By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
http://on.fb.me/1GF28CG
Ages ago I attended a conference where the keynote
speaker asked the audience to write down three things in their lives they were
grateful for. The attendees scribbled away, and at the end, the presenter asked
a few select people to share what they had written. Many listed families, jobs,
and financial stability. He listened, smiled and then said, “If you haven’t listed
your health then you have nothing.”
Throughout my life those words stuck with me. Recently, I lost friends in their prime, two
to cancer, and one through an unfortunate mishap. He went into the hospital for
something minor and never came home. My male friend who lost the battle to
cancer was funny and optimistic. He never told anyone of his diagnosis. I
learned of it after he’d passed away. My female friend was an old housemate, vivacious,
funny, with a memorable laugh. She left behind two smart, well brought up young men.
Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to say thanks and express gratitude for the blessings in our lives. The journey, while often
unpredictable, and sometimes not fun, teaches you resilience and strength.
It reminds you to be grateful
for what you have. Without good health you are nothing. I would not be
able to juggle a day job and still write. I would not be able to care for animals and
meet friends for the occasional bite. I couldn’t exercise, and that is something
that has helped keep my sanity even through very trying times.
In the last few years, as our economy struggles to rebound, friends
have lost homes and jobs. If you are one of the fortunate ones, be grateful that you have survived those challenging times.
This month, His Golden Heart, my re-release is the perfect
reminder of the power of positive thinking and how the mind works.
Beaumont Hill is a champion skier slated to win gold at the Olympics. During a downhill race, tragedy strikes and he
ends up paralyzed. Shayna DaCosta; a former Olympic hopeful, is charged with
putting him back together, body, mind and soul. Shayna believes that a positive
outlook makes the impossible possible.
As you sit around your table giving thanks, be
grateful for what life has served you. Not everyone is well enough to have friends
and family at their table. Many aren’t
even in a position to eat. Take that good fortune and pay it forward. Your generosity
will come back to you in the most unexpected way. Some call it karma. I call it your just rewards.
Eat, drink, and give thanks, but don't forget your fellow man.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all!
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4 comments:
Marcia, I totally agree with the speaker you heard years ago and your take on Gratitude. Paying it forward is easy to do because it can be as simple as smiling at the person standing next to you in the grocery line or at the bus stop. It can be a smile and a thank you to the server at the restaurant or coffee shop. And if you have the ability to do so, it can be as fulfilling as volunteering at a homeless shelter or food kitchen that serves a Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. If we have the attitude of paying it forward, we'll receive so much more.
Thank you, Judith. Much of what I have been blessed with I attribute to payback for a past kindness.
Wonderful blog post! Gratitude is a wonderful thing to pay forward. I agree with Judith on volunteering but want to take it one step further to year around volunteering. I volunteer at the local hospital four hours once a week. I get more out of that four hours than the hospital does. I also, check with the local Homeless shelter for their needs and donate what i can there. Donating to the homeless shelter makes me realize all the things I am truly thankful for: a roof over my head, food on the table, my health, my family.
Such wise words Diana and what a great way to give back. Thank you for stopping by.
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