Gratitude

Putting the Past in its Place

Don’t give your strength and focus to the things that you want to be rid of in your life.  There’s no such thing as living in the past.  What you are actually doing is spending your time now thinking about things you cannot relive or change.

It’s human nature to reflect on situations and experiences.  We look back wishing we could experience an event again, or be with a person one more time, or maybe go back and change something, not say something, or do more for someone than we did at the time.

The most useful thing about the past is that if we let it, the past can guide us to live a better future, to pay more attention to details and what matters, to spend our time more wisely.  Life is a journey and the path behind us reminds us of where we’ve been, what we’ve been through can encourage us to keep going and can remind us that we will be able to handle whatever comes our way.

However, unresolved issues, grievances and hurts can make a person think too much on what once was, how they wish it were different or long for those that have moved on.

There are a lot of people hurting and feeling alone.  You are not alone.  You are not the only one hurting.  You are remembered and loved.  You are not forgotten.  It’s amazing what these words do and how they can make you feel. 

If you are hurting, reach out and talk to the people you care about and that care about you.  You aren’t imposing, even though you might feel like you are.  When someone truly cares they are happy to know they can help.  Let them help, let them have the blessing and the loving feeling that comes when you allow someone to help you.   Someday you will be in a position to help someone else that needs it and the blessing will be yours.

Today center your heart and mind on where you are and where you want to go.  Greet the day with the spirit of gratefulness for the blessings in your life.  You still have things you enjoy, people you love, opportunities yet to be realized and exciting new things to experience.  There is much to be grateful for each day.

 Train your brain and heart to be both grateful and aware of the things and people around you.  You will start to notice a change in your outlook and it will make a difference in your life and the people around you.  Like ripples on the water, the attitude of one affects others around them.

 Start today putting the past in its place so you can embrace your future dreams and live in the present. 

 Cherry Coley ©

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The Land of the Free

I am thankful to live in America.  We have our issues, our challenges, disagreements, victories and failures as a country, but we still have a belief that a democracy is the best way to live.

I am thankful to live in a land where I am free to search for knowledge and research topics as I feel the need.  A land where I can choose how, where and when I worship and who.  A land that allows me to vote for public officials to represent my interests.  A country that allows it’s people to be creative, to make businesses and search for jobs freely.

I am thankful to live in a place where we can celebrate, or choose not to celebrate holidays.  A place where people can be generous, show kindness to others and voice their beliefs or choose to disagree and not be sentenced to death for doing so.

America is not perfect, the system is not flawless, and never will be.  Our government, our country is run by people and people make mistakes.  Yet, I am thankful to be here now, at this moment in time. 

Let us cling to the things that make America great, be thankful to those who are fighting for our freedom and way of life.  Let us not forget our troops and their families, but show kindness, generosity and offer a helping hand. 

While we’re at it let us remember the storm victims, and those in need all around us.  Even the smallest person can make a difference if their heart is in it.  The holidays are coming, remember the spirit of Thanksgiving, wouldn’t it be nice if you are the person others are thankful for.

Cherry Coley (c)

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In the Spirit of Thankfulness

Don’t give your strength and focus to the things that you want to be rid of in your life.

I confess to falling into this rut from time to time, but I have definitely gotten better about not allowing myself to follow down the self-sabotaging road.  When you dwell on something, play it over and over in your mind, look at it from every angle, and even role play what you will say and how you will react, make sure it’s something good.  Otherwise, you are setting yourself up to manifest the very thing you keep dwelling on. 

 If you find yourself thinking about losing your job, and worrying about getting fired, are you really going to be concentrating on doing the best you can or are you focusing on being met at the door? 

 Instead center your heart and mind on where you want to go.  Greet each day in the spirit of gratefulness for the people in your life, the things you enjoy and the opportunities that are going to present themselves to you today.

 When you train your brain and your heart to be grateful and aware, you will be surprised at the things you will start to notice and the people who will come into your life.  Then take a moment at the end of the day to be thankful.

 A day that begins with being grateful and ends being thankful can’t go wrong because you’re already in the right mindset.

 Cherry Coley ©

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One Lovely Blog Award

One Lovely Blog Award

 

I am so happy and humbled to receive this award from Beth at http://definitelyleopard.com  her blog is about life, having fun and lots of great recipes!!  She has a great sense of humor and an obvious love for her family. 

 

The rules to receiving this Lovely Blog Award are as follows:

 

Create a link to the sight of the person who gave you the award. See above…check!

 

Write 7 random facts about yourself. See below…check!!

 

1) I love to meet new people, don’t care where they’re from or what their background is – just love to meet them.

