journal to this day. As I became more and more grateful, and subsequently happier with my life, I felt inspired to share this potent practice with others – to help bring more gratitude into more people’s lives, and to help change the world in a beneficial way. Since I am a book designer by profession, the idea of creating a beautiful Gratitude Journal was natural. I asked my artist partner, Tara Thelen, if she would be willing to contribute her gorgeous watercolors to the proposed Journal, and she said an enthusiastic yes! I then looked through my wide variety of thoughts of thanksgiving, and gathered the best of the best to inspire the readers on alternate pages, and interspersed lined pages for the reader to write in their own “gratitudes.” Voila! The Grace of Gratitude Journal was birthed! We pitched it to a few publishing companies, such as Hay House, and they politely turned us down. So, the Journal was in gestation for a few years. Then, I shared it with a friend, who loved it and believed in it and us, and funded half of the publishing costs, so that we could get it printed! I remember very well the awe and thrill and wonder I felt holding the printed version in my hands! What I am most grateful for now is the people who have shared how much it has helped them in their lives. I love that I have paid it forward, that our Journal is so unique, and that more and more people are finding it and cherishing it and most importantly, using it. It has also been used in large healing workshops, gifted to the participants by the facilitators, to my delight. Being grateful for what one has is such a transformative practice. The idea is simple but it takes dedication to make it work in our lives. The rewards of being appreciative ripple out, like ripples in a pond, touching others too. It makes me proud to be part of a grand Gratitude movement in this world, joining others who are gratitude proponents, such as Deepak Chropa, Neale Donald Walsch, Brené Brown, Oprah and many other spiritual leaders. How good is that?! And just like a daily gratitude App you might have on your phone, I also offer Daily Gratitude Thoughts to an email list, and have been doing so for several years. If you would like to receive my free daily “gratitudes,” you can sign up at the home page of www.graceofgratitude.com. Awesome Gang is a website “Where Awesome Readers Meet Awesome Writers” and their mission is to help readers discover new authors. They have published an interview with me and you can read it below. You can also find it on their website at http://awesomegang.com/deborah-perdue/. Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written. My calling is being in gratitude and helping others to find their way in this practice as well. So far, I have published four books on this subject: two Grace of Gratitude Journals (with lined pages for the reader to write in their own thoughts of thanksgiving with inspiring passages by me and gorgeous full color watercolor art by Tara Thelen. I have written a 4×6″ book called “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” which is filled with grateful passages about life. We also have a wonderful Coloring Book called “Path of Gratitude” filled with hand-drawn black & white illustrations by Tara, and then the left hand pages have the illustrations continued, with a short thought of thanksgiving and then lines for the reader to write in their own thoughts. I live in the country of Southern Oregon, love it and enjoy friends and family, nature, pets, reading, writing, creating art, photography, people and meditation. I am a spiritual person and a licensed practitioner for the Centers for Spiritual Living. I teach classes and workshops and facilitate retreats on the subjects of gratitude, and finding more peace and joy in our lives. I am married and we have two dogs we adore, and two cockatiels. I am a stepmom to three amazing young adults, and grandmother to 2 young boys through my marriage. I love the rivers nearby and swim as much as I can in the hot summertime. What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it? My soon-to-be published book is called “Daily Gratitude Reflections, 365 Guides to Great-full Living” and is filled with day after day of grateful thoughts, which I compiled from the emails I send out each day to people who sign up on my website. This book can be used daily, perhaps in the morning time, to start your day out in appreciation for all the good in life. Do you have any unusual writing habits? My daily gratitude email list has helped me to write every day. What authors, or books have influenced you? Many spiritual authors books have influenced me, including Deepak Chopra, Mark Nepo, Thich Nat Hanh, Carolyn Myss, Marianne Williamson, A Course in Miracles, Ernest Holmes, etc. etc. etc. I have a long list of spiritual mentors through their books! What are you working on now? See above. What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books? Catherine Lyons has been wonderful assisting me with social media. We have a website www.graceofgratitude.com which is our main method of getting the word out about our books. Do you have any advice for new authors? Write about what you love. Keep plugging away! What is the best advice you have ever heard? It is impossible to complain or feel lacking in your life, or mad or angry, if you are in gratitude for all that you have. What are you reading now? Carolyn Myss’ book, “Entering the Castle” is my favorite spiritual book I am reading right now; fiction-wise I have been on a jag of reading Kristen Hannah, devouring every book she has written. What’s next for you as a writer? After the Daily Guides, I would like to write a spiritual book, perhaps on gratitude. I am not sure yet, and I will listen and see what Spirit has in store for me. If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring? A few of my very favorite spiritual books, probably Mark Nepo and Ernest Holmes. “If you want to feel rich, just count all the gifts you have that don’t cost money.”
