Friday, September 03, 2010

Thursday 13 (make it 16): The Other Side of Settling

Writing teacher, singer songwriter, life coach and my friend Nerissa Nields was on television yesterday talking about happiness. Nerissa trained under Oprah's life coach Martha Beck and cleverly noted:

You will never have everything you want or wish for
so why not decide to be happy with what you do have?

Which is another way of saying, 'The little things? They're not so little.'
Which is another way of practicing gratitude.
Which is another way of finding starfish instead of seaweed.
Which is another way to stop complaining and start affirming.
.
So in the spirit of appreciating what is instead of mourning what isn't, I looked around tonight and a little poem slipped out:
.
Thank you roof
Thank you shower
Thank you stove
Thank you flower.

Thank you Emily
Thank you stars
Thank you couch
Thank you cars.

Thank you memories
Thank you friends
Thank you beginnings
Thank you ends.

Thank you heart
Thank you head
Thank you tomato
Thank you bed.
.
here's wishing you a great day and every moment,
.
Love
kj
Posted by at

18 comments:

  1. kj03 September, 2010 03:33

    not to be confused with mary oliver or billy collins....

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. kj03 September, 2010 03:33

    not to be confused with dr. seuss or mother goose....

    ReplyDelete
  3. the walking man03 September, 2010 03:35

    While I may not be thankful for the things on your list kj pr anything at all for that matter but I do find it is best to accept that what is, is.

    I may not like what is and do a left or right turn to change the is, but the new is, still is what it is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. kj03 September, 2010 03:42

    mark, yup.
    ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mim03 September, 2010 05:13

    right now...thank you advil.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. marianne03 September, 2010 05:21

    This brought tears to my eyes.....
    Thanks!
    love
    ♥♥♥
    >M<

    ReplyDelete
  7. Annie03 September, 2010 09:28

    Kj-I am having a very hard week, but this is helpful :-). Gratitude is a big thing in my "book" and I know that things can't change while I grumble.xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  8. kj03 September, 2010 10:13

    mim, that counts too ♥

    marianne, ♥ i know you know all this already ♥

    annie, sometimes i want to be thankful for my grumbles too! i am reevaluating my whole belief system about thoughts and beliefs and reality. i don't know where it will take me, but i'm wide open. i hope your week improves annie. been there for sure. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  9. Robin03 September, 2010 10:53

    Thank you, Health! Thank you, Sun!
    Thank you, Opera! Thank you, Fun!
    Thank you, Friends, old and new.
    Thank you, KJ - for being ..YOU!

    I could embellish...but I'm just having my first cuppa......

    MUWAH!

    ♥ Robin ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jos03 September, 2010 11:10

    I am thankful for tomaotoes ... now I come to think of it!

    Sometimes I get so caught up in the complexities of life and the daily grind. Nice to sit for a while and remember that I have much to be thankful for.

    Fairly safe in risking the comparison with Mary Oliver KJ (har har) .... Dr Seuss on the other hand ...

    xx Jos

    ReplyDelete
  11. Marie S03 September, 2010 11:57

    Thank you kj!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lori ann03 September, 2010 12:09

    I will reread this monday morning ;) i am VERY happy it is friday this moment.

    It's great, a perfectly lovely poem and i LOVE it too. I am hoping and praying my kids get this,though i know we each have to be ready to hear the message before we make it our own.

    I love praciticing gratitude. I love feeling so happy with so little (material things). We used to play the "Deserted Island" game when my kids were growing up. If you could only have 3 things with you to be happy, what would they be? we found that we already owned those things. (of course it never stopped them,or me, for wanting more, but the point i'd try to make is we don't really need things to make us happy).
    :)

    ♥
    lori

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous03 September, 2010 14:13

    Thank you KJ....
    Thank you for being my friend and always having such interesting posts that make me think, smile, cry and feel...

    Have a great long weekend~
    Love to you my friend~Pattee

    ReplyDelete
  14. sukipoet03 September, 2010 19:55

    mother goose~~ hmmmm, maybe.

    thank you rain for scaring away the heat

    thank you shoes for protecting my feet

    thank you Bibbity for sleeping by my side

    thank you little red auto for a smooth and safe ride

    ReplyDelete
  15. secret agent woman03 September, 2010 22:16

    I am a HUGE believer in the practice of gratitude and blessing-counting. And this poem has the flavor of Good Night, Moon - the acknowledgement of all the important thing's in that little bunny's daily life.

    ReplyDelete
  16. studio lolo04 September, 2010 08:49

    I'm swoooooning over this poem!!

    Maybe I'll illustrate it ;)

    I'm on my way to , yup, your town!!

    Talk to you later. We're meeting at the Eric Carle Museum so I guess that takes care of my next visit.

    the good news Emma isn't coming to your house!
    The bad news is I won't be there until october :(

    xoxoxox
    lololo

    ReplyDelete
  17. Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats 04 September, 2010 21:53

    Thank you cool pillow
    Thank you bed
    Thank you legs
    and eyes and mouth
    Thank you cats, my heart, my house

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lydia06 September, 2010 03:51

    I really love this little poem.

    ReplyDelete

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