SINCERE GRATITUDE CAN CREATE AN ABUNDANCE OF WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE.

I recently bought a train ticket and the first words on the reservation were “Thank you for choosing Amtrak”. Almost all services and products have a “thank you” on the receipt. There is a reason why companies and people express gratitude. It is a powerful emotion that creates more business for companies and more benefits for people. In fact, psychologists tell us that it can create wealth and happiness. Gratitude has been said to have one of the strongest links with mental health of any trait. Grateful people are more likely to have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress and depression. There are positive consequences from being a more grateful person!

So, how can we develop more of this valuable attitude that unleashes blessings? To begin with, we should all be grateful for the adventure that is life, including all of its twists and turns. When you feel grateful for existence itself, it becomes part of your identity. You are broadcasting gratitude all the time. Ultimately you attract circumstances that are beneficial for you. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important things you can do for attracting the things you desire into your life. According to Cicero, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”   Hey, thanks a lot for listening! I am very grateful. 

CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS_POLITICS & RELIGION

Last Wednesday I discussed politics. Now, I will discuss the other taboo subject. Religion is a very touchy subject that people either avoid or hide their true feelings. It is not a matter of what you know but it is a matter of what you believe. And what you believe depends on who your parents were and what experiences you have had. Both atheist and theist are usually dogmatic and unyielding in what they believe. No matter how reasonable your argument, you are not going to change what another person believes. You can’t reason a person out of a position that they didn’t reason themselves into in the first place. It’s just what they believe or have faith in. And that is why it is a subject that is usually avoided. It is a difficult subject to discuss. Nobody is going to change their mind so don’t try to win an argument. You are just wasting your breath!

I find agnosticism to be a perfectly respectable and tenable position. It is not dogmatic and makes no pronouncements about the ultimate truths of the universe. It remains open to evidence and persuasion; lacking faith it, never the less, does not deride faith. Atheism, on the other hand, is as unyielding and dogmatic about religious belief as true believers are about their faith. It tries to use scientific reasoning to demolish something that is not built upon reason but is built on faith. That ain’t gonna work! It has been my experience that there are good people in all the religious faiths as well as atheism. So let’s live and let live! That is my philosophy. Amen.

I TOLD YOU SO!

What a mess we are in. I tried to warn that this would happen but nobody listened. On May 18, 2010, my blog was written about the dangers of too much debt in our government. I said a crisis was coming and a time of reckoning: http://freelancethinker1.blogspot.com/2010/05/mysterious-dumbness-in-our-land-why.html   “Fueled by President Obama’s huge stimulus package, the US budget deficit is projected to exceed $1.6 Trillion! Spending, borrowing, and debt are out of control. This is a dire situation. This is an unmanageable burden on future generations. We must stop the dumbness in Washington.”

We are now on an unsustainable path with a credit rating reduction and a crashing stock market. The only good thing about it is that we have hit bottom. When a drug addict hits bottom, he is usually ready to reform and kick the habit. Let’s hope our representatives are now ready to kick the debt habit. If they don’t, let’s hope our citizens are ready to kick their collective ass!! I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take any more dumbness from Washington. How about you?

WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

This past week I attended a wedding reception and a funeral. Both were emotionally moving experiences. The wedding was for a young friend and the funeral was for an old friend. The young friend’s event reminded me of my own wedding.  I was excited, worried but hopeful that everything would turn out alright. Everything turned out more than alright. My lovely bride and I have had a terrific marriage that has produced 5 children and 10 grandchildren (so far). To say that we have been blessed would be an understatement!

The old friend’s event was expected but still sad. She was an 88 year old woman who had been a good friend of my wife and my wife’s parents. The parents are gone and so is their friend. The dear departed one had many friends and a large loving family. I have many fond memories of some good times with her and my wife’s parents. Part of the joy of marriage comes from involvement with your spouse’s family. Families joining other families through marriage can be a very good thing!

HAVE YOU ATTAINED SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE?

Success is subjective. It is different for everyone. What is your definition? To some it is creating a multi-million dollar business. To others it is a fulfilling career as a respected teacher. Usually it is a combination of things—health, happiness, material prosperity, love of family and friends, wisdom, influence, and fulfillment of goals. And to still others it is simply, am I leaving this world a better place? Some people think success is providing for their family and imparting a legacy of love and integrity that their parents gave to them. Shared happiness is a form of success. And feeling comfortable and right in your own skin brings peace of mind which is a kind of success.

There are many definitions but my favorite one, and the one I have made my own, is Ralph Waldo Emerson’s definition of success: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”  I am still working on it. How about you?

SOME VICES IN MODERATION ARE GOOD FOR YOU.

Frontier Bullet Bourbon with a Troya Clasico cigar from Nicaragua enjoyed on a bench at the end of my dock on a perfect summer evening at sunset on a beautiful lake made me feel like Mark Twain. No way can that be bad for you. In fact, it was pretty damn good! It enabled me to reminisce about how lucky I am to be where I am at this point in my life. Maybe I made some good decisions but mostly, I have been very lucky and I am thankful for that. Living on a lake and having the love of a wonderful wife and large family is a terrific thing. My children and grandchildren make me happy by visiting and enjoying our lake house. My first born son, Micah John, has stirred up some new excitement for us by acquiring a ski boat that now sits on the side of our dock. It is a Master Craft Prostar Signature Ski Boat with a Corvette, 8 cylinder, engine. It is a fast, hot boat that will require careful attention to safety and proper operation.

Because it is an inboard engine, anyone who operates it must be extremely careful about the potential explosion hazard created by gas fumes in the engine compartment. Prior to starting the engine, you must open the engine box and check the engine compartment and bilge for gasoline and oil vapors; you must operate the blower for at least 4 minutes. Failure to do so may result in an explosion that could blow you to kingdom come! That would really spoil our fun. Many boating accidents are caused by the operator’s failure to follow basic safety rules or written precautions. Most accidents can be avoided if the operator is completely familiar with the boat and its operation. That is why no one is allowed to use this boat until they have read the owner’s manual and been instructed on proper operation. It’s going to be a lot of fun but we must be very careful!!

GET DNA FROM EVERY AMERICAN?

DNA testing is associated with crime detection but it can be used to improve the life of a person. By using the Life Map determined from their DNA, it is possible to determine various things that will benefit that person. DNA testing permits individuals to find out what diseases they are most likely to develop, which can allow them to take preventative steps and avoid the onset of the diseases. One of the most promising aspects of DNA research is the concept of so-called "personalized medicine," which would permit doctors to custom-tailor a medication to fit a person's unique genetic makeup. This could greatly reduce complications and increase the effectiveness of treatments. Every American could be required to have a DNA test, with the results stored in a national database. Of course, there would have to be protection against the use of this information by employers and insurance companies for purposes of discrimination.

A national database could be cross-checked against DNA found at crime scenes to help find persons guilty of rape and murder. It could also be used to clear innocent persons who have been wrongly accused. A DNA database with strong privacy safeguards could actually make Americans more secure against erroneous prosecutions and attacks. If one of your neighbors is secretly having sex with your horse, you could determine who it is. Or if an inebriated new mother pulls out her breast and squirts you with her breast milk, you can prosecute her. Yes, these two incidents were recently in the news. Bizarre but true! It would be easy to collect the DNA by requiring a swab of the inner cheek when applying for a driver’s license. Should we do it? What do you think? Please let me know.