 

2) I have a weakness for animals.  I suppose I inherited that from my dad since he pretty much let us keep it if it followed us home.

 

3)I just started drinking coffee about 3 years ago.  I always loved the smell of it, but never found any that tasted like it smelled.  Thank goodness they have flavored creamers!! 

 

4) I love to bake.

 

5) I love to travel – and greatly miss being able to just get in the car and go, stupid gas prices!!  grrr!

 

6)  I still am not sure what I want to be when I grow up.  In my defense, life seems to be evolving each day.  I love art and writing, love to coach people, other than that – it’s all just going to unfold as it goes along I guess.

 

7) I’ve always wanted to go in a Buddhist temple and wonder if they allow women to visit.  I really have to find out this summer.  lol

 

And finally, create links to some blogs that you think are worth reading …here you go, take a moment and check them out, you may find you like them too!!

  

 http://cookwithkathy.wordpress.com/  – so much wonder information!

 

http://organizedlivingessentials.com/ - More than just a blog about organization, a beautiful perspective from a great lady!

 

http://shianwrites.wordpress.com/ - Shauna Jackson – author, blog about life, writing and inspiration.

 

http://holessence.wordpress.com/ - blog about healing and inspiration

 

http://trikatykid.wordpress.com/ - a blog about the journey of life 

 

http://reflectionsinapuddle.wordpress.com/ - amazing blog about life’s journey, photo’s, and different perspectives.

 

http://sojournerspace.wordpress.com/ - a terrific blog that will make you think and pause to smile, laugh, feel

 

http://ladyromp.com/ - inspirational blog about the empowerment of women

 

http://vdcoleman.wordpress.com/ - a blog about reinventing yourself and some wonderful perspective and inspiration

 

These are just a few of the wonderful blogs I’ve had the pleasure to read and visit.  There are so many!! 

 

 

Cherry Coley (c)

Versatile Blogger Award

I am so excited and humbled that my fellow blogger (whose posts I love to read) http://living4bliss.wordpress.com/   nominated me for an award!  I apologize for taking a bit longer to post this one.  Moving put a bit of a kink in my schedule. 

The purpose of blogger awards is to share love. Please visit these amazing award-winning blogs and share love, a comment, a like and maybe even subscribe. If you are nominated for these awards, don’t forget to share the joy by nominating others.

The rules for this award require that I reveal 7 things about myself, so that is a great place to start.

1. I have two daughters Casey and Lindsey that keep me on my toes, make me smile, and often laugh at me too.  My daughters mean the world to me.
2. Writing has always been my first love.  I was writing plays long before I could actually hold a crayon or pencil.  I performed my first puppet show when I was 4 years old for my Sunday school class.  Not saying that the writing was always spectacular, but it’s something I’ve loved to do for as long as I can remember.
3. I am also an artist, though I have not really pursued that interest for a while personally.  It is something I do plan to get back into this year.  I love to paint, draw and create artwork. 
4. I was in theatre in middle school and it terrified me.  I got terrible stage fright and couldn’t make my voice work.  After I had kids I somehow lost the stage fright and have no trouble speaking to crowds.  Weird, huh?
5. I love studying religions, beliefs, cultures, history and physics.  One of my favorite past times is expanding my horizons.  I am a firm believe in God, and a Reiki Master too.
6. I have been an avid ghost hunter and researcher of the weird, the unusual and paranormal long before it was a popular thing to do.  By the age of ten I had published my first short story – horror fiction. 
7. It has actually been challenging for me to write inspirational, as I have a natural lean to the dark side of things, but I have learned to balance the two and enjoy inspirational writing and reading very much now, though I still love to read Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

Versatile Blogger

Thank you http://living4bliss.wordpress.com/ for this wonderful award. Readers please visit and subscribe to this awesome blog. This blog is designed to be informational and uplifting.  I love hearing her point of view and enjoy the opportunity to share.

Pass the award along to 15 other blogs.

And the winners are…

• http://michaelbanak.wordpress.com/
• http://thedaddydiaries.wordpress.com/
• http://limeisbetter.wordpress.com/
• http://francescannotwrite.wordpress.com/
• http://bcommanderinchic.com/
• http://nhwn.wordpress.com/
• http://makesomethingmondays.wordpress.com/
• http://memyselfandela.wordpress.com/
• http://talinorfali.wordpress.com/
• http://becomingcliche.wordpress.com/
• http://mylifeinaustin.com/
• http://vdcoleman.wordpress.com/
• http://freedomtoafulllife.wordpress.com/
• http://definitelyleopard.wordpress.com/
• http://kalenaassociates.wordpress.com/

Take a moment to browse and enjoy.    What an honor to be able to pass this on to other people who are so talented and fun!