Say Cheese And Thanks

I think we take for granted the simple changes we can make that will improve our attitude and have a positive affect on those around us. We can always find things to complain about but I want to challenge you to count your blessings and look for the good in your life. Does your happiness depend on your circumstances or your attitude? I bet you can think of someone who has everything but is still miserable. While other people seem to have little but are always smiling and happy. I am confident that these happy people did not gain that perspective because of what another person or entity did for them, it was a personal decision. I believe happiness starts with a grateful heart. Being thankful for how God has blessed you creates an inner peace and joy. Gratitude can remind you of what is important and give you the capacity to be kind and thoughtful to others. Andy Andrews mentioned on his podcast In The Loop that he gets up everyday and plays a game. As he prepares for the day, he writes down what he is thankful for before each mundane task such as showering, shaving and brushing his teeth. He likes to have ten or twelve items on the list and finds this puts him in a proper state of mind to start his day. I also think we take for granted the power of a smile. A few of the personal benefits include better health, an improved attitude, a longer life and you just look more attractive. In How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote the following on how your smile affects other people: Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. I hope you will have a grateful heart this week and please do not hold your smile back from someone who needs it. Happy Thanksgiving! Pierce What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. ~ Joseph Addison There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy. ~ Ralph H. Blum