08 Monday Feb 2021
Posted in Thank you
Tags
1000, Appreciative, followers, Friends, Friendship, Grateful, Gratitude, Monday!, Surprised, Thank you
Thank you all very much for your interest in my writings. What a great thing this is!
This post will forego the Motivation Monday post. I just wanted to show off for a second and then get back to work. I really appreciate the follows, the new friends I’ve made, and the terrific content you provide. Have a great week, folks!
Until next time…
Dave
10 Thursday Dec 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Photo Credit: The Encyclopedia Brittanica (picture of Seneca bust)
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
If you type “2020” into a Google search box, what will you get? You will see links to the pandemic, links to the Presidential election, and links to a lot of doom and gloom. Why? It is our natural tendency to be interested in the bad, rather than the good. Why is that?
The oldest part of our brain is always seeking danger. Call this part of you, the pessimistic part. It assumes things will go wrong, that you are in danger, and to be careful. It’s a good thing to have around, because it serves its purpose. How many people let that part of themselves run rampant?
Being grateful for what you have, being happy, and finding peace, are all internal activities. Do you find that external events impact your level of happiness? Of course. We are all affected by the things outside of us, even if only a little bit. Things like losing a loved one or a beloved pet is devastating, but it doesn’t have to destroy your life or well-being. Death, sickness, and other tragedies are all part of this life. There is no escaping them. So how do we cultivate internal happiness, gratitude, and peace? We simply choose to.
When we lost our two doggies last year (My sister’s dog Weezer, and our dog Goldie) it was sad, but it didn’t eat me up inside. I mourned their loss for a day and got on with my life. Being happy, grateful, and peaceful is a personal choice. You just have to decide.
You may be asking how I do this? Well, it began a while back, when I realized I was depending on outside circumstances for my happiness. As you can probably imagine, this is not an optimal way to live. So, I began looking around and found a philosophy called Stoicism. Here’s a link on Wikipedia if you want to check it out for yourself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism. This is a lengthy article, so you’ll want to make a cup of your favorite beverage before you start it. But it is worth it, if you are in the same situation I was a few years back, when I began searching for a new way to engage life. The primary tenet of Stoicism is to avoid being influenced or affected by things outside of us. It is not easy, initially, but it will come as you begin to see the wisdom in controlling the only thing you can–yourself.
Oh, before I forget, if you want to read some great books on this topic, check out books by Ryan Holiday. These I recommend: The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and The Daily Stoic. I’ve read all of them and they will provide you with all you need to pursue a Stoic’s way of life. One last note: The Daily Stoic is read daily for an entire year. It has a quote followed by Ryan’s explanation of it in real-world terms.
Have a great Thursday, folks.
Until next time…
Dave
15 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Spread Your Wings
Tags
2020, Grateful, Gratitude, journal, Now, Spread Your Wings, Weekly Challenge
Weekly Challenge: This week, as we approach Thanksgiving, write down everything you’re grateful for now and the things you are grateful for in 2020. I know some of this will be hard, because 2020 has been a terrible time for some of you. Do you best!
Until next time…
Dave
12 Thursday Nov 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
My sister just changed jobs and decided to move back home to get herself set up for the new position. It has been a great time so far. We hang out, we talk, we watch shows on TV, and we get to hang out more then when she was living a couple hours away.
It’s nice to have her home. I missed most of her life, while I was in the service, and living in different states after I retired. I know her, but really don’t. Now’s the time to get reacquainted and get to know her as an adult woman.
So today, I am grateful for my sister. She’s got a great sense of humor, works hard, and always contributing to the family. I couldn’t be happier that she is home. It’s a great thing.
Until next time…
Dave
29 Thursday Oct 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
comfortable chairs, Creature comforts, Grateful, hot meals, hot showers, Simple Things, Thankful, warm beds
Today, I’m grateful for the simple things. A comfortable bed. A hot shower. A nice reclining rocker.
One benefit of military service is the ability to enjoy these creature comforts because when you’re in the field, sleep, warm food, a comfortable bed, even a shower, is rare. I have something to compare these simple comforts with.
I’ve been out of the Army for 15 years, but still remember waking up in sub-zero temperatures, dreading the moment I had to get out of my warm sleeping bag, put on my boots, get my layered clothing on, and waiting for my butane burner to warm my first cup of coffee.
When I was in the field, particularly at night when I laid down, I thought of my girlfriends. After I was married, I thought about my wife. I remembered how soft she was, how warm it she was when we were together in bed, and how she smelled. I reminisced about her laugh, her smile, and the things we would do together when I returned.
When we did return, the reunions were awesome. Even when I was gone for a few weeks, it felt like I was gone for a year. That first hot shower was pure ecstasy. That first kiss was absolute bliss. The first warm meal at a restaurant or at home was heaven.
I’ve lost those feelings somewhat now that I’m out of the military, but from time-to-time, I remember how great it was to sleep in a warm bed after sleeping on the cold ground. I remember that first great meal, after eating cold MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). I remember that first embrace when I returned. So today, I’m grateful for the simple things.
Until next time…
Dave
22 Thursday Oct 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Today, I’m grateful for a food delivery service called DoorDash. I delayed using the service for a few months once the lockdown hit, but when we began using it, I was absolutely blown away. We have a few restaurants that we enjoy and DoorDash works with all of them.
