Ordinary Gratitude

Please give me more

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

The phrase “Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?” is usually associated with a sarcastically humorous reference to fraternity hazing where a pledge gets a wooden paddle across his back side and is required to politely ask for another wack. Regardless of the negative connotations associated with this image, it is a good one for understanding the Law of Attraction and how it functions in your life.

When you give your attention to something…or anything, for that matter, you include it in your vibration and add it to your point of attraction. Your point of attraction is what Law of Attraction matches and magnifies, so to give something your attention is to literally ask for more of it. Yes, that’s right, your simple attention to anything helps create more of it in your life, even if you don’t want more of it. But, you say, I know the difference between things I want and things I don’t want. Surely Source Energy is smart enough to know what I want. But here is the difference: Source is “smart enough” to give you anything you ask for, but it does not decide for you in terms of what you want. You are so free to choose that you can choose bondage, and Source will agree with you. There is no “overrule” law that asks you before you choose. You live, and in living you focus, and through your focus you choose, and in your choosing you are asking for more. So what you give your attention to really does matter.

Law of Attraction brings you more and more of what you give your attention to and include in your vibration over time, so remember to ask for things you want by focusing on the things you want exclusively when you can. In every waking moment, you are literally saying: “Please Law of Attraction, may I have another event like that one?”

Special thanks to GratitudePlanet.com for this article. Please visit their web site for more thoughts and insight into gratitude and the Law of Attraction.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is about more than chocolates and romance. Take time today to tell all the important people in your life how much you love them and appreciate them. Let them know how grateful you are to have them in your life.

Black Walnut Ice Cream

No matter how old I get, ice cream always conjures up memories of childhood.

Butter pecan ice cream always reminds me of my dad. On hot summer afternoons we'd take a trip to Baskin Robbins to peruse their 31 flavors. Dad always got butter pecan in a sugar cone. Mom liked peach. I'd get something different nearly every time. 

Black walnuts, especially in ice cream, always remind me of my grandparents. They lived in a very small town in Oklahoma. Black walnut trees were everywhere on their property. With nuts on the ground, the smell was intoxicating. My grandmother would have home-made ice cream loaded with black walnuts in the freezer when we arrived.

I picked up a carton of black walnut ice cream at the grocery store the other day. Last night my husband, who had never had this particular flavor before, dished up big bowls of this special treat after dinner while we watched television.

As I took that first bite I was flooded with memories of chasing fireflies and horny toads. I savored each mouthful and drifted back to my summer vacations in Oklahoma.

How I loved to sit on my grandfather's lap, the smell of pipe tobacco lingering around him, tiny burn holes in his shirt. He always had an entertaining story and called me Shuggie.

My grandmother would sit in her chair doing some sort of needlework. Knitting, crocheting, tatting, sewing, needlepoint, quilting, she did it all. Each piece expertly and patiently crafted with love; a beauty to behold. She made clothes for my Barbie dolls with all the intricate details of a designer label.

The family would gather around the big dining room table and play cards, usually Oh Hell!, which I always lost. My dad always called me Beetlebaum.*

 I languished in childhood memories while I finished my ice cream. Playing in the local swimming hole. Picking and eating fresh strawberries until my fingers and lips were bright red. Walking to church in my shiny patent leather shoes, holding hands with my dad.

All this joy from a simple dish of ice cream. I am so grateful.

*Back in the 1940s, Spike Jones was known for his silly take-offs on many of the classics including the William Tell Overture. That particular recording was of an announcer at a horse race. After listing the line-up of horses, the last lagging horse in the field was announced as "Beetlebaum." The inflection and tone of voice must have made it hilarious. Apparently this stuck with my dad, who always called the player with the lowest score, usually me, Beetlebaum. I've caught myself using the same name on occasion. Amazing what you pick up from your parents.

Brees: Star On and Off Football Field

Every professional athlete owes a debt of gratitude to the fans and management, and pays an installment every time he plays. He should never miss a payment. ~~Bobby Hull

The story of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints is so inspiring. When I saw this in the pre-Super Bowl coverage, it brought me to tears. Again, here's someone who is grateful for what others might see as a detriment. Brees and his wife saw it as an opportunity -- and did something about it. They express their gratitude by being part of and giving back to the community that has embraced them.

Drew Brees is a star quarterback both on the field and off. He has become the savior of New Orleans Saints fans for taking his team to the Super Bowl, and he is equally loved for his charity work in the community after Hurricane Katrina.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Joy, Hope and Soul from Haiti

These people deserve to be seen and heard. Enjoy!

"Despite the difficulties of life in the aftershock of Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, joy, hope, and soul flow from Haiti like rivers of life cascading down a mountain stream." Fireside International

Brad Cohen: Front of the Class

Front of the Class is inspired by the true story of Brad Cohen, a young man diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome who overcomes considerable odds to become a gifted teacher. Moreover, he credits his Tourette's for giving him the strength, drive and determination to become a teacher.

Is there something bugging you about your life, past or present, that has been a blessing in disguise? Whatever that something may be, take a moment to acknowledge it, thank it, and bless it for being a part of your life.

Buy Brad Cohen's book: Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had

Blushing tulips

I got out of the house early this morning and headed for the grocery store. On my way from the entrance to the produce department, I walked past the bunches of flowers on display.

I gasped when I spotted the most beautiful tulips I had ever seen! They were the palest pink, almost like they were blushing.

"Too expensive," I told myself.

I continued with my shopping, but I just couldn't stop thinking about those tulips. My mom loves pink, so I knew she'd appreciate them. And I hadn't bought fresh flowers for months. How could I walk out the door without taking a bunch home with me?

As I unwrapped the bundle at home, I realized that every blossom was a little bit different from the others, but perfect and beautiful just the same. I arranged them in a lovely lavender vase and found a place for them in the living room.

Now I see them every time I walk through the living room. They make me smile. They remind me that spring is on the way. 

Flowers are Nature's way of letting us know that we are loved.

Gratitude: Positive Psychology in Practice

Positive Psychology researchers are confirming in study after study that regular demonstrations of gratitude will make you happier and healthier. Positive Psychology research focuses on the study of well-being, what makes people happier, fulfilled, and engaged in life. Researchers find that the simple act of gratitude, when regularly practiced, makes a significant improvement in people's lives.

What Is Gratitude?

In a recent interview by Senia Maymin carried in the International Positive Psychology Association Newsletter of April, 2008, Dr. Alex Wood, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, defines gratitude this way: "Gratitude is a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world. As such, gratitude is an integral part of well-being. Gratitude can be contrasted with a depressive bias - where depressed people focus on the negative in the self, world, and future. A grateful personality leads to well-being during everyday life."

Gratitude and Good Health

University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons indicates that "Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, (and) regular physical examinations." His research finds that grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that boosts the immune system.

Begin the Day with Gratitude

David Pollay, in "A Daily Dose of Awe and Gratitude" (Positive Psychology News Daily, March 3, 2007) describes a process of beginning each day with a few moments spent in awe of something beautiful or fascinating, and feeling gratitude for the experience.

University of Virginia Psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Dacher Keltner, University of California-Berkeley Psychology professor, noted that "People consistently report that experiences of awe and elevation have profound outcomes, motivating self-improvement, personal change, altruistic intentions and actions, and the devotion to others and the larger community." (Character Strengths and Virtue, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman)

via changing-personal-habits.suite101.com