On this Thanksgiving Eve, I write and post this Rambling. I wish everyone of my followers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Check out this short video on gratitude and seeing the “beautifully” things in life.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2ofrX7jAk&sns=em

If you were to wear a t-shirt with your personal motto for how you try to live your life, what would it say?

Here’s mine. I would leave it at that with the hope that an inquisitive soul with something on their mind other than the weather or sports would ask me about the 3 C’s.

Thankful, Gratitude, and 3 C’s

 

Challenge, Choice, and Change

I am very thankful for many aspects of my life: my children, my health, my extended family, my friends, and the service of those around me who are selfless in their acts. This is not to say my life is perfect—as I (like most people) have been dealt some cards in life that I would not choose. However, I do have a choice as to how I will live my life despite adversity and challenges.

I believe life deals us cards that God knew were going to be dealt. I also believe he watches with anticipation as to how we actually respond as compared to how we should respond.

Over the past few years I have learned about the power of intentionality, thankfulness, and gratitude as they are at the core of who we are and who we become. What do you think?

As I sit here this morning, I’m reflecting on this very aspect of life and how I do my best in responding to life’s challenges and the cards I’ve been dealt. My response may be dramatically different than how others react. I need to be true to myself and do what is right, whether someone is looking or not. I believe we must stick to our beliefs and our values. Isn’t that one of the great things about life? Everyone is entitled to have opinions of their own, however, the ways we react and express those opinions impact ourselves as well as how those around us view us.

This brings me to the 3 C’s:

• We all are confronted with Challenges—that’s part of living a wholehearted and engaging life. We are dealt cards not expected, we are confronted with outcomes we may not agree with, yet not everything outside our “personal desires” needs to be a challenge, some are great opportunities.
• With a challenge we have a Choice as to how we react and behave. With an inquisitive mind and by asking questions we may learn another perspective. If we can master the ability to be agreeable in what may be a disagreeable situation we do not alienate others. In fact, if we can find a way to express our personal perspective which may disagree with others, in a respectful manner, we may alter the other’s perspective whereas if a disagreeable reaction is done in an argumentative and attacking manner it only alienates the relationship. We have a choice!
• Change becomes an option to consider, not easy to do, but clearly possible. You can change your perspective, change how you engage in a positive, respectful manner. Although you may disagree with something or someone else, portraying an open mind brings the relationship closer. There are times that agreeing to disagree is alright as we don’t need to agree 100 percent with others to maintain a robust, intimate, and caring relationship

All too often, thankfulness and gratitude have become a lost value and art.

 I am not implying that everyone has lost the ability to kindly express opinions and objections without being snarky or causing someone to feel they are “walking on egg shells.” Nor do I believe everyone has lost the ability to be thankful or filled with gratitude. What I am attempting to express is that far too often we fail to object and express a counter opinion in an agreeable fashion and to express and demonstrate thankfulness and gratitude. Sometimes we may go on the offensive, think we have “won” an argument or discussion, only to later discover we lost a great deal, perhaps even a relationship. Have you ever been in a situation where the recipient of a gift reacted in a way, either verbally or nonverbally, that said, “this is not what I want”? Perhaps the message even went as far as to say until they got what they wanted, the relationship would not move forward. We have all been told, “life is not fair.” Fairness is most often in the eye of the recipient. However, I believe what is truly fair is the choice that God has given us to act with grace and gratitude. God sits back to watch if we have chosen to accept these gifts or reject them in the spirit they were given. Far too often people are so inward, so self-centered, so entitled, that they win the battle but lose the war as a recipient of opportunities. To live as though everything has to be done our own way or to our own liking, I think, in my opinion, is an incredibly sad way to live life.

During this Thanksgiving week, I wish all of you a Very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. May you find time to reflect on the gifts you have been given, to be thankful for the bountiful blessings you have, and to look outward and demonstrate with gratitude how fortunate you are.

