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Gratitude: Today, I'm grateful for...

Posted by Zebra @californiazebra, Jul 2, 2023

Studies have found that expressing daily gratitude improves both physical and emotional well-being. It helps us focus on what is good in our lives, the world and others. It also helps us find the silver lining in our challenges. Gratitude turns what we already have into enough. Gratitude brings us joy. I’d love it if you can share something you’re grateful for today. I’ll start.

I’m grateful I have both the ability and luxury of taking long daily gratitude walks through the beautiful nature that surrounds my home.

I’ll take you through my typical walk:

When I open my front door to leave, I’m usually greeted by a few adorable squirrels, three crow friends, juncos and wrens who all hope for a walnut treat before I go. My walk along the creek down the street brings me peace with a variety of 100-foot trees, flowers of every shape and color, grass, fascinating wildlife, sounds of a babbling brook, birds calling, squirrels chasing, etc. Each day, I also see bunnies, ducks with ducklings, egrets, lizards, turtles, a variety of small birds, butterflies, and sometimes coyotes and hawks.

I meet new people along the way as we share our love of nature. I am also greeted by their happy, adorable dogs. Sometimes I learn something new. Sometimes I feel like I was able to bring joy to someone by letting them know they are worth a few minutes of my time. That brings me joy. Half the people in my large retirement community live alone as I do. Today, I met a lovely 96-year-old woman who walks a half mile with her cane and sweet rescue poodle every day. Impressive! She didn’t look a day over 80. I never miss an opportunity to smile and say hello to everyone who passes by. When I arrive home after an hour or so, some of my wildlife buddies are usually there to welcome me back with the enthusiasm of a dog.

When my last dog went to Heaven a few months ago, my camera became my new walking companion. Once I’m home, it’s time to upload my latest nature photos. I relive my walk all over again through the eyes of a zoom lens and a 32” monitor that together reveal extraordinary colors, patterns, textures and wildlife expressions the naked eye can’t see. I’m sharing a few pix from today. Can’t wait to go again tomorrow! 🙂

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parrot53 | @parrot53 | Jul 30 5:43am
In reply to @dfb "I am grateful that my suicide attempts were not successful, though, at the time, I was..." + (show)
@dfb

I am grateful that my suicide attempts were not successful, though, at the time, I was not happy about it.

I was suicidal pretty much my whole life but never attempted it until after I had stopped venlafaxine, and they put me back on it because of the discontinuation effects. The following week, I tried to kill myself three times.

The good news is that it changed something in me when I realized it was the medication that caused such overwhelming anxiety along with the lifelong depression I had learned to live with.

For most of my life, the effort involved in killing myself was beyond me. When the venlafaxine was restarted, anxiety, the likes of which I have never felt, made the desire to kill myself overwhelming.

The only reason I am still alive is I am a felon and can't own a gun. I am afraid of going back to prison if I am caught with one, and I couldn't get the knot on the ligature just right, so I would pass out and die without suffering.

Suicide is an option; tens of thousands of people take it every year, but waiting is also an option. Knowing I had the option kept me alive for 60 years. Eventually, the suffering lessons as we become accustomed to a new level of pain.

I believe people are most at risk when the suffering shows up out of nowhere.

Now, life is filled with joy, like Scrouge when he realizes Christmas hasn't passed.

As for chronic suffering that is terminal, I believe that humans should have the choice to end their suffering, but that's just me.

I hope everyone lives in peace and good health.

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I am glad your life is now full of joy. I lost my mom to suicide when she was 49. We still miss her terribly and wish she could have found joy in her life. It is hard to see the good things in life sometimes but they are there. Congratulations on finding yours.

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litha | @litha | Jul 31 12:35pm

Don't give up, keep praying/ The Lord will provide that joy.

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cindyc | @cindysummit | Jul 31 5:39pm

I love taking walks. They fill me with great joy which leads me to my deep gratitude.

I often turn my walks into gratitude prayers.

All of this....so good for mental health.

