QUOTES......

This particular quote speaks volumes to me and I hope to you.

Being grateful for the "little things".......

For today's post I would like to speak to the "little things" and how I am truly grateful for each and every one. Sometime, all we have are these little gifts to make us smile and recognize the good that surrounds us. I try and find at least one thing per day to be grateful for no matter how insignificant it may seem. For instance; while I'm doing laundry (which I do not like doing), I may say a prayer of gratitude that I have a family to do laundry for and the appliances to do them with. It's all about your perspective.

Other times, it's when I notice something in the garden blooming. Like the peonies above that showed themselves to me today. Or maybe my back hurts a bit after I do chores yet I am grateful that I could move around and do them in the first place.

I think it most important to try and find the bright side. Now, I know, that there are many instances in which there is none to be seen but maybe, if you look a little deeper, you'll find it somewhere somehow. For instance, if you are ill and yet have some one to care for you. Or maybe the insurance bill was high but not as high as you though it would be. Insurance bills make no one happy, but then again, there are many without insurance and so one should feel a bit of gratitude in having it. Yes, it's just pouring rain at your house, but you have shelter and some others have to evacuate their homes because of potential floods.

Seeing things in a different and more positive light may help you tone down your need to complain and whine. Those traits can become tiresome. In doing so, your simple life may become more joyful. Finding joy in the mundane can be difficult but with practice it will become second nature.

I thought that it would be nice if I randomly posted short notes with or without pictures in regards to the what I am grateful for called "Today's Gift". Starting today, my gift is the above pictured pink peonies that have bloomed in my garden. They are one of my favorite flowers. Their scent is divine and their petals, full and seemingly infinite. The fact that they come back every year to greet me is very comforting.

May you also find peace and joy in the little things in your life. Looking around, they are just waiting for you to notice!

"At least the rhododendrons are blooming......"

Those were the words I uttered to my mom during our last phone conversation about our daily woes. It lightened up the mood and put things into a happier perspective; which leads me into why I decided to create this blog.

How we see things makes all the difference in the way we perceive our daily circumstances. We should seek the reasons for why we see things the way we do and how it makes us feel. We all come from different places, and as a result, our life experiences shine through in our daily outlook.

In these increasingly volatile times in which we all live in, peace and security seem to harder to achieve now than ever before. When your head is filled with distractions, it is quite difficult to focus on any task, large or small. This is why it is so very important to clear your life of the "clusters" that have been holding you back from enjoying the little things, like the blooming rhododendrons. Because sometimes the little things are all we have to fall upon.

The day my daughter was born, I decided to stay home and raise my children. In making this choice, I knew that it would be more difficult financially and that sacrifices would have to be made. Even so, I felt great comfort in knowing that this was the right path for our family to take. I have never had regrets for doing so, and believe that being a stay-at-home mom was my calling. Furthermore, through this I have learned great lessons in patience, acceptance, and healing.

My purpose is to have a place where I can share the way in which, through the years, I have been able to find peace through the chaos life hands us by being truly honest with myself about who I am and where I am coming from. I would like to share my vision with you: that you, the reader, may gain a more honest and soon positive perspective by looking at your own life experiences with a less cluttered mind, home, and eventually life. In short, lightening the load and moving forward with grace.

I encourage comments from all viewpoints. There is no room for judgement. We all have our own personal issues to deal with. I am excited about the opportunity to help each other along life's journey in an open, honest, and grateful way. My subjects will vary greatly, discussing everything from how the simple task of organizing a closet can reap larger benefits than originally intended, to dealing with the fact that bad things that happen to good people.

A sense of gratitude is, for me,  probably the biggest factor in being able to achieve a positive outlook when  hope seems to be fading. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, and I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for.