Category Archives: joy

Guide to Gratitude

Let me express my sincere gratitude to each of you for continuing to follow my “Guide to Gratitude” through gratitudesquared.com. The featured image above is my hand drawn idea for this site that I sketched in February of 2021 when this site was launched.

I selected the term “gratitudesquared” because I believe that “gratitude” is multiplied when shared and experienced, and such has certainly been the case through this site. To date, after 174 posts, 6,759 views, and with 3,004 different visitors, and 128 followers throughout 64 countries, we (you with me) are sharing “gratitude” around us wherever we may live. I am so deeply touched by your comments, emails, texts, and conversations with me. Thank you.

If you look at my hand drawn idea above, you will see that when one gives “gratitude to another” it is a gentle exchange, a gift, something great or grand, may be God sent through all his/her glory, when two or more people gather together.

Further, that act of “giving gratitude” is often gleeful, gracious, grounded in some emotion, may cause growth on each other’s part, may be compared and contrasted with growing a garden of gratitude, and may be overseen and sent by God from one to another to accomplish a known or unknown purpose or goal.

Just think about that!

Gratitude is a free gift that we exchange with each other!

What have we learned about “Gratitude” within only one year? We have learned that gratitude is deeply personal and also shared. Gratitude may be fleeting or long lasting. Gratitude may be serious or fun. Gratitude stems from our moral values at times, but also emerges from momentary pleasure at other times.

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Grateful For Warmth of Fire

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Today a powerful winter snow and ice storm is sweeping across the United States with record snow falls and dangerous weather conditions such that there are power outages, businesses are closed, and cities are in a state of emergency. As we watch the weather reports and prepare for emergency situations in our homes, I am grateful for fire generated from candles, or fireplaces burning wood, gas, propane or other.

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Love The Day You’re In!

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I am watching the Nor’easter storm along the East Coast of North America today with projections of heavy snow and dangerous winds that will probably knock out power and cause flooding. Yet, I look out the window to see a soft blanket of beautiful fresh white snow covering my yard furniture. I have mixed feelings this day. Should I feel angry at the disruption that the snow may cause? Should I appreciate the quiet gentle cover before the storm ruins my day?

As I look at the window in the calm of day my memories flash back to the fun times I have had on my patio on those chairs at my table. Being a positive person, choosing to live in a State of Gratitude, as possible, I feel happy to see the untouched snow. I also feel fortunate to have so many good memories on that furniture under this snowfall.

I feel so grateful for each season, the good and the bad days within each season, and, most importantly, the memories I recall and share during each session with the people I love. Have gratitude today, and love the day you’re in!

#gratitudelite

Grateful For the People in My Neighborhood

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Remember Mr. Fred Rogers’ Neighborhood, the television show? This morning I felt like Mr. Rogers in my own neighborhood. I like to walk my dog around the Outlets where I live. Seems we have all been locked inside more than usual as we wait for the virus to go away and let us get our lives back to normal. I forced myself to get outside finally.

Today when I ventured outside for my typical morning walk, I noted that so many people greeted me! Seems we all missed speaking with each other, and exchanging brief stories or waves during the early morning hours. The staff at my local Starbucks came outside to say “good morning” to me as I waved at them through the window while passing by. The individual with his blower who works for the landscaping company stopped blowing the shrubs and trees, and ornamental flowers two times as I passed by. We each smiled and waved as we typically do each morning. While I have never talked with him, we always nod and wave as we pass by during the early morning, quiet hours in the Outlets. It felt so nice to see and greet everyone again. It seemed that we had missed each other during the recent months.

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Gratitude For Blind Crests

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There is a street in Laguna Beach, CA that feels like you are driving straight up, or straight down! For the first couple of times driving on this street I think about my poor visibility, the brakes on the car, other cars in front or behind, and caution. A street sign warns of “Blind Crest”. I feel a mixture of thrill and dread on this street.

As we continue into the New Year 2022, this particular street becomes my teacher: How should I greet the goal of “living in a State of Gratitude”? Sometimes it feels like my objectives are not visible to me. Am I

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Grateful For Anticipation of New Beginnings

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We are now in the New Year of 2022. I always find it exciting to begin something new. I love the earliest parts of each day with the glow of the morning sunrise and the quiet across the land. The photo I selected for this post is from the JFK airport in New York City – an east coast sunrise which I typically never get to witness. My son and I saw a Broadway Show that had been repeatedly rebooked due to Covid and the shutdowns of travel and large gatherings of people. We left the mild climate of Southern CA and went directly into snow and ice and cold. I felt like I was in a ghost town and only the beauty of this sunrise warmed me.