Proverb I am so thankful for the gifts of my life, that are free and unfettered. Good health, stable home life, love that abounds, pets that adore, country living, wondrous nature, my own creativity, the ability to give and receive, sparkling night skies and waters, the overall magic and wonder and mystery of life that is always visible when I open my spiritual eyes to see. I am in deep gratitude for the lavish riches of life! If you want to feel more abundance, if you want to feel more prosperous even if you don’t have much money, take time to savor all the things in your life that don’t cost anything. Feeling grateful is the antidote to not-enoughness, because we are focusing on what is there, what we have, rather than what we don’t. We can take stock of many, many things that are abundant in life when feeling scarcity and immediately feel better. Below is a list of 50 things I am grateful for that don’t cost a dime. Join me and make the list longer! 1. Waking up to a new dawn each morning with brand new possibilities 2. A friend who loves me unconditionally 3. Loving and accepting someone unconditionally 4. Taking a walk in nature 5. Sunflowers brightly blooming in the summertime 6. A profusion of Golden Delicious apples on a tree in our yard 7. The beauty of reflections in water 8. A newborn infant’s eyes 9. The devoted, unfailing love of a dog or cat 10. Dramatic sunsets on the beach 11. Laughing and being silly 12. Imagination 13. Spirituality 14. Sharing 15. Caring 16. Being willing 17. Being nurtured and nurturing 18. Freedom 19. Free will! 20. The realization that life is infinite 21. Gazing at a night sky 22. Enjoying the sound of a stream or river or waterfall 23. Communication 24. Intuition 25. Creativity! 26. Peace, quiet, serenity 27. Appreciating the change of seasons 28. All the colors of the rainbow 29. Music and rhythm and harmonious singing 30. Hugs and kisses 31. Snuggling 32. Fresh clear water to drink and swim in 33. Wildlife – deer and jack rabbits 34. Feeling oh so deeply and passionately 35. Baby lambs, puppies, and kitties 36. The beauty of snowflakes falling 37. Joy! 38. All the colors of the rainbow 39. Dancing 40. Fragrances like lavender, rosemary and thyme 41. Library books 42. Positivity and optimism 43. Meditation 44. Gifts 45. Kind deeds and compassion 46. Non-judgmental understanding 47. Peace like a river 48. Honesty and integrity 49. Self-Love 50. Living in gratitude Deborah Perdue is the author of several books on the topic of gratitude. She has written two Grace of Gratitude Journals, Grace of Gratitude Reflections and is presently working on a new book, Daily Gratitude Reflections – 365 Guides to Great-ful Living to be released Fall 2016. www.graceofgratitude.com. She teaches workshops, classes and retreats on the topics of gratitude, and bringing more joy and peace into our lives. She is also an accomplished book designer, www.illuminationgraphics.com and a nature photographer. Thanksgiving is drawing ever so close, and maybe it is time to re-evaluate our understanding of this celebration, which is held in such high regard by Americans and Canadians alike. At this time of the year, most of us focus on being thankful, which is great, but we sometimes forget about the weightier and more spiritual concept of gratitude. The two terms are used interchangeably, but they are centuries apart when it comes to implication.
So, what is the difference between gratitude and thankfulness? Thankfulness refers to expression while gratitude is a state of being When you sit at the dinner table across from friends and loved ones this thanksgiving, you will be glad that they found the time to be with you. You are thankful for their presence in your life and you are happy that everything has been well with them since the last celebration. However, gratitude goes way deeper than that. It is a state of being, where you feel a sense of appreciation coming from deep within you. You are at peace with the world and you appreciate that state of affairs from deep within. The feeling of calm these thoughts and emotions bring to mind is all fulfilling. Acts of thankfulness last a moment while gratitude is a way of life During thanksgiving, we get attuned to the presence of others in our lives. We express our fondness of friends and loved ones, and embrace their gestures of love and affection. The gestures we extend are a sign of thankful- ness. During this time, however, the way we feel and the things we show are a manifestation of our state of mind. Gratefulness is essentially a way of life, and it entails staying aware of our place in universe. It requires us to stay alert of the role of others in our lives, staying connected to what everyone around us does to keep us happy. This is different from the fleeting nature of the act of saying a mere ‘thank you’. Through thankfulness, we get to make a sense of our lives and learn to credit our loved ones with the appreciation they deserve. Thankfulness is a social norm applicable in general situations while gratitude is the special manifestation of spirituality, love and affection It is easy to go out to the store and say something nice to an attendant or fellow shopper for one thing or an- other. This is a sign of thankfulness for something they have done for you. You are saying thank you to a stranger, but beyond that, there are no ties. Gratitude is the manifestation of love, devotion and commitment to- wards those who mean the world to you. It encompasses shared experiences, shared love and an understanding that the universe has conspired to keep us happy, and help us understand how connected we are to others. As we head into that special time in November, find a Gratitude Journal, and open your mind up to just how helpful this simple practice may be on the path toward embracing and better understanding the sheer spirituality in the concept of gratitude. You can email info@graceofgratitude.com to receive free daily affirmations in your email box Monday – Friday. Posts are about a myriad of things/people/qualities that I am grateful for in my life, from the mundane and simple to the more complicated parts of life! It is my joy to present them each day.
