Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity."
        Melody Beattie,  The Language of Letting Go

As part of my New Year's resolution, I am trying to make gratitude a part of my daily life.  I am trying not to be so distracted with my health problems that I'm not appreciative of what I do have. I'm also trying to stop complaining about what I don't have.  Instead I am establishing an "all-in" gratitude ritual.
This blog is part of that gratitude ritual to reflex  on how many blessings I have, like my three sister, my two healthy children,  my loving husband and multi-levels of friends.
I've also started to journal daily, which has begun to produce many benefits.  I feel happier when I get the opportunity to thank others who have done minor or major services for me.  Just this simple act of being grateful has made me feel less depressed about my cancer because I know people care.  I've also noticed that when you are grateful to others they smile and get a change to play it forward with others.  I also feel healthier and want to take better care of myself.  Did you know that studies have shown that just saying hello to strangers improves kidney function (results of a study conducted by Robert Emmons, a professor of pschology at the University of California).
I hope you enjoyed this blog and that you begin to be grateful for the meaning and importance of people and events in your lives