Thank You, Dorothy, That was Delicious!

"Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you..." (Brian Tracy)

On Boxing Day, we were sitting at my parents' dining room table digesting a second Christmas dinner when my sister Laurie asked:  "Why Dad do you never thank Mom for a delicious dinner?  It doesn't matter whether she feeds you a turkey dinner with all the trimmings or wieners and beans, you never say thank you." (paraphrased)

I pointed out that that was not the case with our Grandad Tufts.  As Mom said:  "Whenever Grandad ate a meal, he would say to Grandma:  'Thank you very much, Dorothy, that was delicious.'  Grandma could make him two peas and he would say:  'Thank you very much, Dorothy, that was delicious.'" Grandad practised gratitude.  Not surprisingly, he was a happy person.  And he lived a long life.    

According to motivational guru Zig Zigler, without gratitude, happiness is rare.  When we neglect to require our children to say please and thank you, to be aware of their blessings, their is a much greater chance we will raise unhappy children.  Zig Zigler, one of eleven children, was dirt poor.  He lost his father at the tender age of six.  His mother, however, always made sure that her children knew that she loved them and that God loved them.  She also taught them a strong work ethic.  "Her formula of work, love and faith made their difficult lives easier," according to Zigler.

Zigler suffered a family tragedy when his young daughter Suzan passed away as a child.  At the funeral, even though he was grieving, he said:  "We have no regrets.  She knew we loved her."  The bereaved father, shook hands and smiled at the guests, even offering others solace.  Zigler never neglected to count his blessings.  

Something as simple as keeping a gratitude journal can make us aware of our blessings.  And we don't have to wait for the big things in life to make us happy; we can rejoice in the small things. Publicist Malcolm Margolin talked about making an observation during a rainstorm:  "The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world."  

Gratitude doesn't just make us happier but also healthier, building our immunity system, strengthening our heart and improving our sleep habits.  So, the next time your wife cooks you a turkey dinner (or wieners and beans), take the time to say thank you.  You'll be a happier person because of it (so will your wife).

For more information read Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan at http://www.amazon.com/Attitudes-Gratitude-10th-Anniversary-Ed/dp/1573244112.

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Why Success Often Begins With Failure

"Behind every success story is an embarrassing first effort, a stumble, a setback, a radical change in direction." (Amy Crawford)

Think back to your child's first steps.  I know when Thomas learned to walk, he didn't just decide to take off one day.  He started with rolling over...crawling...pulling himself to a standing position... furniture walking...and then taking off for a Christmas stocking hanging on the door knob.  

It's the same with riding a bike.  When Jacqueline first learned to ride a bike, we took her to the church parking lot.  She rode around it several times on her training wheels.  One day, Thomas took the training wheels off her bicycle and she rode on the grass beyond the parking lot (just in case she wiped out).  After some wobbling, she started to balance on the bicycle.  The next day, she took off across the parking lot.  

Failure is an essential part of success.  And yet we try so hard to avoid it.  Seth Fiegerman discovered this to be true after graduating from New York University, landing a research editor job at Playboy, and promptly being laid off.  While at the magazine, he had discovered archives interviews with celebrities from Marlon Brando to Malcolm X.  The common thread in most of the interviews was how the celebrities turned their failures into successes.  

Seth realized that perseverance, not innate talent, was each celebrities most important asset.  He started a website, OpeningLines.org, illustrating the origin's of famous people's careers.  In the meantime, the unemployed writer was able to secure a job at a tech news website.

Thomas Edison, more than most, knew the value of failure.  Failure was what led to many of his 2,332 inventions including the incandescent light bulb.  The inventor explained that:  "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."  

It seems like the only failure is in giving up, or in not trying in the first place.  Whether your task is something as unusual as inventing a light bulb, or as commonplace as learning how to walk, the key is to embrace failure...until you succeed.

For more information, read http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-the-best-success-stories-often-begin-with-failure-3851517/.

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Conceive, Believe, Achieve

"Imagination rules the world." (Napoleon Bonaparte)

Since today is the first day of 2015, I thought it would be a good day to focus on goals.  Anyone who reads my posts regularly knows that my dream is to publish a book.  My goal is easily identifiable.  Is it achievable, though?