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Looking Towards The Future With Gratitude For The Past

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Tomorrow is the last day of 2021 and oh what a year we have had. During the past eleven months, since beginning this blog, I have focused with gratitude on positivity for all of our many blessings in life. I have met many new friends and have tried to offer assistance to my family and friends in need.

Against the light I perceive from “joy”, “peace”, and “calm”, I admit I have noted the apparent stressors on people around me because of the ongoing variants of the virus, whether to wear masks or not, if and when we should take the vaccines, the economy going up or down daily, strategies within political parties, all the necessary zoom calls, changes to the educational system, changing weather systems, persons who are ill and dealing with death and dying, and more. Some days such news breaks my heart, but I purposefully try to steer my focus away from these negative forces in life. I go towards the “light” of life, and focus on the positive I feel, and I encourage you to do the same, if possible. Why?

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Gratitude For Parents’ Christmas Spirit of Love-Joy-Peace

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My mother and father were minsters and comforted many people during their lives. I am so grateful for my parents and their giving spirits. I found an old poem my mother gave to her church one Christmas, and I offer it to you this year. Marian wrote this poem for the church congregation and sent it out as a holiday gift with Bob.

The Christmas gift I would give to you

Are costly and precious, ancient but new.

They’re wrapped not with paper, tinsel or string,

But they glitter and sparkle and great happiness bring.

They’re sealed and they’re signed by God in the sky,

Sent special delivery by angels on high.

These gifts are surprises to most of mankind,

Multitudes seek them, but never to find.

God showed me His storehouse of gifts one day,

And said unto me, “Just give them away.”

But most folks won’t take them, they cannot believe

They’re free for the taking and will not receive.

JOY IS GOD’S GIFT, a state of the soul

More precious than diamonds, silver or gold.

PEACE IS GOD’S GIFT, sought since time began,

But it has eluded the wisest of men.

LOVE, GOD’S MOST MARVELOUS GIFT, I believe,

For the more that you give it, the more you receive.

There is health, and wealth, and gifts galore

I’ve named a few, there’s many more.

He alone knows just what we are needing,

And always in all ways, God’s guiding and leading.

If we accept the gifts of His love,

We’ll be showered with blessings from God up above.

God’s gifts are free, if we believe

With eyes of faith we must receive.

But do not put undying trust

In what you see with your eyes of dust.

For the best gifts in life are truly free,

Just reach out and take them and you will see.

For our holiday gift to all, my son and I are putting my mother’s poetry online for all to read and enjoy in her own words with audio and videos we collected. Simply go to the website, AHouseInsideofMe.com

Her paperback book and Kindle versions are available on Amazon.com as well as an iBook from Apple Books. The title is, A House Inside of Me: Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake (2013) by Mary Blake Huer.

With gratitude I share my mother’s wisdom and love with you. Blessings!

#gratitudeultra

Such Joy From Baby Animals

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Last week I had the opportunity to observe parents and children feeding and petting baby animals. I wondered why baby animals give us such joy when we watch them run and play, so I did a little searching to try to answer my question: Why are baby animals so cute?

I actually found sites, animalhow.com and lifegate.com, to explain “cuteness”. Apparently, we are drawn to baby animals’ big eyes, large heads, small faces, squat limbs, soft skin, funny gaits, and playful behavior as they learn to walk, and eat, and explore their new worlds. There is a scheme, called the “baby schema” which explains why we feel such positive emotions when looking at baby animals.

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Gratitude For Immortality

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I am so grateful for my “Gratitude Stream”, my “moral virtues”, my parents instilled in me that I would like to share a bit with you. I believe that many people have a spiritual side and through such seek relief during times of illness and death, or when fearful, or worried. I also believe that we have “sacred portals” at specific moments throughout our life during which time we seek deeper explanations for particular events in our personal lives.

Personally, as a young child growing up, I observed my parents assisting many people because my parents were pastors. For my mother and father’s teachings I am deeply appreciative. In fact, as I grow older and watch tragedies emerge, I would like to share my parents’ wisdom with you, because I believe their words will give you peace and understanding too, during the stillness of the night.

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