Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.~Harriet Tubman

photo courtesy of NASA

Consider your passions today for they will guide you to your goals. Practice doing what you love and you will find ways to go beyond what you ever dreamed possible. Your passion will carry you through, but you need to be ready to follow wherever your passion leads.

Whether you are a writer, an artist or simply want to make the world a better place, you can do it by following your heart and your passion.

Look for opportunities to use your skills and passion to go forward, today.

Today, I am grateful for a heart filled with passion and the patience to follow where it may lead. I am grateful for opportunities to use my skills to better the world. I am grateful for the vision to see opportunities at every turn, the courage to pursue them and the knowledge that I can achieve whatever my heart desires.

I am grateful for brightly colored leaves that bid farewell to summer and announce the arrival of fall, for pungent fragrance of fallen leaves and winter birds that return to my feeder.

I am grateful for country air, the magnificent blue jay and chickadees that sing their merry song. I am grateful for the ability to reach the world from the comfort of my home, for computers that make my task easy, and for electricity to keep my world afloat.

I am grateful for family and friends who make my life whole, for little children who relish the wonders of newly fallen leaves, and dogs that chase busy squirrels as they prepare for winter.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your passion be great and and your heart be warm as you go forth to pursue your dreams and goals today.

There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.  ~Robert Brault








photo by earl53

Consider what you choose to focus your energy on today. Each of us holds the power to to focus on the good things in life and celebrate the events and people in our lives that bring joy and peace into the world. Look for those special occasions in your life that give you cause to celebrate and let them be your focus.

Make a decision to cultivate a positive attitude about yourself and about your life. If you hold ill feelings toward another or harbor resentments and hurt today, make a decision to let them go. They can only hold you down and rob you of your joy. Lift up your heart and your life to the light today and celebrate.

Today I am grateful for a good night's sleep, for a soft pillow on which to rest my head and comfortable blankets to keep me warm. I am grateful for streaks of sun that tell me it is time to awake. I am grateful for pouncing cats, ambitious dogs and cawing crows that announce the beginning of a new day.

I am grateful for a day off from work so I can gather my thoughts and refresh my mind for another week. I am grateful for the great oceans that I know exist beyond my view, mountains that stand strong against the storm, and forests.

I am grateful for family and friends that bring me strength, for online friends who lift others up when they are down, and those who will cross my path as I follow my dreams and strive to reach my goals.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you find much to celebrate today as you lift up your heart and seek all that is good in the world. 

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson






photo by nrichford

So often in life, we become so focused on the thistles that we forget to see their beauty. Consider the lowly thistle today. It's prickers are sharp and it can be an annoyance, but with its bloom it brings us the soft down that serves to line the nests of the striking Goldfinch and inspired Clement Clark Moore when writing "Twas the Night Before Christmas."


If you have ever seen the down of a thistle as it floats through the air then "Away they all flew like the down of a thistle" takes on new meaning.


Examine the thistles in your life, today and consider what hidden beauty they may hold.
Sometimes, we become so focused on the things we do not want in our lives that we forget they may have gifts to bear. That momentary set back may well be a sign to take stock of your life, change your focus and look for undiscovered treasures. Take a moment today and seek out the beauty around you and appreciate all that you have. Only by deep appreciation and gratitude for what life has given us can we go forward to attain seemingly unreachable goals. 

Today, I am grateful for misty air that once again promises rain, for the squirrel that stamps his angry feet to scare me from his path and for soft gray clouds that envelop my world. I am grateful for dancing leaves, thistle blossoms and bold wild flowers. I am grateful for another day to share my thoughts, to laugh and to enjoy the wonders of the world around me.


I am grateful for new babies and I am grateful for those yet to be born as they have much to give to this world. I am grateful that my heart holds compassion for those who struggle, that I have eyes that see beyond the surface and the drive to make a difference. I am grateful for family and friends who help me make sense of the world when it becomes confusing, from guidance from an unseen force that I call God when I lose my way, and for the knowledge that the path is always open if I but open my eyes and see it.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader as you stop and share my day. May you take the time to see the beauty around you today as you go forth to reach your goals.

Attitude of Mind

We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them. ~Elbert Hubbard Life is an interesting journey to say the least. Here we are in a physical body that we can touch and feel and we begin to believe it is who we are. Yet, we instinctively know the mind is more powerful and has the amazing capacity to influence the body and the world around us. The fact that friends often express the same attitudes towards life should come as no surprise. You may think it is because friends have common likes and dislikes that help to develop the attitude, but I'm not so sure that's the reason. Attitude is a choice. It's not something that happens to you. It's not something you are born with. Attitude is an active choice that you make every minute of the day! You are free to change your attitude at any time. You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.~ Richard Bach Think about that for a moment. Our attitude colors how we see the world and even colors how we see our past. With a mere shift in attitude, our past changes. We all know that children raised in the same family often tell drastically different versions of their childhood, yet they were raised together and the majority of their experiences were the same. One recalls the negative influences and their years of want; while the other recalls the joyous years filled with love and compassion. What accounts for the vast differences in their memories? Attitude. The same is true of the future. Developing an Attitude of Gratitude can lift you beyond the everyday events of your life and allow you to experience the joy you were meant to feel. Won't you join me in my journey? Today, I am grateful for a cool house that shades me from effects of the sun. I am grateful for freedom of speech and the ability to share my thoughts. I am grateful for the technology to reach people across the world. I am grateful for family and friends who fill me with hope and joy. And I am grateful for you, dear reader, who is ready to change your world by developing an attitude of gratitude. May you have a blessed day!