Gratitude – 3 Day Quote Challenge – Day 3

I want to thank Shantanu one more time for his generosity in allowing anyone interested to participate in this challenge.  I have enjoyed doing this challenge.  It causes me to be creative in different ways.  It also encourages me to look at someone else’s words and ponder on them.  Meditating on a quote is a great way to get creative juices flowing.

Shantanu writes an amazing blog full of poetry, prose, stories and quotes.  If you haven’t already checked out his blog, you can do so by clicking on the following link: Ckonfab

Rules: For three days, thank the person who nominated you and share a link to their blog.  Nominate three people each day to participate.  Pick a quote for each day of the challenge.  Write down why you chose it and what it says to you.

Inspired by Shantanu’s opening the challenge up to all who are interested on the third day, I am doing the same.  If you are interested in giving yourself a creative challenge, the 3 day quote challenge is for you.  You have to research (find quotes that pique your interest).  Think about them or meditate on them.  And share your thoughts and inspiration.  Of course, the above rules apply.  Good Luck!

Now for my third and final quote for the 3 day quote challenge!

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

It seemed especially appropriate, considering that the American holiday of Thanksgiving is just days away, to meditate on a quote about gratitude.  This is not a new subject for my blog, I had written a blog about gratitude a couple of years ago.  If you are interested in checking it out, here is a link to it Gratitude.

What I particularly enjoy about this quote is the connection of gratitude with happiness and joy.  What this says to me is that if one is truly grateful, happiness and joy will follow.  Think about that for a minute.  It is pretty profound to think about gratitude in this way.  That gratitude is the key or “spark” that leads to happiness and joy.

It makes sense.  When I am grateful, I am also content.  This contentment allows me to focus on the moment.  When focused on the moment, it allows me to be open to happiness and joy.

Traditionally Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season for me, family, friends and many others.  This time of year can be extremely stressful.  Expectations, preparations, and additional social gatherings can make one feel like they are caught up in a whirlwind.  I do not wish that on anyone.  How can we see beauty and experience wonder if we are stressed out?

I would like to end this post with the Thanksgiving wish that you may be filled with gratitude, contentment, happiness and pure joy throughout this holiday season and always.

Snowflake – 3 Day Quote Challenge – Day 2

Once again, I want to thank Shantanu for opening up his 3 day quote challenge to anyone interested in participating.  I am enjoying this creative challenge.  I also enjoy reading Shantanu’s amazing blog.  It is full of poetry, prose, stories and quotes.  His writing touches all the varied experiences of human emotion.  Please check out his blog by clicking on the following link: Ckonfab

Rules: For three days, thank the person who nominated you and share a link to their blog.  Nominate three people each day.  Pick a quote for each day of the challenge.  Write down why you chose it and what it says to you.  Meditating on a quote is a great way to get creative juices flowing.

Today’s nominations are:

1. Sam, who writes the blog Living!
2. Sean, his blog is called A Blooming Scribe
3. the blog The Moonlight Reverie

Here is my quote for the 2nd day of the 3 day quote challenge!

I live in a place that experiences the four seasons.  Where I live, in the winter, there is snow.  Sometimes lots of it.  And it gets cold.  Below zero kind of cold.  I am quite familiar with the use of a snow shovel and snow shoes.

I am sure you are wondering where I am going with this.  How does this relate to the quote?  If you live in areas that get cold and I mean really cold, you know that it can be extremely unpleasant being out in freezing temperatures.

On occasions while outside in freezing temperatures, I have seen some extremely beautiful things.  Not just snowflakes.

In order to appreciate the beauty of something, there are times that we have to go through something unpleasant or uncomfortable.  I believe the ability to see the beauty around you, even in the most difficult circumstances has to do with perspective.  It is the ability to remain positive that allows one to see the beauty of the snowflake in the freezing cold.

Are you willing to let go of negative emotions and experience the wonder of the moment?  Can you look past the immediate discomfort to see something amazing?  I guarantee that it is worth being cold to see the beauty of a snowflake.

Wonder – 3 Day Quote Challenge – Day 1

In August of 2018, Shantanu Baruah participated in a 3 Day Quote Challenge.  On the third day, instead of nominating 3 people he left it open to anyone who wanted to do the challenge to participate.  Feeling the need for a creative challenge, I have accepted and today is the first of the three days of quotes.

Thank you Shantanu for allowing anyone interested to participate in this challenge.  As nice as it is to be nominated for a challenge, sometimes it is fun to decide on your own that you want to participate.  Shantanu writes an amazing blog full of poetry, prose, stories and quotes.  His writing touches all of human emotion; humor, beauty, wisdom, hope, sadness, generosity, disappointment, creativity, just to name a few.  Please check out his blog by clicking on the following link: Ckonfab

Rules: For three days, thank the person who nominated you and share a link to their blog.  Nominate three people each day.  Pick a quote for each day of the challenge.  Write down why you chose it and what it says to you.  Meditating on a quote is a great way to get creative juices flowing.

Today’s nominations are:

1. Jason Youngman, who writes the blog Metaphysical Reflections
2. Romina, her blog is called Living What You Love
3. Debby, who writes the blog Thoughtsmith

Here is my quote for the 1st day of the 3 day quote challenge!

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”         -Neil Armstrong

Do you like to learn?  I do.  I realized when I was meditating on this quote that part of my love of learning is wonder.

The word wonder as defined by the Google Dictionary states that it is a noun and a verb.  The definition for the wonder as a noun is “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable.”  As a verb it is defined as the “desire or be curious to know something and/or to feel admiration and amazement; marvel.”

When you have that “a-ha!” moment as things come together and you understand, that is wonder.  Admiration of someone for their skills or abilities, that is wonder.  Curiosity to learn about a topic, technique, place, etc., that is wonder.  Marveling at the world around you that is wonder, too.

So often we get caught up in the day-to-day grind.  We are bogged down with the mundane activities of life: go to work; put gas in the car; go to school; buy groceries; make dinner; wash the dishes; do the laundry; brush your teeth; etc.  I’m not saying that these things aren’t important because they are.  However, we forget that there is so much more to being alive.

I have a niece who is a little over a year old.  Everything is so exciting for her.  Each new skill, like learning to walk, is a fabulous experience.  She wants to learn more and more.  I can see, as I spend time with her, that each moment is filled with wonder.  For her and for me.

My challenge for you today is to see the wonder in things.  Look at the world around you as if through the eyes of a child.  What wonder will you experience?

Haiku #11

Standing by the pond.

Listening to geese calling.

Fall is in the air.