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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,001,577 |
Question of the Week: 86 - 11/24/2002 How’s Your Gratitude Attitude? It has been a rough couple of years in this world of ours. Wars and terrorist threats make the news every day. You seem to run into every cranky person on the planet. You think that your phone might be tapped -- or soon will be -- or really should be. Your family is a little less than Brady Bunch perfection and the holidays haven’t even reached full swing yet and already you have run out of money and gained ten pounds. (You know where!) Has your 'gratitude attitude' taken a big hit of late? Or are you still the poster child for the ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ platform? How do you maintain an attitude of -- or develop an aptitude for -- thanksgiving when the going gets rough? Who and/or what are you the most grateful to/for? |
| Reponses: There are 64 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| Love, Life...Everything | Nov 26th. at 12:05:09 am EST |
| Angie (Indiana) | Age: 29 - Email |
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This is my best year by far. I have 4 wonderful kids who bring such amazing smiles and giggles and fun to my life. A terrific husband. A wonderful lover. Friends like you'd never believe. A good stable life. I have learned more about myself and love in this last few months than I had in the previous 28 years. (most of the credit here due to my hubby)I have wonderful animal friends to pet and love. I am happier now than I have ever been. I smile now. I have found myself a step closer to the great cosmic truths, and think there's maybe a chance that one day I will actually find the answers. I have found an inner peace through Wicca that I never dreamed I would have. I am amazed by all the wonderful, intelligent, witty people who post on this site -- where in Goddess' name have you been hiding all these years? I have faith in humanity once more. I love and I am loved. And how could anyone have any more? I have been blessed to have my family, friends, health, love and to meet all of you wonderful, wonderful people. I have been missing you all my life, and I never even knew it. Blessings and Deepest Thanks, Angie |
| Symptoms Of Inner Peace | Nov 26th. at 8:19:22 am EST |
| Dylan (Portland, Maine) | Age: 27 - Email |
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A friend of mine just sent me this and this helps me measure how I am growing spiritually...and it reflects my "gratitude attitude". I love that phrase! The Symptoms of Inner Peace 1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than from fear based on past experiences; 2. an unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment; 3. a loss of interest in judging others; 4. a loss of interest in judging self; 5. a loss of interest in conflict; 6. a loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others; 7. frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation (this is what I meant!) 8. frequent attacks of smiling through the heart (I get these too!) 9. increasing susceptibility to love extended by others; as well as (This is the one I have felt most recently; I can say I love you even to a stranger and mean it. And I am not being irresponsible or careless with the expression) the uncontrollable urge to extend it; 10. an increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than manipulate them and make them happen.(I need to work on this a lot...I get stuck in habits real easy and don't like it when things change...must be because I am Irish, Scottish and German):-)) LOL. I am most greatful for number 9) on the list and my family and creative work systems support during rough times, along with my close friends, Keith Pulsifer, Tony Mcalpine, and Peter Lund. I am grateful for little things, I try not to expect so much and then can enjoy the things I already have...such as beautiful weather sometimes, the sun on a building, creating an interesting design, the mountain ash trees glowing with a silvery-crimson shade after the ice storm, etc.... |
| Addendum To My Earlier Post:-)) | Nov 26th. at 9:01:11 am EST |
| Dylan (Portland, Maine) | Age: 27 - Email |
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What am I most grateful for as a musician? Music! Inspiration and joy! Silly me to forget that. Also, as a person with Spina Bifida and many other conditions, I am grateful for being as healthy as I am and in a country with such could healthcare...and the support my family and friends have showed |
| Freedom Of Choice | Nov 26th. at 9:31:58 am EST |
| Nancy Ikley (Beggs, Oklahoma) | Age: 47 - Email |
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My Siblings in Wicca, Blessed Be you all, I cherish my ability to choose above all else. That the gods loves us enough to trust us with such enormous responsibility is, to me, the greatest gift of all. Oh, but, the wit to make the best choices, that's a nice stocking stuffer. Joyous Thanxgiving within us All, Felixi |
