Self Improvement Relationships Parenting Life Goals | The Human Life Map | The Secret Path Of Life

“Gratitude, we find in the dictionary, but not often in the heart of man.”

What do you have to be grateful of in life? Look closely. There is a lot more there than you normally recognize. Perhaps it is a beautiful family, wonderful relationships or simply the pattern of your career.

Even if you are experiencing tough times, especially if you are experiencing tough times it is so important that you center yourself from a point of gratitude. To do so lowers your center of balance toward frustration and disappointment.

Gratitude is natural counteraction to depression. The realization of gratitude helps to fortify self-value and self-esteem and strengthens the quality of character.

When Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal the first words out of his mouth were “thank you”. He understood and was grateful for the efforts of his teammates that allowed him to succeed in his goals.

Here are some things I always remember to be grateful for:

This with the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING CONSOLE

There are a lot of times when the truly impressive efforts over the years go almost unnoticed and taken for granted and no gold medal or award of recognition is given even though it is deserved.

Certainly those efforts yield better results in life, career and influence, but if not for our kind words of encouragement little else might be said about the patterns of our children and family members.

My oldest daughter is certainly deserving of a gold medal for her living patterns while growing up. She was a wonderfully delightful child, a gifted student and never strayed from her goals and determination to excel as a person.

My youngest two girls are following in her footsteps as strong students with great personalities filled with happiness and love.

Each is no less deserving of a gold medal for their efforts and hard work than any athlete. However, their reward will eventually come in a better career, higher income and a solid fulfilling family life. I couldn’t be more proud of all three if they had true Olympic gold medals hanging around their neck.

As parents you should celebrate the living efforts and victories of your children and family members. Take the time to place them on the family winner’s podium and acknowledge the quality results they are getting.

Sometimes it’s a special dinner just for them or perhaps a minor reward of something that brings them happiness just to say thank you for being a quality individual that isn’t afraid to work hard to achieve success.

This with the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING CONSOLE

“Forgiveness that covers only part of the wrong, is like two fingers given in a handshake.” - Wells.

It is all but impossible for me to remember the number of times I have been confronted with someone who claimed they had forgiven another for some perceived personal wrong and yet they still harbored some hidden minor ill feelings over the matter. Forgiveness of this kind isn’t forgiveness at all.

If you break off the root of ill feelings leaving some behind in your thoughts and emotions the opportunity is there for those feelings to grow again into an inhibiting pattern of interaction with the person in question and others related to the matter.

True forgiveness is a clean break that leaves nothing behind.

Seek to forgive others for perceived transgressions that they may not even be aware of and make certain that your forgiveness doesn’t have any lingering hidden conditions or roots of ill feeling.

You will be able to move on with your life and won’t have a multitude of emotional strings tied to past people, events and feelings.

Making the world a better place starts by making yourself a better person.

This with the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING CONSOLE

I still remember the excitement in my mother’s kitchen as we watched Mark Spitz swim for seven gold medals with seven world records in 1972. The images of those Olympics are forever etched in my memories.

I still consider it one of, if not the single greatest individual athletic performance of all time in any sport.

What an honor it has been to live to see both Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps in their prime. One must remember that Michael Phelps is breaking world records that would have also won by a wide margin back in 1972.

The finely tuned quality of performance patterns held by Michael Phelps are simply amazing and teach a lot about getting the most out of human potential if one is looking for lessons in life.

Before it is all over stop what you are doing and watch this young man swim into history as the best.

You’ll remember it for the rest of your life.

This with the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING CONSOLE

Like many people I have been watching the 2008 Olympic Games and I marvel everyday at the beautiful pageantry and the physically skillful accomplishments of the athletes.

These are truly gifted individuals and amazing human endeavor.

However, I awoke yesterday to see the headlines on one news channel:

“Heartbreaking loss for U.S. women gymnasts“

I was so disappointed to see this as our response to a silver medal winning performance by some extremely talented and determined young women athletes.

It seems almost normal now that when things don’t go the way people expect they start pointing fingers and finding fault. A pattern polished to a fine gloss everyday by children all around the world.

Even if the other competitors MAY be underage they are still there and accepted by the Olympic Committee as qualified to compete. Even if the scoring MIGHT seem biased or slow in coming it still met the standards of Olympic competition.

Each of the competitors from every nation badly wanted a medal around their neck. Some even held high expectations of gold because of their past performances, but nothing is guaranteed in sports competition.

Expectations are just that, expectations and hopes.

To characterize the accomplishments of the US Women’s Gymnastics team as a loss is to turn your back on all of the hard work these young ladies have endured and the achievements of their efforts.

What message are we sending to these athletes and our future children who become athletes? That only a gold medal performance is considered a win?

Every athlete in the Olympics is a winner just for being good enough to get there.

So, I celebrate the WIN of a silver medal performance and continue to wonder what in the world has happened to others that would make them so jaded, suspicious and demanding that they would think otherwise.

This with the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING CONSOLE