Day 5 ~Gratefulness for 30 Days ~List to 300

If you want to know, 'Why this list?" read the first post on April 1, 2020.

45) I'm grateful for differing opinions that are calmly discussed among any group of people.
46) I'm grateful for cooler heads that prevail in disagreements.
47) I'm grateful for the ability to choose my engagement in any disagreement.
48) I'm grateful to know when to keep silent when there is no solution in sight for either of us, yet.
49) I'm grateful to finally know to mind my own business and set boundaries so as not to be drawn into others' drama.
50) I'm grateful to step back and let others have their say while I listen.
51) I'm grateful I have learned much patience over the years to listen to another's point of view that keeps me open to good ideas and inspires cooperation between us both.
52) I'm grateful for opposing views expressed calmly that help us all expand our understanding.
53) I'm grateful for being open and kind in stressful situations to remain emotionally centered.
54) I'm grateful to know tomorrow is another day, and we can rest and renew, ready to take on the challenges that belong there, not today, now.

Your life is a gift to the world. Grateful you are here.

This post was inspired by a conversation with a good friend that spoke with me recently. That friend and I have different views for sure. Thankful for strongly opinionated friends that stand up for what they believe without division among one another.

Day 4 ~Gratefulness for 30 Days~ List to 300

If you want to know, "Why this list?" read the first post on April 1, 2020.

34) I'm grateful for my legs to carry me where I need to go.
35) I'm grateful for public parks to walk in for an exercise in warm weather and cold.
36) I'm grateful to ride a bike if I choose because I can.
37) I'm grateful for bike trails created for my safety and yours.
38) I'm grateful for bridges that have bike lanes across them for pedestrians and bikers to cross.
39) I'm grateful for traveling through towns on a bike trip to see nature up close and meet new people.
40) I'm thankful for backpacks to carry healthy snacks and extra water should I need it on the way.
41) I'm grateful for the tingling in my limbs after a day of bike riding that leaves me exhausted but excited to wake up and do it again tomorrow.
42) I'm excited about showers or a river to jump in to cool off and take a dip, to clean up before traveling on down the road.
43) I'm grateful for kind people that let me fill up my water bottles from their yard hose.
44) I'm grateful for people that let me sleep in their yard overnight as I travel to my next destination by bike.

Are you getting the hang of it? I bet you are, keep creating your own list and read it out loud often to stay focused and calm when you're not. With practice this can work, discipline, daily discipline is key to freedom.

Your life is a gift to the world. Grateful you are here.

Day 3 ~Gratefulness for 30 Days~ List to 300

If you want to know, "Why this list?" Go read the first post on April 1, 2020.
23) I'm grateful for my bed.
24) I'm grateful for the room in the bed to spread out with no one to hog the covers.
25) I'm grateful for a silent room to meditate and go to sleep in.
26) I'm grateful for the dark sky and moon to gaze upon before I go to sleep.
27) I'm grateful for soft, soft, blankets to cuddle in and be warm as I sleep.
28) I'm grateful for the fan by my bed to cool the air as I snuggle deep in a soft bed.
29) I'm grateful for going unconscious long enough to forget the troubles of the day.
30) I'm grateful to know tomorrow is another day and as far as I know now, the sun will rise.
31) I'm grateful to turn my natural oil diffuser on to send soothing aromas in the room to promote sleep through the night.
32) I'm grateful to turn my white noise machine on to tune out the sounds of trucks and cars that travel in the night.
33) I'm grateful for a cup of water by my bed should I need a sip in the night.

What are you grateful for in your room?  Your life is a gift. Grateful you are here.

Day 2 ~ Gratefulness for 30 Days~ List to 300

If you want to know "Why these lists?" Go back to the first post that explains it on April 1, 2020.
11) I'm grateful I can taste good coffee.
12) I'm grateful for the coffee bean plantation planters and harvesters.
13) I'm grateful for the people that package and ship it from tropical climates to other continents.
14) I'm grateful for the truck drivers that carry it across the country to cargo bins for distribution to stores.
15) I'm grateful for the many stores that stock coffee to serve or sell beans, to take home so I can make a cup at my leisure to enjoy whenever I want it.
16) I'm grateful for coffee bean grinders, hand crank or electric to make coffee taste fresh every cup I make.
17) I'm grateful for beautiful coffee cups/mugs to hold the coffee, these make me smile.
18) I'm thankful to close my eyes and breathe in the coffee aromas as I sip.
19) I'm grateful for 'hazelnut' coffee the flavor is so satisfyingly good.
20) I'm grateful for a French press, Keurig, electric percolator to make the coffee.
21) I'm grateful for sitting outside enjoying nature while I taste the relaxing dark liquid called coffee.
22) I'm grateful to share a cup with a friend, even if we are apart and talk on the phone while we each drink a cup of joe.