We get food from Cracker Barrel, Red Lobster, Applebees, and Denny’s. Honestly, I’m the only one that likes Denny’s, and ordered a family breakfast one day. It was awesome!
I always enjoy a good pizza too. Hungry Howie’s is the pizza place of choice. So here’s to food delivery. It saves time, isn’t that pricey, and it makes life easy, especially when the restaurants were all closed down. It made making a dinner easy for us and it helped local restaurants keep their heads above water. It was a win-win.
Thanks DoorDash for the great service.
Until next time…
Dave
08 Thursday Oct 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
Education, Grateful, Harvard, information, MIT, Online Learning, Standford, Thankful, Yale, YouTube
I love learning new things. I like interesting ideas. YouTube provides so much access to so many interesting ideas.
Think about this. There are people paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for their university education. On YouTube, you can get access to these same colleges—for nothing.
You want to go to Harvard, Stanford, Yale, or Harvard?
Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MIT
https://www.youtube.com/user/YaleCourses
https://www.youtube.com/user/Harvard
https://www.youtube.com/user/StanfordUniversity
How about NASA?
https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAtelevision
On each one of these links there are hundreds of courses and educational videos available to you, if you want to take the time to watch and listen. I spend 2-3 hours a day learning to program, learning about history, learning about writing, learning about marketing, learning about anything and everything you could think of. Odds are—you’ll find someone on YouTube, willing to teach you.
Today, one of our blessings is access to information that can improve our lives. YouTube is one such source. So today, I am grateful for all the learning available to me on YouTube.
Have a great Thursday!
Until next time…
Dave
24 Thursday Sep 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
convenience, Food, fruits, Grateful, grocery, grocery stores, meat, Thankful, vegetables, Water
I’m reading a book about the 1700s and it reminded me how lucky we are to have grocery stores. People in the 1700s had to buy their own food, bake their own bread, make their own soups and stews, and a lot of other things we take for granted today.
I like grocery stores because of the variety of products available in a relatively small place. You can get fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, snacks, water, drinks, bakery goods. It is a benefit that most of us take for granted.
I typically go to the market once a week. I get everything I need. In other countries people go to their local grocer, baker, and butcher daily. I remember my days in Europe and this is the way they lived. Their apartments were small, so they had to keep their refrigerators small. This causes them to get foods daily. I miss the smell of the fresh breads in the bakeries cooking in the morning.
I also enjoy going to the market to just get out of the house. After being locked down for so much time, it’s nice to see other people and interact with them, even for a few minutes.
The next time you’re in a grocery store, take some time to think about our predecessors. It will provide you with a new found gratitude and wonder for your local grocer.
Until next time…
Dave
17 Thursday Sep 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
big city, Calm, convenience, Grateful, hometown, long lines, Peace, Quiet, Small town, Thankful, traffic
For most of my adult life, I have lived in big cities. My first big city was Berlin, W. Germany. It was the first time I lived in a major metropolitan area and the change was exciting. So many people. So many things to see. So many things to do. It was amazing to have access to literally anything I wanted and get something within a bus ride’s distance.
After living in West Germany, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, I have to say that I am enjoying the calm and peace of a small beach town. My hometown of Port Huron, Michigan is a terrific little place along the Michigan coast. We have our beaches, we have our unique restaurants and coffee shops, and most of all, we don’t have traffic jams or smog.
After watching all the craziness in places like Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, and New York, I am happy to be here, tucked away in this quaint beachside town and living a normal existence. It is a blessing.
Do I miss having access to tons of different cuisines, museums, sporting complexes, and other venues? Sure. It was terrific to be able to get in my car and have access to some of the luxuries available in a large, bustling city. But when I look at heavy traffic, long wait times for a restaurant, long wait times for a movie, or navigating my way through a large parking to find parking, those luxuries fall away. Now it takes me roughly 15 minutes to get to any part of town. If I want something that is not available in local stores, I order it on Amazon and it’s here in two days. If I go to a restaurant or movie theater, the wait time is maximally 15-20 minutes to get seated or get into the theater.
So today, I’m thankful to be living in a small town–my home town. Life is good.
Until next time…
Dave
03 Thursday Sep 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Reading is one of my blessings. My reading began as a young boy who wanted to emulate his folks. My Mom and Dad are both avid readers and introduced my brother, sister, and I to a wide range of topics, ranging from herbology, physics, history, politics, spiritual readings, and a whole other bunch of stuff.
I remember reading the Lord of the Rings and visiting this huge place with a history, dragons, wars, dwarves, elves, and orcs. A story filled with high adventure. Reading took me to places created by an author in their mind. This still blows me away.
Reading books also teaches us. Reading books by philosophers, scientists, politicians, generals, playwrights, authors, and many others are the greatest teachers. Each book changes us. They introduce us to new ideas, ones we may have never considered. These new ideas expand our awareness and shape the way we think.
Reading fiction is also a terrific way to learn. We experience the story through the eyes of the hero or heroine. We feel their pain. We weep when they are hurt; we applaud when they succeed. We see ourselves in each person we read about and experience what those heros and heroines experience. We learn through them as they change; they rise, they fall, and they resolve the problems they face in sometimes very dramatic ways.
So today, I am thankful for reading a great book. They have made my life richer, taught me a great deal, and most importantly, help me orient my thinking in ways that serve me in unpredictable ways.
To every author I have read. Thank you.
Until next time…
Dave
