THE KING OF BLOG HAS GOOD ADVICE

Anyone who follows blogging at all, knows that Seth Godin is at the pinnacle of Bloggerdom.

Seth is a best selling author, entrepreneur, public speaker and great blogger.  He started his blog called "Seth's Blog" in 2009.

This past week he shared a couple of short blog posts that I really enjoyed.  So I thought I would share them with you.

The first one talks about the immeasurable value of good advice:

                "Good advice...

                 is priceless.  Not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear.
                 Not imaginary, but practical.  Not based on fear, but on possibility.
                 Not designed to make you feel better, designed to make you better.
                 Seek it out and embrace the true friends that care enough to risk sharing it.
                 I'm not sure what takes more guts - giving it or getting it." (Seth Godin)

The second post from Seth's Blog that I really enjoyed was a piece of good advice:

              "No is essential...

                 If you believe that you must keep your promises, overdeliver and
                 treat every commitment as though it's an opportunity for a transformation,
                 the only way you can do this is to turn down most opportunities.
                 No I can't meet with you, no I can't sell it to you at this price,
                 no I can't do this job justice, no I can't come to your party,
                 no I can't help you.  I'm sorry, but no, I can't.
                 Not if I want to do the very things that people value my work for.
                 No is the foundation that we can build our yes on." (Seth Godin)


Let's not only heed the good advice that we are given but receive it with gratitude.

Give Thanks!

MOVING DAY #20

Some people feel sorry for me when they hear how many times I have moved!

I just laugh and conclude that since I moved so much as a kid, I never got it out of my system.  I attended 8 different schools before graduating in Grade 12.  And it wasn't due to being expelled for bad behavior.  We just plain moved a lot.

Well, next month I move into my 20th home!  And like several previous homes, I anticipate living there awhile but only time will tell.

To some this sounds so horrible.....8 schools and 20 homes.

But I believe there have been many benefits from the frequent moving.  For starters, I am much more adaptable then most.  I can adjust to change rather easily and I don't tend to be afraid of new experiences.  I also have a tendency to be shy by  nature but the frequent moving has forced me to come out of my shell.

I actually get bored rather easily if my life just keeps following the same pattern.  I don't like to feel stuck in a rut, so moving actually is a good thing in my mind.  It means a fresh start with exciting new challenges.

Besides it really isn't even very hard.  I  have the whole process mastered with all my experience.  I could probably write a "How To" manual on moving and post it online.

However, there are some drawbacks to the whole concept as well.  I am a person who likes to have close, intimate friendships and that is difficult to achieve when you move a lot.  If you stay in the same city, or at least vicinity, it's OK but I have lived in 3 different provinces of Canada, 2 different states of the U.S., plus overseas.  Not many people are good at keeping in touch when the distance is far, even today with the internet.

I also, obviously, lack roots.  I know Canada is home but I don't have a city or even a province that is called home in my mind.

So what does this all have to do with gratitude?

Well I think we all need to be grateful for our life experiences that make us the unique individuals that we are.

I am grateful for how frequent moving has molded me into the person that I am today.

I am also grateful for my oldest friend, Peg, who has not let the miles between us hinder our friendship.

Give Thanks!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

I can't have a blog on Gratitude 

and neglect to express thanks for my Mom 

on Mother's Day.

I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home with a loving Mother.

My mother was an only child and had always wished she had siblings.  So when she married at the age of 18 she soon started having babies and had 6 of them in 7 years.   In my mind, that alone makes her a "Super Mom". 

My Mom is a natural at the art of motherhood.  I believe the key to this is having an enormous heart of selfless love for children.  Without it, how could one possibly have the patience required to raise six kids.

My Mom set a godly example for each of us and continues to do so today.  She has a servant's heart, prays faithfully and believes family is second only to God.

Billy Graham said, "Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children."

And my Mother like many Moms lives up to the saying that " A mother holds her child's hand for just a short time, but holds their heart forever".

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

And to all children - Give Thanks!

EVIL SURROUNDS US

My thoughts lately have been on the more then 200 girls recently kidnapped by Muslim extremists from a boarding school in Nigeria.

Why does there have to be so much evil in our world?

Yes, Nigeria is half way around the globe but we have evil here as well.  We have not forgotten about Charles Manson, Paul Bernardo or Robert Pickton.

We even have TV shows like "Criminal Minds" to regularly remind us of how sick our world really is.  To be honest, I find it hard to believe that people find these shows entertaining and willingly support such media.

But this blog is about gratitude not social issues.

So I am grateful to have been protected from the evil that surrounds us!

I remember as a teenager, the day a stranger tried to coax me into his car to help him read a map.  It was raining and dark outside.  I had just received news of the sudden death of a girl I knew.  My mind was distant so I could have been very susceptible to poor judgement.  I believe God and His angels were watching over me that night.

But the girls in Nigeria are still missing, still scared and still suffering abuse at the hands of pure evil.

Many of us have been blessed with safety and security throughout our lives while others have been much less fortunate.

Give Thanks.