WOG Blogs

Aldous Huxley said it best “Most Human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”

Today, I realized how much I take for granted.  I went to use the toilet and the handle was broken.  It was in that moment I realized there are people in other counties without running water, let alone toilets and I was grateful.  Grateful that Walmart is around the corner and within a few hours and for less than $5 I had repaired my toilet and my life was back to normal.  Then I realized how much I do take for granted.  In every moment in every day I realized how much I have to be thankful for.  True I worked to earn the money for the things I had, however, I live in country that allows me to purchase and have these things.  Each and every one of us has a reason and purpose to be grateful. 

Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”  There has been much discussion among my friend and I about both topics but especially death and the fact that we all die. It sounds like some pretty morbid (no pun intended) conversation, but actually I found it to be quite comforting.

Since my husband’s passing about 4 months ago, I have visited the cemetery frequently. When I take my boys they like to look at all the old headstones. Many are over 200 years old with some of the most interesting epitapths and family histories etched into them.  On my last visit however, I saw something different. Often I feel a little sorry for myself beuase I became a widow at such a young age and imagine growing old without my husband by my side. As I drove out of the cemetary I looked at as many double headstones as I could see. I saw that one women died about 5 years before her husband. Another woman, according to the dates on the headstone, had lived 27 years longer than her husband.  One couple died only months apart.  The fact remains that none died at exactly at the same time.

I have been to funerals where the comment was made, “too bad God doesn’t take us as couples.” I thought that would be nice and that older couples, whose families were all raised, should go together.  What would have been a blessing for them, would have been an even greater tradegdy for my young children. 

There is always something to be grateful for even in what seems to be a trial. My neighbor was determined when her husband died that even though her daughter had lost her father, she WOULD NOT lose her mother too. I have made that same determination. Life goes on…

There are only 12 more days until our Waves of Gratitude team joins in the Boston 3Day walk to benefit the Susan G. Koman foundation. I am a bit nervous about my training. I had been doing well with walking every week and then something happened this week and I before I knew it the week was gone and I had only done one small 3 mile walk! Yikes! I have recommitted myself to lengthy, effective walks at all cost this week. I’m afraid if I don’t, I’ll pay dearly on the 60-mile walk! Continue Reading »

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.
Henry Ward Beecher

I am so excited about a new book that is coming out this fall by Joyce Schwart.  Her website is http://www.ihaveavision.org/.  I have used vision boards most of my life.  Prior to knowing what a vision board was.  I would cut out pictures of things I wanted to do, places I wanted to go, where I wanted to live, what I wanted to drive.  Then opportunities would present themselves to make those events possible.  Then I read the Secret and went through the Science of Getting Rich program and learned about vision boards.  Well Joyce has a book coming out that is all about how to create an extordinary life using vision boards.  I heard about it through an email and can’t wait to read it.  If you haven’t done so, stop by her site or google vision boards, get some ideas and maybe even create your own.  Mine has a mixture of what I am grateful for now and what I am grateful for that is on it’s way to me.  Be the ripple, create a wave of change.

I am headed on a road trip!  I love taking long trips by car to places I have never been. This trip is going to be a familiar one, but I have managed to find a new route and hope to see new things along the way.  What I hope to get from this trip is time to talk to my kids without the distractions of TV or friends (although I’m sure there will still be plenty of texting).  I also hope to create some new memories of good times we spend as a family. Our family is different now since my husband passed away, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have good times, a family vacation to remember, and some laughter and tears as we remember the last road trip we took with Dad.

Please tell us about your best family vacations. I’ll tell you all about ours when we return…

John Greenleaf Whittier said “No longer forward nor behind I look in hope or fear; But grateful, take the good I find, the best of now and here” 

Yesterday I spoke to a friend that is going through a very ugly divorce.  Her ex is refusing to pay anything and she spent 10 years being the homemaker because he refused to let ger work.  Hence the reason for the divorce.  Now she has no money, no car and is without much of the independance those things bring.  When we were chatting she said “I am grateful I now understand how lucky I am”.  I paused and said  you mean you have your health?  She said “I have today the choice to do with it what I will, to make of it the most.”  She added, “I will come out of this and be fine and when I do I will be in an even better place, for that I am grateful.”  The above quote so fits, yet sometimes we get caught up in what we don’t have rather than being grateful for what we do have.  We can find the best of now and here and by doing so will start to bring more of that to us. 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I realize that each day we have so much thrown at us that we are constantly juggling what we have to do with what we want to do.   I realize for me the first step is to actually do what I said I was going to do.  I have to make sure when I say I will do something that I will actually follow through.  As a new business owner there is so much we have to do.  Yet if we take one step each day towards growing our business then we are more likely to succeed at what we are trying to accomplish.  As a parent I have to do the same.  My thoughts are write down what you want to accomplish and allow time for all areas of your life and try to not list things you won’t have time to do.  We can only do what time allows today, there is no ability to purchase more time so choose wisely.

But what do I know.   Give it. Live it. Gratitude.