Thursday, March 27, 2014

Gratitude - A Way of Life

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy



I've posted a few times on Gratitude, including a post titled "Develop an Attitude of Gratitude" which explained the original reason for starting my Gratitude Journal.

I have many reasons to wallow in self pity:
- I have a prodigal son & 3 grandchildren who I (and all my family) never see
- I sustained permanent injuries from a car accident which changed my life & stole my independence
- I have a degenerative autoimmune arthritic disease which affects every joint in my body
- I live daily with chronic joint & nerve pain

BUT... when I find myself heading down the road of self pity, I force myself to look at the positives in my life (because there really are so many)

- I'm alive
- I am blessed with a wonderful, supportive husband to walk this difficult journey with
- I am blessed with 4 beautiful children. Although I only see 3, those 3 are incredibly loving, supportive & caring towards me and one another
- I have a wonderful team of medical professionals looking after me
- I have my photography which allows me to get totally lost in capturing the beauty of creation & life
- I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear & food to eat
- There are so many worse off than I am
- I could go on....



It's easy to be grateful when things are going well. It takes courage & strength to be grateful when life is difficult. When you choose a life of gratitude, you effectively reduce stress & worry, your relationships improve and you discover happiness you never thought possible.

GRATITUDE... Try it! It works!


** Both images taken on the Hastings river, Port Macquarie, NSW during our holiday there last September.**

Linking up with these memes:

http://skyley.blogspot.com.au/          Little by Little

20 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Wow, these are lovely sky captures. The colors are stunning and the scenery is beautiful. Have a happy day!

Arija said...

Wonderful photos and I live by the same philosophy, no matter what, there is so much more to be grateful for. Bless you.

Nancy said...

Love the tonal qualities of the first image Liz.

tiarastantrums said...

glad to see you are focusing on the positive!

Kim Cunningham said...

Beautiful post. I love your outlook of gratitude in the midst of some very painful and hurtful circumstances. There is always thanksgiving and hope! Beautiful colors in your images!

Karen said...

What fabulous colours in these photos Liz! Both scenes are so peaceful looking. Just gorgeous!

You have a great attitude. I too try to focus on the positive. I understand what it's like to live with pain and disability every day. I have Multiple Sclerosis and Transverse Myelitis, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of me enjoying life.

Kim Stevens said...

Oh Liz, these are just breathtaking...and yes, gratitude unlocks joy.

Jaymi said...

Wow I love the colors in that first shot. The pink and turquoise are incredible!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Beautiful shots- and a great list of reasons to be grateful.

Dotti said...

You have stated a philosophy that I try to honor in my life each day. Sometimes it is hard, but really, it's the only way. That JFK quote is one of my favorites and I have it on a postcard on my bulletin board, where I see it each day.

Brian King said...

Gorgeous photos, Liz!

TexWisGirl said...

just beautiful!

Jim said...

What spectacular colours.

Rajlakshmi said...

Ohh wow look at the view. Stunning :) brilliantly captured

Pat Tillett said...

You have a fantastic outlook on life. I totally agree with you about gratitude. These photos are so beautiful. Thanks!

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

La foto n° 1 รจ "MAGNIFICA" !!!
Myriam :)

Light and Voices said...

I am grateful for these moments you shared with the world today.
JM Illinois
U.S.A.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

I like your thoughts on gratitude and your photography as well! Wonderful post.

Ela said...

Wonderful photos and so beautiful colors of the sky !

Michael S-B said...

Lovely photos, Liz. And yes, it's so important to be grateful, to live a life of gratitude :)

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