The Antidote to Frustration and Self-Loathing...... 11/24/21

      Wishing every-one a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Many suffer from worry, and multitudes endure the crip-pling power of depression.  

    Frustration, self-loathing are the plight of many.

    An Attitude of Gratitude coun-teracts these ills. Tomorrow is the central day of this inn.  May this Thanksgiving Day be your best.

      
     Cherishing loved ones, counting our blessings are
key.

     Thankfulness, not circumstances rela-ted.  Gratitude relies on our response to them.  Whether what we face is good or terrible. 

    Show joy and thankfulness by hugging loved ones during this time of the pandemic. 

    How?  With acts of kindness.

  Some ways:

1.  Send them an encouraging card the old-fashioned way.

2. Tell them what you appreciate about them. 

3.  Write a poem about them, share it with them. 

4.  Pray for them. 

5.  Do an act of service, bringing over a meal, give them a ride, if they need one. (Everyone wearing masks, of course.)

    You get the idea. 

    

    Little in life is as important as family.

    A life filled with friends is joy. Thank-fulness is a skill, and it is a developed discipline.  

    I suffered as a boy, and I knew tragedy as a young adult. I moved beyond sorrow by staying present.  I enjoy the good that is mine now, right at this moment.

     Seeds of gratitude can be planted, and they are watered within our souls when we focus on what is lovely.  We   dwell upon what-ever is excellent. We cultivate a spirit of thanks.

      We can move beyond the greasy chute of negativity. It is the slide within our mind where we deposit our negative thoughts, leading us to despair.  

      This happens when we don't let go of past pain.  This is Step One in recovery, and it is letting go. 

     Step One:  "We admitted that we were powerless over ______."  Fill in the blank.  It can be our child, drinking, our depression, nega-tivity, job, former spouse, our past, worries, or whatever.

      As we Americans are doing today, giving thanks sprouts a happier outlook.  Gratitude rids us from the weeds of negativity that chokes our hearts, minds, and spirit.

      A heart of thankfulness makes a happier life.   Life will flourish with hope, and gratitude draws healthier people into our lives. 

"Like calls to like, we are met by the traits we show. 

       Where love will find a friend, hate will find a foe."

      I wish our thanksgiving nature grows beyond celebrating gratitude today alone.  My desire for those visiting today is that each guest has a heart filled with increasing optimism daily, hourly, and every minute.  

      It is possible. 

*******************  

       For those celebrating this holiday tomorrow in America, here's hoping you will have bounteous tables. I wish a good time was had by all.  For those missing a loved one this year, may your good memories of this loved one sustain you, filling their absence. 

       I drew a pilgrim while in elementary school, probably the 6th grade. I did not understand gratitude at the time, and I wasn't sure I had anything to be grateful for, other than the latest toy, a new friend, or a book.

   My vision of joy, gratitude, and thankfulness was myopic, short-sighted. 

        As the years pass we mature,  we realize what we are grateful for:

       Our family, all generations.

       Our homes. When we know recovery, they are sanctuaries from the stress of life, a retreat from difficult others we know. A home is where our soul breathes; it is our fortress of solitude, a solace from the negative news, im-mature, pouty, politicians, and the emotional vampires we encounter. 

      We recognize and are thankful for our talents, and they are opportun-ities where God breathes through us.

      Maturity gives us the insight to see challenges as opportunities for growth, not as problems. We are humble for the abundance we know and our friends (online and in real-time).  We are grateful for those who mentor us now and in the past.

       We appreciate the animals we cared for and loved.  We delight in the beauty of our planet, even after it has been scarred by neglecting it and the wafts of the current pandemic assail us. We are thankful that when in nature, we are gifted with serenity and deep joy. 

       For our daily bread, we gave thanks, as we are this day.

       We are grateful for our lot when this life is over for those of us with faith.

       Please, take time this Thanksgiving.  Reflect on those whom you are thankful for.  Tell them.  Tell your Maker also.  Tomorrow may be too late.           

       Wishing you a terrific Thanksgiving Day,

                              Pablo