Here is a sample from this week: So very grateful for the abundant love that surrounds me: shared with my birth family, in my marriage, in the plethora of like-minded friends I have so easily felt with our cherished dogs, and the ever-cheerful cockatiels And I am grateful for my own loving, caring, compassionate heart Love is the glue that holds us all together and we are always immersed in it, and permeated with it I am thankful for all the love everywhere! Love abounds in this universe – let me focus on that. -- Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journal” www.graceofgratitude.com Center for Spiritual Living Licensed practitioner Spiritual counseling by phone or skype -- call for appt. Gratitude, schmatitude – or so I thought. I’m not saying I was against it, or didn’t believe in it, but it was just that, as an artist who creates predominantly cheerful, positive, spiritual images, I figured I was already practicing some form of happy release by putting brush to paper so I didn’t necessarily need to put pencil to paper and write down the things I was grateful for .
I was wrong. When Deborah initially asked me to create illustrations for this new Grace of Gratitude Journal she was writing, I basically saw it as just another project where an author (okay, granted, in this case, also one of my closest friends) was asking me to put visuals to words. Something interesting happened in the process though. Because Deborah gave me “carte blanche” to just create any images that came to me (which was a refreshing change to the usual routine where I have to follow strict guidelines from authors and publishers to create a specified image), I felt this whole new transformation take place. I found myself wanting to paint, paint, paint! Images flooded me and I created them as quickly as they flowed through. Then an interesting thing happened: Deborah then sent me the affirmations she had written and, who would have thought? They puzzled in perfectly with my images. Meant to be! But that wasn’t all. Now my appetite had been whetted to this “gratitude thing” and I realized painting was only part of this incredibly-transformative process, because there’s something about writing something down where real magic occurs. It’s like a tornado. It’s like taking all these emotions and experiences and insights that are just gaining intensity and swirling around in the soul’s atmosphere and then suddenly, BAM!, grounding them by writing them! The tornado touches down and, in a wonderful, positive way, it’s like this vortex of focused energy just spins through your life and it gathers speed and momentum and pulls to itself all good things on the path it rips through in your life! Try it (you’ll see what I’m talking about)! “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
-Marcel Proust “For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.” -Elie Wiesel” “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” -John Milton “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” -Thornton Wilder “There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” -Ralph H. Blum “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. -Marcus Tullius Cicero “The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.” -Neale Donald Walsch “Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.” -Abraham-Hicks “Does not the gratitude of the dog put to shame any man who is ungrateful to his benefactors?” -Saint Basil “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” -Eckhart Tolle “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude. -Brene Brown “We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” -Neal A. Maxwell “It’s wonderful to be grateful. To have that gratitude well out from deep within you and pour out in waves. Once you truly experience this, you will never want to give it up. -Srikumar Rao “The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. -Henri Nouwen “The more I understand the mind and the human experience, the more I begin to suspect there is no such thing as unhappiness; there is only ungratefulness.” -Steve Maraboli “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” -Buddha “Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.” -Kahlil Gibran “One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful. We let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to his goodness it becomes a routine.” -Joel Osteen “Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.” -Marcus Aurelius These inspiring gratitude quotes were compiled by Deborah Perdue. Deborah Perdue, RScP, is the author of Grace of Gratitude Journal, www.graceofgratitude.com. She teaches workshops, classes and retreats on the topics of gratitude, and bringing more joy and peace into our lives. She is also an accomplished book designer, www.illuminationgraphics.com as well as a nature photographer. Dr. Robert A. Emmons is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology. He has conducted studies on gratitude and thankfulness and the impact those feelings have on people.