I went over the ten for "TEN grateful things per day," sorry about that. Sometimes I get so thankful I can't stop thinking grateful things.

What can you add to the list today?
Your life is a gift to the world. I'm so grateful you are here.

Gratefulness Day 1 to 30 days, List of 300

Today I start a process for 30 days of something I have mastered that has changed my life for the better.
                                                                         Gratefulness. 

When I had a victim mentality I could point fingers at situations and people for everything wrong in my life. This made me angrier and frightened, this made me inactive and trapped.  I learned new ways to help myself, take personal action, and stop the fear.

Now don't misunderstand me, there are circumstances beyond your control that can cause havoc in your well being but when this is your reality you must remember two things:

1)  Time changes everything and opens up new opportunities, you cannot stop time, you cannot speed up time, so let it pass without added stress because of inpatient thoughts in you.

2)  Write, read out loud, and imagine a walk in nature, (even in your mind, looking at a picture, etc.) while reading your gratefulness list.

                     CREATE A LONG LIST OF THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR NOW.

Read it every time you get angry or sad. Do it if you don't FEEL like it, feelings do not get you up and going when you need it. But taking control of your mind and actions will make you move!

So to tip-off how easy this is, I will write 10 things every day this month until the 30 days have passed. Tune in to ~The Quail Writer ~ to see how easy the list can grow, once you learn to do this by habit, you are on your way to emotional wellness.

The point of this is to help my readers help themselves by becoming grateful every day instead of being fearful and angry. First, if you need an example to get you started, you can absolutely borrow my list.  Enjoy your life. It gets better. Trust the wisdom of the elders, "This too will pass."

Day 1:
1) I'm grateful for air to breathe.
2) I'm grateful for the lungs to breathe air.
3) I'm grateful for a respiratory system to carry oxygen to my cells to keep these healthy.
4) I'm grateful for white blood cells to attack any disease in my body and surround the toxin.
5) I'm grateful for an elimination system to exit the toxins from my body every day.
6) I'm grateful for water to clean my body every day.
7) I'm grateful for water to drink to flush my body every day of toxins.
8) I'm grateful for knowing not to smoke to keep lungs healthy and not smoking because I love my body and want to take care of it.
9) I'm grateful to be capable to learn to control my mind as well as my body to be the best version of me possible every day.
10) I'm grateful for the will of a champion in me to keep going no matter what comes.

Feel free to add positive things in the comments, you are grateful for every day this month.
All is well and all will be well. Chin up, one foot in front of the other, keep going. Your life is a gift to the world. Grateful you are here.

Better Choices Create a Different Life

Better choices create a different life.  We all deserve to live our best version of ourselves.  No one can make that difference for you but you.  What is bugging you? What can you do to make that bug go away? Do you need to ask forgiveness from someone you have wronged, or do you need to forgive someone that will never ask for it? If you forgive someone, it does not mean you have to stay in contact with them unless you want to, on YOUR terms. Do you have to change your attitude?

As I get older, it is easy to see that most of what happens to us is not as important as moving forward with vigilance to avoid that situation again.

Do you need to actively seek a better job? A better living arrangement? A new direction for your health? A new group of friends?  What do you need? Only you know this. The bottom line is you need a better relationship with YOURSELF first before success comes.

A person that makes the same mistake over and over is blind to the lesson because of an attitude of entitlement; i.e. "they" believe "they" don't make mistakes, Or arrogant pride tells them "THEY" do not have any responsibility for a situation gone wrong, (These people don't apologize either.) Now that I am aware of this tendency in all of us, I really consider the advice whenever someone offers advice to me now. My first goal for my life is, 'I want to be aware of my actions, open to change, and become the best version of myself while giving positive support to others.' 

