“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” Albert Schweitzer
“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” Brian Tracy
On the site, www.endlessthankyous.com , Travis Loriano, life coach and mentor, and Founder of Endless Possibilities, LLC and The Thank You Experiment, is interviewed. He talks about being conscious of blessings in our life which is easy to take for granted (like our heartbeat, breath/oxygen in our lungs, water, food), and expressing and saying thank you for them. He speaks of magical things that happen because of this gratitude. The Thank You Experiment is about trying it for a period of time and see what blessings come to your life. This also requires being open to miracles whether they are simple, or significant miracles, rather than discounting them as mere coincidences or things that are “givens” in our lives.
I wholeheartedly agree. This experiment is also something I’ve done for many years now too! Gratitude is indeed magical. Along with saying thank you for every single blessing I have in my life, I have found the blessing of saying thank you even for the seemingly “bad” things that happen in my life as well.
Since I don’t know how the “pieces of the puzzle” will ultimately come together, I shouldn’t have judgments on whether they are good or bad. They just may be those blessings in disguise that saved my life. Not to mention, instead of using energy to dwell on these “bad” things, energy can be used to create, explore and enjoy what brings us joy.
Something else that Travis mentioned at the beginning of his interview was about what he recites in the morning. This reminded me of an excerpt from my Feel the Breeze CD liner notes accompanying the song that I wrote, “What Would You Do” that I’ll share here:
“Everyday, I try to wake up with a smile on my face. I get on my knees and look up to the sky. I humbly thank God for my blessings… From being alive, healthy, having a roof over my head, food to eat, clothing on my back, my loved ones, and everything I easily take for granted but try not to while in the midst of it all. I make a plan for the day that will help me accomplish tasks. I also plan my goals months and years down the road, or do periodic checks to see how I’m progressing. I consciously try to reflect and remind myself of the life I genuinely want to live, then go out and just live it, no excuses. Some days, I take a day off from it all, and just relish every second of every moment.
This song was originally titled “If You Could Live.” It was never completed to the point that I felt it would be powerful enough. Later I found new inspiration to write this song using the same concept and lyrics, and feel it is my 100% expression of the original idea.”
Click to hear the song “What Would You Do”.
This foundation of gratitude can set the stage for a joyous relationship with ourselves, which then resonates with others, and ultimately, our planet.
Visit www.TraciToguchi.com for previous blogs from Traci.
Happy Day 2 of the New Year!
For the past several years, I’ve visited temples for the new year. Of course, visiting temples throughout the year is ideal (and I do visit them from time to time), however there’s definitely a special feeling of visiting a temple for the new year.
Kindness, tranquility, and generosity are among words to describe my experiences. It’s a gift to be able to enter the grounds, wash your hands, pray, ring the huge bell, receive a blessing from the priest, receive blessing trinkets for a minimal donation, and a little new year’s treat (candy and/or taste of sake).
This is from the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii:
Visit to the shrine on New Year’s has been a Japanese-American tradition since the arrival of the immigrants to Hawaii over a century ago. It is both a “Japanese” and “Shinto” practice because the cultural practice is inseparably intertwined with Shinto rituals. Locally, the visit consists of the following steps:
- Visit shrine from midnight on, throughout the day, and for several days after New Year’s.
- Enter the shrine through the Torii, wash hands at the basin, symbolically also cleansing inner-self.
- Approach the shrine below the bell and ring the bell by pulling/shaking the lanyard (suspended rope).
- Clap the palms of your hands 4 times and bow head before the priest’s assistant waves a wooden wand with white paper. After the blessings, clap palms 4 times. (Before and after blessing Izumo Taisha claps 4 times; other shrines clap hands 2 times.)
- Walk down the steps to buy different types of amulets (ofuda, omamori) for protection of home, business, car, as well as for protection of persons, study, travel, and for other occasions. Old amulets are returned [Traci's note: I had no idea! I used to keep all mine since I was a kid!]
The religious purpose of the New Year’s visit is: to express gratitude for past blessings, cleanse our inner-self with a renewed effort to lead a good life, pray for the well-being of family, business, and pray for peace.
Here’s a site about Japanese temples:
www.japan-guide.com/e/e2058.html
Please visit www.TraciToguchi.com for previous blogs from Traci.
Had this quote on my Starbucks cup last night:
If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven’t lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey.
- Apolo Anton Ohno, Five Time Olympic Medalist
This quote came up today in a conversation with a friend about how my life has come to be about enjoying the journey rather than focusing on gratifications of the result.
I always heard those quotes like, “It’s about the journey and not the destination,” and I would think, “yeah, yeah.” Now I not only know it, I can say that I live it.
To do your personal best, whatever the outcome, is living. It’s the soul’s fulfillment of knowing that no matter how other people interpret your efforts doesn’t matter. It’s about the feeling that you know and walk away with your head held high in gratitude.
I love the line I believe I read from one of Louise Hay’s books:
What you think of me is none of my business.
Impress YOURSELF.