The Vision of This Inn, Revisited .......3/23/13

      How are you?

I'm bumping this up.  For the longest time, this was one of the top ten most read posts I've written.  I see it has dropped out of sight from the sidebar on your right. You might want to check out the many links embedded in it.

Welcome

          Can you think of a better way of going through your week than considering your gratitudes? Neither can I.  Know that this place is here to
encourage you.  Please have a seat.  Relax from the pressures of your world.  Here you'll find hope, and support for an optimistic, staying-in-the-solution week. 

      Dwelling on life's complications only makes them loom large and more disturbing.  Where's the growth in that? Exactly. Progress doesn't occur when we live in isolation. We were meant to live with healthy, affirming relationships. You'll find that here. You sign the registry to this inn by posting your gratitudes. This room exists to help you as you journey towards your goals.

     Please, pause from persistent problems and petitions for your attention. You deserve investing in yourself.  Slow down and breathe. Don't worry about your allergies---this is a dust-free room.  As you see, we're enjoying amazing weather, it'll get up to 74 degrees today.  There's a slight breeze. Let me know if you need a sweater.  Clear your thoughts.  Would you like to join us and share three gratitudes?  You'll benefit in doing so. 

       
Keep in mind:

All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it is truer saying that complaining leads people to becoming unhappy.

There is much less envy of the rich by the poor than there is of the happy by the unhappy; of those who believe by those who don't believe. 

                            Dennis Praetner 

                            

          Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.         

                                     Gladys Bronwyn Stern 

Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels.  If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for.   Terry Lynn Taylor

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is

           like wrapping a present and not giving it.  

                                  William Arthur Ward

         *************************************************

              What is an Attitude? 

          It is the 'advance man' of our true selves.  

          Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward. 

          It is our best friend or our worst enemy. 

          It is more honest and more consistent than 
          our words.  

          It is an outwards look based on past 
          experiences.  

          It is a thing which draws people to us or  
          repels them.  

          It is a never content until it is expressed.  

          It is the librarian of our past.  

          It is the speaker of our present. 

          It is the prophet of our future.

                   John Maxwell, The Winning Attitude

       Again, I invite you to share three things for which you're grateful.  You'll be glad you do. 

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."  Proverbs23:7

      We carry our attitudes with us wherever we go.  Some were absorbed during childhood. Many are unhealthy ideals. 

       Ones like not discussing what troubles us by keeping a stiff upper lip. Or that we should yield to others, conceding our values, allowing others to control our lives.  


       These ideals are false---we want to replace them with principles that add to our personal strength, growth, tranquility, hope and joy. Healthier principles like, "we get what we tolerate," or "we train people how to treat us," are better ones to have resonating within the halls of our mind and spirit.  They allow sanity in our relationships.

      Another encouraging maxim: "It is never too late to start doing what is right" (Charles Swindoll) helps us overcome the despair we experience when we yield to fear, the "Bad Parent" voice that condemns us, moves us towards self-sabotage or perfectionism.  Knowing that maturity is "moving from having a hard heart and a thin skin to having a soft heart and a thick skin" reminds us the value of lovingly detaching from others. We want to be responsive to, but are not responsible for, the feelings of others. 

     The statement, "when we need the applause of others to feel good about ourselves we've given them power over us"  helps us keep perspective. Freedom from being in a one-down position with others certainly is cause for a grateful attitude. 

     Once we're eighteen, we're equals with all adults.  It's up to us whether we yield our power to others or choose to stand in the strength of healthy principles, integrity and autonomy.  Knowing our value does not depend on what we do or what others think of us prevents us from surrendering big chunks of ourselves. In good relationships, we don't need to do that. No relationship is worth degrading ourselves.  

     Having An Attitude of Gratitude, requires reconsidering the validity of many ideals we hold. (For more about that, read here.) Many are not inerrant.  As adults, we decide which attitudes will rent in the territory of our minds.  Hopefully they'll be healthy, positive thoughts. You'll find plenty of them in this inn of praise and thanksgiving. Here's wishing you a Winning Attitude week. 

       I invite you to share thoughts and quotes that encourage and motivate you. It would be terrific having you add to this inn's positivity.