Years ago I became exhausted blaming others because of closed doors of opportunity for me. I discovered this "victim" mentality shut tight, windows of change because I gave my power away to others to change me. Sadness and depression were becoming my perspective on life. I was so tired of being anxious, afraid and unsure of making the right decision, I had to change me. I had to step away from allowing others to dictate to me what I did with MY life. I had to find another way for me, it was a solitary road to travel with great rewards.

How far down is rock bottom for you? What has to happen for you to start taking responsibility for everything in your life?  What needs to happen for a better version of you to arise?  What will turn your eyes up, get your chin up, make you get up, stand up on your own two feet, and cause you to take your power back to change "YOU?"

Life is so much fun when you take responsibility for a plan for YOUR life. Don't know what to plan? One way is to read books, this worked for me. You have to get new information in your head before you find a way out of the confusion in it. Another way is to live life and see what inspires you. People have traveled this road before we were born and have left a trail of knowledge for us to find if we look.

You do not need to helplessly hit rock bottom while coasting along NOT taking control of YOU.

You have to make a plan for YOUR life and construct detailed steps to achieve it or you will get bored with the mundane life you live, especially when things go wrong, and things will go wrong. That's life.  This is your life, what do YOU want to do with it?  Life is so much fun when YOU decide to engage in living.

"Better choices speak louder than words, and outcomes determine what choices are better and what choices are not. You will make mistakes, learn from these, "Life lessons will be repeated until learned." Keep going, you were built to overcome adversity and succeed in your life.

Turn off the noise of the world and listen to your inner voice.

Better choices create a different life. You know you know one area you can improve, you talk about it to yourself often, so make a better choice, act on it every day, make no excuses and create that a different life one step at a time. If any of us can do this one thing, you can too. It takes a mind to decide and discipline to carry it out. Both of these can be developed.

Be thankful for your life today and everything good in it. Write a list of three hundred things today you are thankful for right now and walk outside. The sun gives so much to all of us just by rising every morning.  Can you be thankful for the sun?  Thankful for life. Stay safe and well.

The Greatest Gift You Give Another is Your Attention

It does not take money to give someone your time, your attention, your help, or kindness.  First, you have to want to give your attention to another to do any of these.  Are you or the person you are speaking with constantly thinking about what you are going to say next instead of truly listening to the other person?  Are you or the other person thinking you are bored with the conversation because it does not interest you or further your cause so you have to cut them off and leave, you have other things to do that need your attention NOW? Then you know you are not interested in giving your attention to them, or the other is not interested in you. This is normal and to be expected in daily encounters with people you meet in life, there is not enough time to know everyone intimately, but it is NOT acceptable when you truly love someone.

If you want to have a personal loving connection that can last a lifetime you have to take time to listen with care to know what interest another, not just you, it takes time, it takes hours, it takes years of giving your attention to the other, to listen to his/her point of view to know him or her before you make snap judgments that can be oh so wrong. In our marriage, I have done this at times and he has done this too because we were in a hurry or simply wanted to be right so we would not listen to the other. When you do listen with undivided attention and no preconceived ideas, you meet someone in the middle to have a deeply connected relationship.

The amount of time this takes is best reserved for ONE significant other and your own children first.  There is not enough time in anyone's life for this close connection to be made with everyone in the world you meet and work with. If you try to take care of everyone else, someone close to you will suffer. Focus on you, your mate, your own children, and close family members that support you, that is more than enough to get right. We cannot save the world and it is not our responsibility to do so.

I heard a one-liner from a teacher I admire, "I never go anywhere I'm not invited."  When invited you know someone wants to give you their attention and hear your opinion. My opinion and your opinion is not welcomed or needed everywhere so it is best to hold our tongue until invited to speak. You are the winner of your decisions, choose positive, kind, words and actions.

If you do choose to give someone your undivided attention, that is a great gift; and if someone chooses to give you their undivided attention without any expectation but to listen to you, that is a true friend. Making time for one another to be together and talk is a great gift. The joy of sharing these connected relationships can bring a lifetime of laughter and good memories that last forever. Thankful to have a few of these in my life now. Pay attention to enjoy a more fulfilling life! If you want a close friend, pay attention.  If you want a relationship to last forever pay very close attention to hear the words of their heart and be thankful for the people in your life that love you.

"Deeds not words," who shows up for you every time you are down? That is a true friend. That is love.