When it comes to currency, what are you carrying around with you every day? If someone asked you to empty your pocket, brief case, or purse what would they see? What might those items reveal about you as a person? If you don’t mind, dig in now and see what you find. Think about these items and the importance they hold in your life as well as what they say about you. When you leave the house for the day, what do you make sure you bring with you?

Think about each item and ask yourself, how important are each of these items?

Debit or credit card: Yes, that piece of plastic can bring about instant gratification for our wants as well as the necessities. How many do you have in your wallet? What if you were without your “cards” for one day. Would you survive? Most likely you would.

Cash: Like your debit or credit card, cold hard cash facilitates our daily wants and needs. What is your philosophy about how much you carry with you? What does the amount you carry say about you?

Driver’s license: What does your ID say about you? While it shares some personal information about us (hair color, height, weight, home address) it would be hard for someone to learn much about us simply by looking at it. It certainly says nothing about how we live our lives or what we believe.

Address book:  Perhaps you have an actual address book, is yours full? Or maybe your phone serves as your address book. I’m guessing it includes contact information for your good friends, family members, colleagues, your doctor, your barber or hair stylist, and more. Some of these individuals know you well. Are there a few that truly know who you are at your core and understand your values? Or, perhaps in place of an address book someone could look at your Facebook page to find a list of your friends. Our address book and/or Facebook friends can offer a glimpse into who we are as we often associate with others who have values similar to our own.

I received this on my Facebook page a few months ago. . .it does make me smile.  

A book: We may choose books that challenge our intellect and expand our perspectives, or perhaps they relax or entertain us. Books allow us to dream, think, and reflect. Books add substance to life, to conversation, to relationships. Books can open up the world for us and take us outside our “bubble.” The books we choose can help define (and in some cases, refine) who we are at our core. An acquaintance once suggested, “Give me five minutes to walk around a person’s house, see the books on their shelves and what they read, and I will tell you a great deal about who they are.”

Cell phone: Depending on how it is used, our cell phone may hold greater value than we truly appreciate. Yes, we can contact others quickly with a call or a text. And while many of us may feel we’d be lost without our phones, in truth, our phones, like the other items listed above are simply tools, impersonal forms of “currency.” While none of these items are critically important in defining who we are, they are, arguably, necessary for making our 21^st century living a little easier.

I believe there is another kind of currency that brings relevance to our lives, a currency that is far more valuable than anything else referenced, a currency that, like a brand, reflects who we are in the world.

What is the currency that defines who we truly are, not just what we do or have—What currency reflects what is at our core and can positively impact those around us?

IT IS THE CURRENCY OF: INTEGRITY, TRUST, LOYALTY, PASSION, FAITH, and COMPASSION.

Integrity – Do you do what is right regardless of whether there’s someone watching?

Trust – Do you do what you say and say what you do? Do those around you know you can be counted on?

Loyalty – Do you stand by those around you, are you an ardent supporter of your friends and associates? Will you tell them when they are right and when they are wrong?

Passion – As defined by Encarta, passion is “the object of somebody’s intense interest or enthusiasm.” Are you committed with enthusiasm to a person, purpose, cause, or idea? Are you eager and enthused to see results and to help others succeed? Can you express yourself through an attitude, behavior, or intense action?

Faith – Do you believe in a higher power? Do you believe what you cannot touch and have faith that we are not in absolute control? Do you have a belief that guides your attitudes, behavior, decision making and how you interact with others?

Compassion – Compassion, according to Encarta can be defined as having “sympathy for the suffering of others, often including a desire to help.” I may challenge the word “sympathy” as it can portray a negative connotation, I feel that “empathy and active, intentional care” is a better way to define it. To have compassion is to have a caring heart that is selfless and outward in how we live our lives.

Lastly, I would like to add LOVE to this list of currencies that define, shape, and reveal who we truly are at our core.

Fill your pockets with real and lasting currency! Are you happy or content with the amount of currency you’re carrying around with you, the kind that defines and shapes who you are? What could you do to increase it?