Read my post "Whoever Believes Will Achieve" (http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2012/11/whoever-believes-will-achieve.html).  What stuck out in my mind when I re-read it recently was that the mind makes little or no distinction between image and reality if the image is vivid enough.  That is powerful stuff!  

Successful athletes use visualization techniques to improve their performance.  Once such athlete, Mary Lou Retton, used to carry around index cards to help her visualize nailing a gymnastics routine. Her Olympic medal haul included one gold, two silver and two bronze.

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." 

Napoleon Hill, author of the above quote, is a believer in visualization.  According to Brian Tracy, author of Goals:  How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible (see http://www.amazon.ca/Goals-Everything-Faster-Thought-Possible/dp/1605094110visualization) visualization activates "the law of attraction", drawing people, circumstances and resources into your life to help you achieve that goal.  Tracy also maintains that visualization activates "the law of correspondence".  If you change your mental pictures inside, it will change your outside world. You become what you think about most of the time.  

Brian Tracy says visualization includes four parts:

1.  frequency:  how often do you spend visualizing an image 

2.  duration:  how long do you spend visualizing an image 

3.  vividness:  how vivid or clear is your image

4.  intensity:  the amount of emotion you put into that image

If you are an archery expert, you will appreciate Tracy's analogy:  You can't hit a target if you can't see it.  The author recommends that you visualize late at night, thereby enabling your mind to accept that at a deeper level during sleep.  The other optimum time to visualize is early in the morning, before the mind is filled with the day's activities.  

"Have complete faith that your pictures will materialize."

According to Tracy, "[Visualization] can do more to help you step on the accelerator of your own potential than any other exercise you engage in."  So, as you write a list of new year's resolutions for 2015, remember:  Conceive a goal.  Believe that you can reach that goal!  Achieve it!

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New Year's Eve Trivia Test

1.  Which are the top three cities to celebrate New Year's Eve?

a.  Las Vegas, Orlando, New York City
b.  Los Angeles, Orlando, New York City
c.  Sydney, Orlando, New York City

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2.  In Italy, what do people do for good luck?

a.  Wear red berets.
b.  Wear red underwear.
c.  Wear red t-shirts.

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3.  In Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico, what do people do at midnight?

a.  watch an old movie
b.  stuff a pig and roast it
c.  stuff a doll called "Mr. Old Year" and set it ablaze

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4.  On New Year's Eve, it is considered good luck to eat:

a.  brown beans, beef and bologna
b.  black-eyed peas, ham and cabbage
c.  sausages and cabbage rolls

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5.  In Ancient Rome, the new year commenced on:

a.  February 1
b.  March 1
c.  April 1

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6.  The first New Year's Eve celebrated in Times Square took place in:

a.  1904
b.  1906
c.  1908

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7.  "Auld Lang Syne" written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, is a Scottish phrase which means:

a.  "times gone by"
b.  "out with the old"
c.  "in with the new"

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8.  Sydney, Australia sets off ____ fireworks on New Year's Eve.

a.  8,000
b.  50,000
c.  80,000

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9.  Edinburgh, Scotland is famous for its New Year's Eve:

a.  dance
b.  parade
c.  street party

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10.  While New York City has the ball drop, Seattle, Washington residents watch an _____ drop.

a.  elevator
b.  egg
c.  apple

ANSWERS

1.  a
2.  b
3.  c
4.  b
5.  b
6.  a
7.  a
8.  c
9.  c
10.  a

Let it Go!

Frozen's Elsa singing "Let it Go!" courtesy ytimg.com.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." (Reinhold Niebuhr)

As we head into a new year, I find myself anxious.  What does the new year hold for me?  While I had many blessings in 2014, I also faced a major disappointment.  Try as I might, it is hard to put it out of my head.  It lingers there, raising its ugly head in my nightmares.

I need to follow the advice of the character Elsa in the movie Frozen as she stands on top of a mountain, hiding her secret power from the outside world, and belts out:  "Let It Go!".  Three words that can do wonders.  Three words that can lift the burden.  Three words that can liberate the spirit.

Let it go.  Let go of the past.  Let go of the disappointment.  Let go of the hurt.  Trust in God that it will be alright.  Trust in God that He will carry me through.  Trust in God that He has plans for me to prosper.

Let it go.

Here is a link to the full Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr:
http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/god_grant_me_the_serenity.html.