| Life Itself | Nov 26th. at 10:37:58 am EST |
| ladyraventhorn (Cambridge,MD) | Age: 31 - Email |
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Blessed be all fellow pagens; I think in this time of great struggle it is a wonderful thing to reflect on our own lives. The joy that each and every mircle of each day brings with it. To open your eyes each morning, to breath fresh air, to live and work in harmony with the earth and all living things, what greater joy can their be? The laughter of a child, the sigh of someone content, the softness of a lovers touch, the warmth of a stranger's smile, the thanks of someone else for doing what you already enjoy doing. these are things to be thankful for. If the world was filled with more of this perhaps there would be less tragedy and sorrow for all of us to be burdened with. Ladyraventhorn |
| Blessed With Strenght From Above. | Nov 26th. at 4:18:24 pm EST |
| nadiwolf | Age: 20 - Email |
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I am most grateful for the strenght that i found within my self to move on from every terrible occurence. The hope that i will prevail,the determination to make my dreams come true. I am truly grateful for the basic human instinct to move on from every situation with strenght and determination to make it right . we were truly blessed with the powere of optimism, to instinctly say to ourselves and those in troulble, "it will be ok.". The love that i recieved and shared, the great strenght ive experienced, and the compassion ive felt from the blessing of strenght from above. I am thank ful for the strenght that loved ones give when your introuble. I am grateful that america can come together and join in love and strenght to protect our freedom and its people. blesings to all. Nadiwolf. |
| Remembering To Share The Hearth | Nov 26th. at 6:34:35 pm EST |
| Nightcloud (Minneapolis, USA) | Age: 48 - Email |
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So much emphasis is given to being and doing so much during this time. It is expected, almost forced that each and every one of us do/go/see/buy the most, the biggest, the greatest. Party invitations from employers, friends, co-workers, family, and sometimes even the land-lords of employers, (I kid you not). It's enough to make anyone say, I can't, I don't want to. I give up. We have forgotten the core of all celebrations, the Hearth, the home, our own hospitality. I found myself falling into that black pit, wondering where to go, how do I, (without family) celebrate or do I with stand another year alone. I decided not to, I decided to open my home, my hearth in my way to friends; the family of my heart though not my blood. In doing this I was reminded of all the many blessings and gifts I have been granted this year soon to be past. I am grateful for my two fairy-godchildren; not everyone can say they make wishes come true, but I get too. I am grateful for my beautiful Chow Chow, friend, companion and pack-mate. I am grateful for my job, in today's world that is a true blessing. I am grateful for my boss, 'cause I'm a pain and he knows it. I am grateful for my home, small but welcoming. I am grateful for all my friends, their numbers may be small but their quality is of the highest degree. I am grateful to be returning to school after a 25 year absence and for the opportunity to do so. I am grateful for my health, nothing wrong that a bit of diet and exercise won't fix, another blessing indeed. I am grateful for finding this site and all the others I have found through it this year, for re-joining the pagan fold as it were. Mostly I am grateful to my Patron Gods, Apollon and Dionysos who have given me so much this year and all the past ones, their light has brightened my life so much and brought so me so much joy! May you all share in the joy this season. May you all find a Hearth fire to welcome you and bring light, life and love. Brightest Blessings, Nightcloud |
| Still Holding Fast | Nov 26th. at 6:43:34 pm EST |
| Moon (Oswego NY) | Age: 41 - Email |
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Although I am very unhappy about the way our gov't is handling things and the direction we seem to be catapulting in as a country, I think I am still maintaining a decent level of optimism where my personal life is concerned. I am eternally grateful and thankful for even the smallest speck of goodness in my life, but, I must stress the fact that I am like that every day....not just on Thanksgiving. I know things could be alot worse and I try to remind myself of that every day. We are very blessed with decent health, close family and friends that are the absolute best. We have a warm roof over our heads and a comfortable home and enough to eat. Those may sound like unimportant things to some folks, but when you are a single mom who struggles financially on a daily basis, these things are quite worthy of my thankfullness. It could all be gone in a single heartbeat, so I try not to ever take any of it for granted. When the going gets rough, I have the Goddess to turn to. I have learned the hard way that sleepless nights spent in worry don't help matters any and that sometimes just letting go is the most productive method of problem solving. Things will work out one way or another. You just have to have faith. I hope all that read this will have something meaningful to be thankful for on this holiday. Blessings to all. |