In one long-term study, Dr. Emmons partnered with Dr. Michael McCullough, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. In setting up this research project, one of their goals was to develop methods to cultivate gratitude in one’s daily life, and to assess the effect gratitude had on one’s well-being. What they found was that people who kept a gratitude journal they wrote in even only once a week, were more apt to exercise more, suffer less from physical problems, felt better about their lives in general, and began their week feeling good about themselves. This was in comparison with people in the study who wrote in a journal all of the negatives they had experienced during the week, and those who wrote about their experiences in a neutral manner, without any leaning toward those experiences being positive or negative. The study also showed that those writing about all they were grateful for made greater progress in the goals they had set for themselves, when observed over a two month period, in comparison with the other two groups. A daily gratitude intervention among young adults showed equally positive results as they were more attentive, more energized, more alert, and had greater enthusiasm and determination. Others who wrote of their gratitude on a daily basis reported having helped or offered emotional support to someone else. And in studying adults with neuromuscular disease over a 21-day period, those who kept daily gratitude journals said they felt more positive about their life, had higher energy, felt more connected to others, and were more optimistic. They also stated they had longer periods, and improved quality, of sleep. Keeping a gratitude journal does not just change our thoughts. It changes the way we feel physically and emotionally, the progress we make in attaining our goals, and the way we react to others. Making such a commitment is one of the most effective ways we can nurture ourselves. All it takes is a few moments a day to change your life. What a small investment for such positive results! -Maureen Barberio Grace of Gratitude Contributor The things we can be be grateful for are multitudinous – there are truly a gazillion things about life to be grateful for. Following is a list of 99 things, in no particular order. And I invite you to add to this, or perhaps make your own list. Being in a state of thanksgiving promotes more joy and well-being and comfort in our lives!
1) Blazing orange and magenta sunsets 2) Quiet dawns in the darkness of early morning 3) Redwood trees 4) Exotic flowers like stargazer lilies and orchids 5) Sweet dogs and diffident cats 6) Comfy, warm home fires on a cold winter day 7) Neon-green newborn grass emerging in Spring 8) Supportive, loyal friends 9) Giving and receiving 10) Art in all its forms 11) Magical dusk 12) Sturdy strong oaks 13) Strong bodies that move us 14) The beauty of the feminine 15) The first Spring crocus rising up 16) Optimism 17) Positivity 18) Silliness 19) Gratitude! 20) Family, even the dysfunctional, which is most of us 21) Laughing till your tummy hurts 22) Deep emotion and passion 23) Our guides and angels 24) Turquoise 25) Walks in nature 26) A favorite song 27) Dancing madly 28) The golden light on nearby mountains 29) Big Bang Theory on TV 30) The Big Bang Theory of science 31) Infinity 32) Worlds upon worlds 33) Gentle, sensitive horses 34) A warm latte in winter 35) Clear deep rushing rivers 36) Swimming naked 37) Baby lambs, puppies, kitties 38) Food glorious food 39) Too many bubbles in a bubble bath 40) The smooth skin of youth 41) Goofy faces 42) Jack rabbits 43) Technology that connects the world 44) Pen and paper 45) Renoir, Matisse, Van Gogh 46) Pungent fragrances of lavender, rosemary, mint 47) Music to rock out to 48) Wisdom through the ages 49) Dalai Lama 50) Mother Teresa 51) Modern day mystics 52) Playtime especially when we are all grown up 53) Looking at the night sky 54) Watching a comet travel through the sky night after night 55) Unfurling of a fern frond 56) Water! Drinking it and knowing we are mostly made of it 57) The universal language of music 58) Yellow 59) Scurrying squirrels 60) The bustle and mix of animals, people, cars and bikes in India 61) Stretching our bodies 62) Hugs and kisses 63) Sharing with like-minded friends 64) The whole intricate, multi-layered systems of our bodies 65) Siblings through thick and thin 66) Loving, caring, nurturing mothers 67) Steady, sensible, hardworking fathers 68) Doting grandparents 69) The wonder of birth! 70) Peace, quiet, serenity 71) Cars that transport us 72) The United States with all its strengths and foibles 73) The brilliant, flashy extravaganza of Spring 74) The vast ocean – the waves and tides and immensity 75) The mystery and magic of life – all that we don’t understand 76) Scientists and mathematicians 77) Magenta 78) Routines we can count on 79) The fact that our world is spinning and we feel stable 80) Tropical islands 81) Belly dancing 82) Red 83) Melodious singers 84) The beat of drums 85) Enjoying a cool salad on a hot summer day 86) Honesty and forthrightness – people you can count on 87) Silent, exquisite snowfakes falling 88) Blue, and all the myriad of shades of it 89) Eyes that are a window to the soul 90) Smiles 91) Love – agape love, family love, self-love 92) The feeling of joy that upwells from within 93) The Earth’s incredible beauty 94) Purple 95) Other life in the universe that is undoubtedly there 96) Particles and waves dancing and disappearing 97) Confidence and Trust 98) Kind deeds and compassion 99) All the things left off this list… Deborah Perdue, RScP, is the author of Grace of Gratitude Journal, www.graceofgratitude.com. She teaches workshops, classes and retreats on the topics of gratitude, and bringing more joy and peace into our lives. She is also an accomplished book designer, www.illuminationgraphics.com as well as a nature photographer. |
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