Yearly Archives: 2017

The Amazing Power of Gratitude

More and more, gratitude is being acknowledged as an amazing power for good and healing in many different areas of existence –from medicine and positive psychology to gardening and education. It is absolutely impossible, I repeat, impossible, to entertain a deep feeling of gratitude and the least trace of negativity. They totally exclude each other just as light annihilates darkness. Have you ever seen a candle of darkness (??!!) extinguish light? But the smallest candle will bring light to the deepest underground cavern. Such is the power of gratitude to your heart and soul. My daily bedside book – I…

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Be Grateful on Thanksgiving – and Every Day!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday as it serves as a reminder of the importance of gratitude. Since 1621, our ancestors in the United States have been celebrating Thanksgiving. Historically, throughout Europe, festivals were held after the harvest to give thanks and celebrate together as a community. Native Americans also celebrated the harvest season. We continue the tradition today nearly 400 years later, but for most of us, when we hear the word Thanksgiving, we usually think of turkey and stuffing, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, football and gatherings with family and friends. We all know that Thanksgiving…

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A Uncertain Future: The Desensitization of Violence in America

At what point does someone else’s business become ours? Two days ago I flew on a Delta flight from Nashville to Salt Lake City, I was seated in Economy Comfort, the first row behind first class, directly behind two boys in first class, perhaps about 10 and 14 years old. As soon as they were seated both boys pulled out their iPads and started playing a game. The youngest one was holding his iPad up high so that it was impossible for those behind him NOT to see it. He was playing a game where he would move his iPad…

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What Baby Steps Will You Take Today?

If you're anything like me, with the New Year ahead of us, our minds are now turning to the things we'd like to accomplish in the New Year and to our resolutions. With the close of one year, it seems natural to look at our accomplishments and our outstanding goals and dreams. Sometimes that reflection can bring a feeling of excitement, and sometimes it can create a feeling of overwhelming proportion when the mountain ahead of us appears too large to summit. It's critical when looking at any large task to remember one thing. You first learned to walk by…

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