Today as we prepare for Thanksgiving Day, let us focus on Gratitude.

​Count all your blessings and feel the joy and love you have received over the past year.  It really don’t matter what you didn’t get or the pain, no not today.  Today we will only think about our blessings and feel the joy and love each of those moments, people and events we received today.  Yes, everyone has something to feel gratitude for and when you truly spend the day giving thanks for all of your blessings you will be ready to really enjoy tomorrow.

A number of years ago we had a fire and lost everything.  After the fire people gave us a lot of stuff clothes for all of us, furniture, and even one person gave us a little TV and radio.  The day before that Thanksgiving I looked around our apartment at all the mixed matched items and yelled Thank You.  We were together, we had a place to live, I had a job, and most of all we had joy and love in our home. For I truly had nothing and then I had everything I needed, Thank you.  Thank you to all those wonderful people who opened their doors and hearts to share and give us something to rebuild our lives.  I want to thank everyone who had ever given anything to help others.  To some it maybe junk you are giving away, but to those who receive it’s the spark that will create joy and love.  Thank you for your blessings.

Now you go and think about some times you enjoyed and share them with the world.  Share you joy and love with a smile today as you only think about gratitude.

Much joy and love to you and yours
 

As we prepare for Thanksgiving let’s start with Forgiveness.

​To be free and feel joy and love you must forgive and let go of the past.  One comment that always drove me crazy is when someone says I will forgive, but not forget.  In truth they never did forget and I would hear the same story over and over again.  I took this a different direction, when you error I may discuss the situation and then it’s over and we move on.  This frees both of the people in the process and brings joy back into the relationship. 

One of my favorite forgiveness stories is about two monks traveling.  During their journey the came to a river to cross and a woman crying on the shore.  She said, please can you help me across the river I am afraid I can’t make it alone.  One of the monks told her to get on his back and he carried her to the over side.  They parted and continued their journey.  During the journey one of the monks kept making crazy sounds and seemed very upset.  Finally they stopped and the one asked what is your problem, you keep making these crazy sounds.  He said, I cannot believe you touched a woman, you know that is against our laws. The first monk said are you kidding me, I put her down 2 miles ago and you are still carrying her. 

You see he knew he broke a monk law, put her down and asked forgiveness in his mind and let it go.  You can do the same it doesn’t matter if it’s you or someone else.  Forgive them and free your mind, so your journey can be all about joy and love.

Much joy and love to you and yours

All week I checked out the moon each night.  It was amazing how bright it shines, even as it went from a full moon to getting smaller it was so bright.  This morning as I was taking the trash out I saw it again and smiled.  I remembered romantic times watching the moon, I remembered telling tails to the kids about the night of the full moon.  I even thought about an old movie I enjoyed called Moonstruck. 

​What I loved about the movie was the story about a woman who gave up on joy and love and just went with the comfortable.  She meets a man who has given up on joy and love all from an accident.  Together they created new hope, new joy, and yes new love.  All of that while the moon shined brighter than ever before.  They were struck by the light of the moon.

There is a cool part of this thought; the moon is only reflecting light it has no real light.  What we see is the sun in the deep of the night leading us to joy and love.  We can all be shining from the light.  Stop looking at the problems and worries and focus on joy and love.  As you share your joy and love you too will be a bright light for all to enjoy and give others new hope, new joy and new love.

Much joy and love to you and yours

Set wonderful intentions each day and watch your life change.

I use to be someone that just jumped out of bed and ran the entire day with no intentions.  Then one day
I was at a meeting the leader asked what my intention for the meeting was.  I simply said I just plan on telling what I am working on. I wasn’t alone neither as he went around the room almost everyone replied just like me.  John the manager stood up and said that is why you don’t like this meeting and why you never listen to others.  Set your intention to share something special about your work, share a tip to others, give a lesson learned, or open your mind to learn from others.  It completely changed my approach to meetings.

Well that simply act got me thinking, if I am setting intentions for meetings, how about the day.  Oh yes, I started waking up each day and setting intentions on Joy, Love, Peace and Gratitude. I would set my mind on finding more joy in the day.  I would share love with everyone I met.  I would give and be at peace in my actions.  And finally I would be show gratitude and thank people for their support and give support.  This changed my actions and thoughts as I walked out the door each day.  People would ask me what got into you these days, soon enough it was not surprise to people it was me. 

Remember to set your intentions and watch them occur.

Much joy and love to you and yours
 

Last night I had a dream about you.

​I saw a wonderful person.  You are so beautiful both inside and outside.  You have a wonderful loving heart and desire to share your love with everyone.  You are strong both in body and mind.  I saw you enjoying wonderful health and so loving to help others get strong.  I saw some parents in my dream watching over their kids with a deep love.  You are such a wonderful parent and give all you have to bring them joy and love.  I saw people with amazing ideas for new businesses or products, and your dreams are just around the corner.  I saw you sitting in a chair at the end of a very productive day with a smile in all you completed today.  I saw a few who felt alone, opening up their hearts to allow new people to come in and share your new life of joy and love.

Yes, my friend I saw all this and much more.  You are amazing and don’t every think differently.  You are an amazing person with so many treasures just waiting for you to share with others.  Smile and enjoy the day as you share your amazing self with the entire world.

Much joy and love to you and yours

Open your mind and heart to something new.

​I really enjoy fishing, it’s such a wonderful time.  I know some don’t like sitting there waiting forever for that bite, but that is what it’s all about.  You know you cast a line way out there you relax and enjoy the fresh air and feel the line.  Every so often you reel in the line just a little, finally you get a bite on your line.  You pull hard in excitement and reel in the line very fast.  The fish is pulling back and you fight the fish maybe giving in a little and then pulling back in.  After a short time you see the fish on your line.  You pull it in and celebrate your victory.  You check out the fish and decide will it be dinner tonight or do you throw it back.

It’s so much fun when you really get one and do you ever tell everyone you meet about your adventure.  Heck at times you ever tell everyone about the one that got away.

Now change the process just a little.  This time you are not casting a line in the water, you are casting your joy and love to the world.  Put on a smile and greet people and bless them.  When you see another person smile you know you reached someone with your joy and love.  What you don’t see are the people who walked away and later smiled, but believe me they also received your joy and love.

Now go out there and cast your line.

Much joy and love to you and yours