Potty Training vs. Driver Training

When Thomas went on the potty for the first time, I was elated!  I ran outside to the backyard to announce the news to Rob who was cutting the grass.  Little did I know that it was just the first of many steps -- the old "two steps forward, one step back".  Nine months later, after awarding him with endless stickers and chocolate eggs, my son was in big boy underwear.

Well, I long for the potty days now.  I was excited when Thomas got his beginners' driving licence on December 16.  I had taken him six times to parking lots and once home from the pizzeria. Since then, Rob has taken him to McFit which is just three or four minutes from our house.  The route requires only right turns.

After a five day break, however, I decided I'd take Thomas out for another lesson last night.   Left turns were on the agenda this time.  That's a whole other ball game!  With my heart in my throat, and my foot on an imaginary brake, I watched as Thomas ended up in the oncoming lane thinking he had to make a left from the left lane.  Luckily, it was only on our quiet street and no one was coming the other way. Calmly, I just reminded him that in North America, drivers always stay to the right.

Thomas made up for his mistake when he successfully turned left from Brantwood Park onto Dunsdon.  I intended on going to Wink's for a bag of milk.  But when we reached Park Road North, Thomas signalled to turn right rather than left (I had pointed left but he didn't want to look at me, but rather focus on the road -- that's a good thing, right?)  Outwardly calm, I just asked him to stay in the middle lane and continue through the intersection.  Plan B was to go to Shoppers Drugmart.

Thomas drove along Dunsdon, successfully changing from the left lane to the right lane.  He crossed King George and entered Shoppers Parking Lot.  He stayed in the car while I went inside for milk. With two items in my hand, milk and half price Christmas serviettes, the lady in front of me had a full cart to be checked out.  The lady behind me was getting frustrated with her young daughter, who wanted to wander around the store rather than stay by her mother's side.  At that moment, my nerves ringing, I would have traded my 16-year-old and his driving lessons for the restless five year old.

Finally, I returned to the car with my purchases.  We made our way out of the parking lot and retraced our steps home.  Thomas pulled into the driveway, both of us in one piece.  Thomas looked proud of his accomplishment.  I felt like I'd just gotten off a roller coaster at Wonderland (I don't like roller coasters!)

Thank goodness Thomas' first official driving lesson is scheduled for January 5.  Driver training is a job for a professional!  As for me, I want to return to potty training.

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Merry Christmas Makes a Comeback

It was only about two years ago that I was shopping at No Frills and said Merry Christmas to the cashier, which sparked a conversation about the politically correct term "Happy Holidays".  She said that at Walmart, if an employee said "Merry Christmas", he or she could be fired!

As part of the politically correct campaign, Lowe's started selling "holiday trees".  Food Basics wished its shoppers a "Happy Diwali" but there was no mention of "Merry Christmas".  I noticed that Sear's had signs hanging in their stores which said "More Merry".  Where was the final, most important part, of that phrase?

It was such political correctness which ignited the "War on Christmas".  The American Family Association made a conscious effort to boycott stores which used the salutation "Happy Holidays". Others unofficially voted with their feet by shopping in stores which still supported "Christmas". Last year, I posted a list of Christmas friendly stores here in Brantford on Facebook.

After all, the majority of Americans identify with the Christian faith.  Similarly, over 60% of Canadians consider themselves Christian.  Shouldn't we call a spade, a spade?

The large American retailers must have started feeling the crunch.  This year, they have made a deliberate effort to bring back "Merry Christmas".  Walmart, Walgreen's, Macy's and Kohl's have all embraced the salutation.  Lowe's is once again selling "Christmas trees".  Food Basics wished its shoppers "Merry Christmas" this year in its leaflets.

Whereas in 2005, only 20% of large American stores were using the phrase "Merry Christmas", this year that number is up to 80%.  As the large stores embrace Christmas, the small stores will follow suit.

Even politicians are getting in on the act such as British Columbia MP Nina Grewal, who, despite being a Muslim, encourages Christians to be proud of their traditions.  See the following clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAd5ZVDhexY.

I am looking forward to next year when I hope to see even more "Merry Christmas" signs in store window fronts, hanging from store ceilings, in leaflets and catalogues, and online.  Long live Christmas!

For more information, visit http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/22/the-war-on-happy-holidays-begins-as-merry-christmas-makes-a-comeback/.

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