Do You Have an Attitude of Gratitude?

LIVE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE 

 by Glen Hopkins

Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.

Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes'. Few people however, would answer, 'no'. These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift that determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude'. For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm.

The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and content. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude'.

I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.

"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown

Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on your problems to focusing on their solutions.

Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.

I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!

Glen Hopkins

The Value of a Teacher

Here’s a great clip from the end of Mr. Holland’s Opus. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Mahalow, Hawaii for 60+ Great Years!

As promised, here’s the info on Hawaii, the rest of the states and the party planning:

1. History of Hawaii: http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/travel-tips/history
2. Wikipedia post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_date_of_statehood
3. Hawaiian Luau ideas: http://www.hawaiian-luau-party-ideas.com/ 

Enjoy!  

Beat the Heat in August!!!

Fun activities to beat the heat of August:

1.       Cold Potato

Pass around a wet, spraying potato. Use a pin to poke a hole in a water balloon, then fill it with water and make sure the balloon has a slow — but steady — leak. Gather your grandchildren in a circle and toss the leaky balloon from one player to the next — spraying everyone in the process. Be sure to throw it quickly: The goal is to pass the balloon before it runs out of water.

2.       Marco Polo with no pool

Give one of the participants a water gun filled with cold water. Have that person blindfolded, tell them to count to 10 and then have the others quietly move to another location. When the counting is over, the person with the water gun shouts “Marco” and the participants shout “Polo” while moving around the yard. When the blindfolded person successfully shoots a player with water, the roles are now switched.

3.       Feather Volleyball

Go to the dollar store or the craft aisle in a department store to get large feathers for the participants. Give each person a feather and see who can blow the feather overhead for the longest time. Once you've got the hang of making the feather float, play as a team and try to pass a feather back and forth between players without letting it fall to the ground.

4.       Real life arts and crafts

Head into the yard and put on your bathing suits for this one. Once outside, give each person a paint brush and some washable finger paints. From there, everyone can take turns painting each other – yes directly on one another. When you’re done, turn on the hose and rinse each other off to keep cool. When your body is clean, it’s time to paint again.

5.       It’s called splat!

Fill a bunch of water balloons – a dozen or so – with cold water and take them to the driveway or sidewalk. Give each participant a balloon and have them toss the balloons high into the air overhead close to their bodies. The goal is to see who makes the biggest splat and get splashed by the balloon at the same time. Use chalk to trace the outline of the watermark and determine who won.

6.       Bob for Apples and other cool bucket ideas

Fill a large container with water and apples and have the kids bob for them just like it was Halloween. Once each kid has claimed an apple, play a game of sink or float. Gather household objects that can get wet (a conditioner bottle, a toy car, a spoon) and make guesses about whether or not each object will sink or float. When things sink, kids can go in after them and cool off even more.

Excerpted from Grandparents.com and Lisa Freedman

5 Major Reasons To Consider Selling in August

1. Like you, many buyers who are relocating would like to have their families settled prior to the school year. Whether it’s a company relocation or a personal one, time is of the essence in August for those finalizing their relocation plans.
   
2. Inventory is shrinking in many parts of the country and is historically low in August. Consequently, the lack of inventory drives up the demand on your home, giving you a legitimate shot at getting more money when you sell. It’s a smaller window of time, but a very real opportunity nonetheless.
   
3. After Labor Day, many people will hop in the market to try to sell their home during the stretch run before the holiday season. Once that happens, you’re now facing more competition and could lose out on the chance to haul in more equity from the sale of your home.
   
4. Yes, many folks are on vacation or trying to relax for the rest of the summer. But, just like the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’ll find that the buyers out looking for homes in the month of August are likely more serious than those folks “kicking tires” when the market first heats up during the spring.
   
5. You may be planning a vacation yourself and what better time to show your home than when you won’t be dislodged on a regular basis to have your home shown, especially in the hot summer weather we tend to experience in August. Plus, with nobody to mess up your home, you won’t need to clean it each time there’s a showing because it will be clean each and every time your home is shown.