Sandy Speaks…

On this 25th day of November, 2010, the citizens of The United States of America are celebrating Thanksgiving.  We’re gathering with loved ones to remininise about holidays past and create new memories over food, football, and fun!

The main purpose of this special day is to give thanks for our many blessings.  A few things that top my list are those who had the courage to venture out and discover this fine land and those that serve to protect it, my family and friends, my health and home, and the opportunity to start anew, which I did last year by creating Gratitude Boot Camp.

In honor of this celebration, I’d like to share 25 of my favorite quotes about thankfulness and gratitude (with a few created by me)…

1.  “When you become truly aware of your current blessings and are filled with genuine gratitude, your life will change in profound ways” ~ Sandy Harper

2. ”If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.”  ~ Meister Eckhart

3.  “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” ~ John E. Southard

4. ‎”If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy.” ~ Unknown.

5.  “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” ~ Epictetus

6.  “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.” ~ Gerald Good

7.  “When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.” ~  Chinese Proverb

8.  “When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Tony Robbins

9.  “Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.”  ~ Kahlil Gibran

10. “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Unknown

11. “It’s important to make gratitude a habit because your habits create your life.” ~ Sandy Harper

12. “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” ~ Brian Tracy

13. ”Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” ~ Eileen Caddy

14. “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ” ~ Thornton Wilder

15. “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” ~ Seneca

16. “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.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie

17. “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.” ~ Zig Ziglar

18. “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”  ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

19. “Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.”  ~ Shakti Gawain

20. “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner

21. “Gratitude is a powerful force that opens the door to God’s blessing. Having constant gratitude proves your faith in God because not only do you thank Him for what He has done in the past, you thank Him for what He will do in the future.” ~ Joel Osteen

22. “Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good, even in unpleasant situations. Start bringing gratitude to your experiences, instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful.” ~ Marelisa Fábrega

23. “No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” ~ Alfred North Whitehead

24. “Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much.  For on the smiles, the thanks we give, out little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life.” ~ A. J. Cronin

25.  “Gratitude possesses magical power.  When you live in gratitude, you will walk in peace… no matter what circumstances arise.” ~ Sandy Harper

I’m grateful that you took the time to visit my blog.  What are you thankful for today?

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When was the last time you said thank you to… YOU?

I placed a deadline on myself where I would finish my book and write the stories for my children’s book over a 4-day period, while my son was visiting his Papi for the long weekend.  I drove Jake over on Thursday night and went to bed early so I would wake up Friday morning full of energy and ready to write.  The next morning, I awoke to a bad case of… writer’s block!!  It lasted all day.

When night-fall came, it hit me – I had been worrying all day about my self-imposed deadline and had focused on everything I still needed to get accomplished!  My books were unfinished, my Gratitude Boot Camp audio/workbook program still had to be produced, there were cards to be written and phone calls to be made, my professional business plan was not complete, etc etc etc.

“Oh my word, Sandy”, I said to myself.  “How about thinking about all of the things you have accomplished for a change?  What about the many tasks you complete every day as a business owner,  friend, writer, homeowner, single Mom, etc.?”

I immediately sat at my desk and wrote down everything I had achieved since starting Gratitude Boot Camp fifteen months ago.  After the concept came to me in the middle of the night, I created the complete curriculum to teach The 12 Gratitude Habits after researching the power of gratitude extensively.  I’ve given workshops, recorded hours of the system for the audio program, spoken to groups, built a gratitude community on Facebook and Twitter, wrote several chapters of a book that made it to the Top 25 in The Next Top Author Competition, and started a children’s book about gratitude.  I did all of this while working on my other businesses and raising a toddler/pre-schooler.  I do deserve a pat on the back, I realized!

When was the last time you made a list of your accomplishments and achievements?  Immediately after reading this article, grab a piece of paper.  At the top write the words “I thank myself for”.  Then, list everything you do on a daily basis and all of the goals you have reached this year, both big and small.

After you’ve finished this exercise, celebrate YOU!  Treat yourself to a bubble bath, go for a long walk, take yourself out for coffee or to the movies, read a book, or spend some time engaged in your favorite hobby!

Keep this list handy so you can read it the next time you’re starting to beat yourself up about everything you HAVE to do!  Hmmmm – maybe I should laminate mine!!

Well… it’s been exactly one month since my last blog posting.  So much for my goal of writing something on here at least once per week!

My first reaction when I realized it had been so long was to feel guilty.  Just like my first thought when I woke up after sleeping in last Saturday was “How dare I stay in bed until 9:00 whenever I have SO much to do?”

Why do we allow guilt to consume us?  I chatted with a friend who didn’t fully enjoy her (much-deserved) vacation recently because she felt guilty about leaving work and her child.

I’m always saying that life is too short and too precious to feel sorry for ourselves or to hold grudges or to not give gratitude for our blessings.  Yet, I somehow have kept guilt around as a regular house guest.

That stops NOW!  Today – September 17, 2010… I am declaring my home (and my brain) as a “Guilt Free Zone!”  Won’t you join me?  The next time that a guilty thought starts to form in your head or come out of your mouth, stop it with a power word!  A power word is one that you use to stop immediately so you can refocus your thoughts and/or words.  As soon as the guilt starts, shout “Love” (even if it’s only in your head) and then say – “I feel great.  I am grateful for this very moment and embrace it fully.”

(Photo by Michal Marcol – http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=371)