| What A Question . . . | Nov 26th. at 7:19:10 pm EST |
| Medusa (Portland, OR) | Age: 28 - Email |
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And what a year it's been. Both on the personal front and the public/political front, it seems like my life and the life of everyone I know has gotten extremely complicated. Of course, my friendly neighborhood astrologer (and several of my witchy friends) assure me that my own personal upheaval has a lot to do with the onset of my Saturn return, and that I should just surf the spirals", as one of my writing friends puts it. The same friend suggests that, as far as the current political regime is concerned, we need a serious attitude adjustment. Which is why the question of my gratitude attitude is particularly relevant. Because yes, there is a lot of disturbing stuff going on around me; the question is, do I hyper-focus on my fears, therefore calling them in to reality, or do I focus on my dreams, and the positive things in my life, in the hopes that the good energy I send out can help turn the tide? What a challenge to all of us, to remember gratitude and joy and beauty at a time when things look rather bleak. I'm not great at being positive when there are things to worry about--I'm a champion worrier. But I'm really trying to change the habit of uttering self-fulfilling prophecies of doom. Here, then, is my list of things to be grateful for. -enough to eat -a nice place to live -the realization that it's never too late to change your bad habits. -good friends -good health -the fact that there are thousands of people in this country and others who are all focusing their energy on positive change, in every way they can, and that ultimately something will have to give. -my job -finding my current spiritual path, such a blessing after a lifetime of trying to fit into a world that wasn't right for me. -the gifts of healing and art in my life -a world that is so full of mysteries I will never know them all, and therefore I'll always have something to learn and wonder about. There are so many other things, I can't possibly fit them here. Many blessings to all. |
| I Am Thankful For | Nov 26th. at 9:02:27 pm EST |
| Lorna (new hampshire) | Age: 36 - Email |
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I am thankful for another year to be with and enjoy friends and family and I hope that the years ahead will be good ones. |
| British Thanksgiving | Nov 27th. at 6:53:35 am EST |
| Bruce Fraser (Northumberland, England) | Age: 42 - Email |
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Oh, how I wish us Brits had the equivalent of a Thanksgiving. It's a long wait here in between Guy Fawkes Night (November 5th) and Yule. On our side of the pond,we, too, sit and wait for the latest war to begin and our troops to head off into battle. I suppose I have to be grateful for being over the age of conscription. Love to everyone in the US! XXXoooXXX |
| What A Beautiful World! :^) | Nov 27th. at 8:19:48 am EST |
| Starsinger (San Antonio, TX) | Age: 44 - Email |
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This has been a year of incredible evolution for me. I realized for the first time that I don't HAVE to "acknowledge that Christ is my Savior" and I won't "burn in hell for eternity"! All of those ideas, half-felt whimsies that had been nagging me for years are really true: this is a beautiful world, and our purpose here is to enjoy it! It is not try to ignore it for our spiritual development, not abnegate it or our bodies or the pleasures they offer. What a wonderful day when I allowed myself to believe that it is not only OK to take intense pleasure in sensory experiences--the feel of grass, twigs, and soil underfoot, an incredibly brilliant sunset, the feeling of a hand on my body—but it can be a part of ‘devotions’! I will spend the holidays with my (very) Baptist extended family, who will never understand my leaving the “path of salvation,” but I can have an deep relish in the feeling of family, hearth and home. I am grateful for my new viewpoint, my new-found sisters in the Goddess, my dog, who allowed me to run with her when I couldn’t find the “wolves,” my husband who just shakes his head when I share my latest discovery with him, yes, for my family, too, and this beautiful, ever-changing, delightful world! Brightest Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving! |
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