What is Beauty?
Beauty cannot be defined. We all see things differently. What is beautiful to one person may not be so to another. That is part of the beauty of this world we live in. photo: flickr/MSVG
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Love Matters
Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others. - Brian Tracy
photo: flickr/jkavo
A Grateful Soul
Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
Author Unknown
photo: Thinkstock/istockphotos/Cosmos
The Life You Create
Life is made up of choices. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to realize our lives are we what make of it. Take ownership of it. If you want to be happy then do whatever it takes to get yourself there. That could mean accepting your current situation and seeing it as a blessing or making changes toward the life you really desire for yourself. Your life is the sum of all of your choices so mindfully choose the life you seek.
photo: Thinkstock/istockphotos/sunrise meditation
A Matter of Perspective
“So I’ve seen life as one long learning process. And if I see – you know, if I fly on somebody else’s airline and find the experience is not a pleasant one, which it wasn’t in – 21 years ago, then I’d think, well, you know, maybe I can create the kind of airline that I’d like to fly on.” – Richard Branson
Sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective. We can get tested by some challenging circumstances in our lives and dwell in the negativity of it, or we can view it as just another small bump in the road of life. How we react to an event is up to us. If you want to be happy, look at challenges from a place of curiosity and ask yourself what you could do to improve the situation. That’s what Richard Branson did and you know how that goes.
photo: Thinkstock/istockphotos/pier
Right Where I Need To Be
Sometimes we wonder how we ended up where we are. It is a combination of all of the decisions we have made in the past as well as some events that have randomly occurred for which we had no control over. We make decisions everyday, most are small and of little importance, but some greatly impact how we choose to live our lives. For example, did we choose to finish high school or go to college? Did we decide to become a artist instead of a architect? Did we choose to have children? You can think of all these decisions like branches on a tree. Each decision takes you to a different part of the tree. Looking back, would you do anything differently? We cannot change many of these decisions we’ve made, but we can learn from them. What is most important is to make peace with our past, accept the present, and consciously live each new day in a way that is authentic to who we are.
photo: Thinkstock/istockphoto
Make Positive Change in the World
“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” - Robert F. Kennedy
photo: Thinkstock/Top Photo Group
A Meaningful Journey in Life
There are two ways of living: a man may be casual and simply exist, or constructively and deliberately try to do so. The constructive idea implies a constructiveness not only about one’s own life, but about that of society, and the future possibilities of mankind. – Sir Julian Huxley
photo: Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Hot Air Balloon
Gratitude for Our Military Families
The Soldiers Life by SSgt. Scott E. Hilligoss
The soldiers life is not for all
A soldier must be willing to give his all
He is overworked and underpaid
A truer patriot was never made
Ready to go at any time
Wherever there is trouble or the first sign
His courage and honor are unsurpassed
Ready and willing to complete the task
Travelling to lands both near and far
He stands his post and looks at the stars
Wondering what he might have done
If he had not chosen to carry a gun
Remember the next time that you are driving by
And see the flag flying proud and high
That somewhere out there a soldier stands
Weary and cold in a foreign land
Protecting our country from our foes
Standing tall and proud come rain or snow.
photo: Thinkstock/istockphotos/Military Father and Daughter Reunited
Happy Mind
There is a saying “You can’t always control what others may say or do to you but you can control how you react and respond to it.” For the most part, this is true, although some people are considered to be naturally more stress hardy than others. Fortunately, research suggests that those who have less stress hardy personality traits can actually learn stress hardy traits with time and practice. Mindfully practicing your reactions to certain types of situations will improve your ability to maintain a calmer and happier demeanor next time life throws you another curve ball.
photo: Thinkstock/Hemera collection/flowers
