It has occurred to me recently, with all the unpleasant news filling the air ways day after day, that more attention needs to be paid to positive and uplifting thoughts and information for our ears (and our souls). The result?  

FINDING BEAUTY, my February 2024 Poem Of The Month, will hopefully help us to counteract some of those negative news stories with positive, beautiful and uplifting thoughts and approaches to life.

We do have choices as to how we see the world that we live in, and how we approach it. Carry love in your heart and your life will benefit from it.

Remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

FINDING BEAUTY

“A beautiful heart sees beauty in everything!”
(In my observation, I’ve found this to be true.)
The beauty in your heart determines the quality of your life.
How you see the world depends entirely upon you!

Life is full of beauty if you’re able to notice.
It’s up to you to see it. It’s right there, ready to be seen.
The reflection off the lake, a small child playing —
The sunset, the sunrise, a conversation serene…

Cultivate the habit of seeing the beauty
Which surrounds you always, if you only could see;
Something as simple as the shape of food on your plate,
Or the play of shadows as the breeze moves the tree.

Beauty is the promise of happiness and
No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.
Fix your attention on the beautiful and the good,
And dwell as little as possible in the opposite part.

Spend time in a gallery to appreciate fine art;
Make reading poetry and listening to music your goal,
So that worldly cares don’t obliterate the beautiful
Which nature has implanted in the human soul.

Franz Kafka said the ability to see beauty around you
Keeps you young. You will never grow “old.”
Acknowledge the beauty that resides within you.
It will open your heart with joy to behold!

A New Year!!

A new beginning?    

Or will it be more of the same old, same old?

My belief is that how 2024 turns out will be up to you, and to you… and you… and you… and yes, of course, to me!

A very striking bit of information about how we judge the world is the reminder that we do NOT see things as THEY ARE; we see them as WE ARE.

Swami Vivekananda, philosopher, author, and religious teacher who lived around the turn of the last century, said: “If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.”

And Winston Churchill said: “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”    

The World is what you think it is. If you can change your thoughts, you can change the world. It all begins with the thoughts in your mind — positive thoughts reap positive results and negative thoughts bring negative results.

Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success, and inner peace, start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.

Everything is within your power!

And your power is within you!

YOU ARE LED BY YOUR THOUGHTS

“Pessimism never won any battles,”
Nor much else, except a feeling of grief.
Dwight D. Eisenhower stated those very wise words.
We’re glad he shared his belief.

If you think about disaster, with really rough going,
Then that’s what you get nine times out of ten.
It can affect your health, your overall well-being,
Your relationships with friends… so, where’ll you be then?

Happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are,
Or what you have… Oh, no!
It depends solely on what you think,
So think positive thoughts… go on, give it a go!

Plato told us realty is created by the mind.
What you can think of you can achieve.
You can change your reality by changing your mind.
It’s true. Try it… you will soon believe.

Willie Nelson—yes, that Willie Nelson—added his thoughts to the mix
On the subject of positive and negative thinking:
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones,
Your positive results will begin interlinking.”

BOTTOM LINE: The World is what we think it is.
We are the ones responsible for what we see.
If we can change our thoughts we can change the world.
Imagine: It all depends upon you and on me.

December 2023’s Poem of the month has a slightly different take on the subjects of giving and receiving. And, the way I understand it, the two are not that far apart.

Growing up, I was taught that “giving” was the proper thing to do. “Receiving” was not brought up in the discussion. So, it became easier and more comfortable for me to give to others than it was to receive from them. Finding the right words to say “thanks” was always awkward.

Then one day, it occurred to me that being a gracious receiver could actually be interpreted as a form of giving…

To give another person the opportunity to show kindness and affection for you opens your vulnerability and exposes your true “human” side… the “real” you.

Please enjoy the poem, “Receiving.”

And remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer…

RECEIVING

Somehow we’re taught that learning to give
Is more important than learning to receive.
So, from childhood on we practice the art of giving,
Assuming that always giving is a goal to achieve.

Yes, a generous spirit along with the gift
Is a goal that’s worthy of one’s pursuing;
Though it’s a one-direction move of a gift or good wishes,
And the act and direction could be up for reviewing.

Gracious acceptance is an art unto itself
And is seldom, if ever, cultivated.
Accepting gifts can be much harder than giving —
You’re allowing another to show how much you are appreciated.

And, in receiving the gift, you’re allowing another
To know the joy of giving with an open heart.
It’s a lovely, unending cycle that knows no end,
And you have the joy of knowing you have played your part.

According to C. C. Miller, “Hugging is the truest form
Of giving and receiving” at the same time.
You’re “getting” and “giving” all at once, and
The feeling you get is nothing short of sublime.