Our heat advisory in North Jersey is high now and is expected to last for few days. Super disappointed I can't walk. Just don't want to risk it with health issues I face now.

I think I will feel gratitude if expected thunderstorms arrive later. I love summer thunderstorms!

CindyC

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1 reply
captboat | @captboat | Aug 3 11:09pm
In reply to @scottrl "@sueinmn, the bad cards will be boiled in salt water, melted, and buried. I'm not going..." + (show)
@scottrl

@sueinmn, the bad cards will be boiled in salt water, melted, and buried. I'm not going through all this twice.

And I've ordered new SD/micro SD card readers as well. Fool me once...

For me, part of the problem is my pride. I used to make my living programming on PCs, back in the early 80s. I could do a lot of complex stuff, like hand-coding software interrupts to control external devices. (See Chapter Six of "Intelligent Instruction by Computer" for one example.) To be stymied by a simple operation was maddening.

Nowadays, I can barely manipulate a Micro SD card. Sic transit gloria mundi.

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To err is human but to really mess up takes a computer.

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cindyc | @cindysummit | Aug 10 2:01am

Today...now, I am grateful NJ did not have a tornado as we were warned all day this might happen.

I am grateful for time off.

I am nervous about my new role in a non-profit organization but am grateful for the opportunity to use my education, skills, and experience in a different way.

I have edema now (recently diagnosed) but am grateful for a doctor who is exploring this thoroughly.

I am grateful for ice coffee and spinach and avocado wraps.

I am grateful for the walk I will take later today.

❤️

CindyC
EVCHrcc

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scottij | @scottij | Aug 10 4:54am
In reply to @cindysummit "I love taking walks. They fill me with great joy which leads me to my deep..." + (show)
@cindysummit

I love taking walks. They fill me with great joy which leads me to my deep gratitude.

I often turn my walks into gratitude prayers.

All of this....so good for mental health.

Our heat advisory in North Jersey is high now and is expected to last for few days. Super disappointed I can't walk. Just don't want to risk it with health issues I face now.

I think I will feel gratitude if expected thunderstorms arrive later. I love summer thunderstorms!

CindyC

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From my Father:

To err is human
To forgive is divine
Neither are Jensen Family policy

Best always.
Scott Jensen

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1 reply
scottij | @scottij | Aug 10 5:00am

I have a pipe that comes out of the wall in my bathroom that squirts warm water on me when I want to clean up.

Seems like a trivial thing but I learned this years ago on a trip to participate in a malaria remediation experiment/study. After not showering for a long time I promised myself to always have gratitude for this and many other modern conveniences. Surprisingly I remember this every time I take a shower.

Best always,
s!

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1 reply
cindyc | @cindysummit | Aug 10 6:07am
In reply to @scottij "From my Father: To err is human To forgive is divine Neither are Jensen Family policy..." + (show)
@scottij

From my Father:

To err is human
To forgive is divine
Neither are Jensen Family policy

Best always.
Scott Jensen

Jump to this post

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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captboat | @captboat | Aug 10 8:27am
In reply to @scottij "I have a pipe that comes out of the wall in my bathroom that squirts warm..." + (show)
@scottij

I have a pipe that comes out of the wall in my bathroom that squirts warm water on me when I want to clean up.

Seems like a trivial thing but I learned this years ago on a trip to participate in a malaria remediation experiment/study. After not showering for a long time I promised myself to always have gratitude for this and many other modern conveniences. Surprisingly I remember this every time I take a shower.

Best always,
s!

Jump to this post

@scottij
That bathroom pipe that comes out of the wall and squirts water on me with the drain in the middle of the small room reminds me of a short missions trip to Malaysia. The trip had ended successfully and we were celebrating with pizza. There was a topping I should not have eaten. I will spare the details but I did ask God was this how I would end. Not fun…

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captboat | @captboat | Aug 10 10:18am

@californiazebra
Thank you for sharing such beautiful pictures. They made me feel the beauty you saw.

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