Grateful

  I am feeling especially Grateful this week.  For most of you who know me, you now that I am a fairly positive person.  I don't like to focus on the negative.  But, I have to admit 2012 was a pretty tough year for me.  Yes, I lost my father at the beginning of the year.   I also however, was hurt by someone that I loved and trusted.  It was then that I started to lose faith.  I started to lose faith in humanity really.  I had this thought that no matter what I did, people were always going to try and take advantage of, or hurt me in some  way.  

    Luckily I signed up for a 6 month long “Train the Trainers” course through a company called Productive Learning and Leisure.  I have been taking weekend courses through PL&L for about 3 years now and this was the logical next step.  Thanks to PL&L I was able to start sorting through and challenging my unproductive thinking.

     I also started to be thankful for the little things and some not so little things.  I was Grateful and thanked God for my children.  Grateful for my mother, my husband, extended family and friends.  I even started being thankful for my soft bed, fuzzy pajamas and our dogs that drive me crazy.  What I found was, the more grateful I had become for the small things, the more wonderful the world around me became.

     Today, I am grateful to live in a community full of people who are so willing to give.  I am grateful for some of the best clients in the world and for all the wonderful people I met last month.  I am in awe that we could throw out an idea about a food drive and have such an overwhelming response.

     Thank you to all who participated in the “WIPE OUT” hunger event at Kelly’s Automotive Service.    Some of you donated more than your fair share, some helped with publicity and others offered to help make this an even better event next year.  Most of all, thank you for reminding me how wonderful people can be.  Thank you for helping to restore my faith and reminding me that if we work together anything is possible. 

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” 

― Maya Angelou

     My hope in writing this blog is that you can learn from the lessons I have already been given.  I know for sure my learning is never done and I hope I can pass something useful on to you.