"I'm big because
I'm connected to the universe,
and the universe
is connected to me."
-- Neil DeGrasse Tyson
[Classic post from 8-14-16]
I'm in the middle of a great new book that was just published a few days ago. It is by a favorite author, Pam Grout, who wrote the huge best-seller E-Squared. Her next book was E-Cubed, and now this book, Thank and Grow Rich. Obviously, and correctly, it is all about gratitude, being thankful, appreciating ourselves and all that is around us, as we are a part of it all.
I wrote something on a notepad a few months ago: Living a life of significance--10 steps, 14 principles, 7 actions. It was an idea for an inspirational post making a spoof about the idea that there are steps, principles, and actions required to have a life of significance. Indeed, that seems to be much of what we're taught in our young lives and continues in our careers, and more. But, my thought was that every single person is living a life of significance because every single life is significant. We don't have to do anything, learn anything, be anything other than who we are. Significance is a given, not a getten.
Pam Grout's book says that same thing, in her words, of course, and that the simple, and yet so dynamically profound act of being thankful, grateful, appreciative of every single thing, every combined thing, all that is good and all that is labeled not good leads to infinite happiness. She says, being grateful for all things holds such value for a vastly improved experience, and that we don't really have to do anything at all to be perfect the way we are. That includes not having to be grateful if we don't feel like it. But, of course, we really do feel like it deep down because it is so much a part of our nature; in fact, we can't help it once we let go of the static.
I woke up a tad after 3 a.m. this morning, sitting up, with eyes closed, rocking back and forth, giving praise, being thankful. I focused on one person, a significant person, but not a close person to me. I've known this guy since 1980. He has a local business here in Fairfield CA, and I've bought many thousands of dollars of products from him over the years. It's been ten years since I've bought anything from him, as I'm not in need of his products anymore, but he pops into my head and I am thinking of all the transactions, his demeanor, his expertise, his fairness, and much more.
I was appreciating all of these things for quite some time. Then, at 4:30 a.m., I got up and went to my office and wrote him a 2-page typewritten thank you letter, addressed it, and put a stamp on it. I'll take it to the Post Office later, and he will get it tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. It begins with Thank you! I Appreciate You! in big bold print, then goes on to give particulars. How do you think he will feel to receive this? I haven't got a clue, but I'm guessing, it will make his day. But, what is more important is how it causes me to feel. I felt great thinking about it, and even better writing it out.
It's nice to think grateful thoughts, loving thoughts, appreciative thoughts of people. A beautiful woman I had a bit of a fling with 30 years ago told me that she thought that whenever she was thinking of me, that I was thinking of her and vise versa. We never really compared notes, but that might be true. I do believe that just having positive, uplifting thoughts about others is of value to them somehow on some level.
But, there's nothing quite so special as saying it to their face, writing them a note, sending them flowers, or whatever other physical act that takes that mental appreciation and manifests it physically. Don't you think you would appreciate such thoughts and acts? Maybe you know someone or several someones to begin with today. How about one a week? One a day? We all have people we're grateful for, and maybe even someone we haven't seen in ten years.
Loving Thoughts Have Much Value, And Loving Actions Display Them.
Spread Some Joy Today--by sharing your joy with someone who would delight in knowing how you feel.
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