Gratitude Quote: Quoting myself

“Gratitude lights up my inner world and I feel as if I glow.”  ~ Wendy Meg Siegel

What can I say, but when I fully allow myself to get caught up in a state of gratitude, I feel as if I am filled with light. The glow begins at the heart, as it's center, and then it grows from there until I am fully lit from within. In those moments, I know my being cannot contain the expansiveness of that light and it seems as if it must be radiating out from my core to my entire world.

True gratitude begins with and flows from the heart.

Gratitude Quote: Stendl-Rast

"Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hand, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy - because we will always want to have something else or something more." by Brother David Stendl-Rast

Gratitude is an easy path to happiness. Grateful people find greater satisfaction with their lives and experience a higher level of happiness. They are able to find the good in the ordinary and difficult moments, not just the wonderful times. Their perspective on life has them looking for the positives even in the most difficult of times.

To learn more about Brother David Stendl-Rast visit: Gratefulness.org

New Gratitude Quote: Richards

“Grateful souls focus on the happiness and abundance present in their lives and this in turn attracts more abundance and joy towards them.”  ~ Stephen Richards

A positive attitude is the natural result of gratitude. It generates a greater sense of optimism. Grateful people are better able to see the positives even in the challenges. They are able to focus on and appreciate what they have rather than on what might be perceived as missing. Grateful individuals become more "attractive", attracting more to be grateful for because it is in alignment with the way they view their lives and the world around them.

Doing Something I Love Everyday

Doing Something I Love Everyday

I began this year with a commitment to 30 Days of Creativity in January.  Now that it's February, I've made a new 29 day commitment. I plan to do something I love each day throughout the month. Above, is the chart I created for recording at least one thing each day. To get me started, I generated a list of 20 things I enjoy doing. The list serves as a visual reminder of some of the things that make me feel happy. On the right side I've left space to jot down the happy things I do for me, day by day.

This is not the first time I have done this for myself and it happens to be one of the exercises I included in Parenting the Gratitude Habit. In March of 2013, I made the commitment to post 30 Days of Gratitude Photos. Knowing I was going to be posting a photo each day, meant I needed to carry my camera with me wherever I went. I loved that month. It seemed that as the month progressed, I became happier and happier. I was doing something I loved, each and every day.

So, I am planning to fully enjoy the month of February... a month of increasing happiness.

So, what about you? Want to join me in this?
Wishing you a Happy February!!

Gratitude Quote: Chesterton

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” 
~ G. K. Chesterton

When we are thankful, we are able to focus on the good things in life. When our focus is on appreciation, we are able to perceive the world in a positive light. And in doing so, we instill our moments with happiness. Gratitude is truly a means for achieving more happiness in our lives.

It is through this mindset that we can experience the wonders of our environment and the fact of our very existence.

Benefits of Gratitude #1: Happiness

Increased Joy and Happiness 

Grateful people have an overall higher level of happiness and satisfaction with their lives. They are more easily able to keep the “ups and downs” of life in perspective and look at the good, even during difficult times.

A Video: An Experiment in Happiness

The video starts out by saying that "Psychologists have scientifically proven that one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness, in your life, is how much gratitude you show." Watch to see the experiment they set up to prove those studies.

The Gratitude Habit: My Favorite Quote

Eight Days to the Book's One Year Anniversary

Today I thought I'd share my favorite "quote" from The Gratitude Habit: 365 Day Journal and Workbook. It's funny to call it a quote since it's from my book.

"Happiness is not based on the occasional
grand things that happen in your life.
It comes from acknowledging the
steady flow of moments to appreciate."

I originally posted this statement on Facebook back in April. It was the second excerpt from the journal I shared and it was new for me. I chose a photo I had taken with the reflection of sunlight on the rippling waters of the river. Then I played with the font style, color, and size. I've created many more images since, with words and photos. I am still learning and growing as I develop a style of combining the two.

Prior to this year, I had a desire to play with text in paintings or photos. I'm so glad I've taken the opportunity to do so this year and it's just the beginning. I'm getting more comfortable with the overall look and development of a "text image." It feels like a new medium to me. I must admit that I wonder about introducing letters and words into my paintings. Hmmm...