Monday, September 21, 2009

Blessings

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Counting our Blessings...


Blessings





In response to my post
Yesterday Today Tomorrow
there was a great cross pollinating
of ideas









Wisteria ~ Koson





A number of you felt that Kindness
or Loving Kindness and Compassion
were constants
Others of you suggested
Hope
faith
Equanimity
Peace
Universal Love
Honour and Integrity
Love for Parents
Flow and Impermanence
Change
and
The Human Spirit



as constants in your life
and worthy of the
Yesterday Today Tomorrow
claim










Irises ~ Hosukai





Whist reading your interesting responses
I became aware
that we had neglected to mention
one of the most powerful
energies in life
A quality that almost has
a magical nature









Lillies ~ Hosukai





and that is Gratitude



Gratitude has the power
to open the heart
quieten our mind
calm the emotions


to shift our thinking
from the world
of have nots
or needs
to the world of haves
a world of enough

a place of emotional
and spiritual wellbeing










Hydrangea ~ Osauga Yuichi




Gratitude carries us
from a sense of emptiness
and wanting
to a place of fullness
and plenty









Orange Orchids ~ Hosukai




The expression of gratitude
harnesses a positive energy
that paints our world
in the colours
of abundance








Hibiscus and Sparrow ~ Hosukai




Appreciation effects our attitudes
our behaviours
our posture
demeanour
and body language









Poppies ~ Hosukai




We can learn to notice
and be thankful,
to count our Blessings
for each day's gifts
of health
abundance
creativity
people
places
and things










Chrysanthemums and Bee ~ Hosukai





Gratitude felt
for the contents
of Yesterday
gives us a feeling of meaning
and coherence
in our lives



Gratitude for the joys
of Today
brings us peace
calm
and a sense of plenty








Pink Magnolia ~ Koson




The expression of Gratitude
is like sowing seeds
creating a vision
and a blueprint
that will flower
and line the way
on a path of Pollen
Tomorrow...









Sakura ~ Hosukai




~ Gratitude ~


Yesterday


Today


Tomorrow






Oh Happy Days...





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50 comments:

  1. O, so true. Delwyn, you know I'm a WOman of few words; I really enjoy your writings. I'm going to re-read your post now. Thank you.

    Lovely prints.

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  2. Love the composition of this post Delwyn.

    A wonderful start to the day.

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  3. Gratitude has the power to emasculate greed. For that we can be grateful.

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  4. Oh Delwyn you are so right. I hadn't thought of gratitude in this way before. I can see me reading and re-reading this post. Thank you for all your wonderful and thought provoking posts. Elcmae

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  5. Thankyou Alaine...

    for that heartfelt response...it means a lot to me...I value your measured and thoughtful comments when you visit...

    thank you for your company Alaine

    Happy days

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  6. Hello Martin

    I am happy to bring it to you and share my ideas and the lovely Japanese prints...

    Happy days

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  7. Hi Dan

    I hadn't thought of gratitude quite like that but I see what you mean by stilling the desires, the wants and the needs that maybe are not necessary to contentment...

    Happy days

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  8. hi Elcmae

    it is a pleasure...I am glad you find
    the post thought provoking and worthy of re-reading...
    Gratitude is one of those rare things that we can never practice too much of...

    Happy days

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  9. Such a wonderous post ...and I adored the illustrations.

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  10. hi delwyn - i've seen this word appearing more often recently in people's writing. it's also something that has come up more often in my personal life. i attended a funeral on saturday morning and much of the discussion and commentary was centred on the gratitude people felt for having had the privilege to be a part of the life of the person who had flow away. thanks for this delwyn. very much. steven

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  11. Hi Delwyn...
    I think gratitude is the best gift we can give ourselves. Being grateful refocuses our priorities, being appreciative of the good in our life and aware of the free gifts all around us, makes it possible to just simply live a simpler life that leads to contentment.

    "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
    .... Melody Beattie

    Smiles always,
    Wanda

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  12. Thank you Sarah

    It is a wondrous attitude to have...I love them too...

    Happy days

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  13. Hello Steven

    It would be wonderful if we could all encourage the expression of gratitude through our own examples and see its results in the world around us...

    Happy days

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  14. Hi Wanda

    Yes it does make us look at what is important and valuable, and to simplify our lives...we realise that we have much to be thankful for and we can also reflect on the nature of those bounties, the big and the small...

    Your quote provides a very succinct nutshell of my message and also holds true to the Yesterday Today Tomorrow framework we started out with...

    thanks for your considered comments Wanda...

    Happy days

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  15. Such a great addition to a long list of other qualities I would agree with. In a sense I think that blogging and gratitude go hand in hand. I look back over a year's worth of posts and comments and how can I not feel gratitude for my many, many blessings! I kept a gratitude journal for a year and now I find I can mentally do a list with little effort.

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  16. I love this post and thank you for introducing me to these beautiful paintings.

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  17. Hello Vicky

    I find it very rewarding to find that so many of my blogging friends are of a similar mind and value these same life principles...it confirms to me that we are all endeavouring to make our worlds better places. We have the power to effect, through simple means, great changes...

    Happy days

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  18. I'm grateful for this post, Delwyn, for putting into words so succinctly the way I feel about gratitude and for the beautiful Japanese prints.

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  19. Good heavens, you are so right! I feel grateful every day too!

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  20. Hello Pink Dogwood

    and welcome to Au...where it is warm and summery...

    thank you for dropping by and introducing yourself...
    I love Japanese ukiyo-e prints, so you will see many of them here...

    Happy days

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  21. Hi Barry

    I am happy to share these words and wonderful Ukiyo-e prints with you...

    I'm grateful that you have come into my life...

    Happy days

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  22. Hi Little Tulsa

    We are all going to be lifting off the ground with our wings and songs of gratitude...

    Happy days

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  23. Delwyn: How could we have left out gratitude?? Living in gratitude is, to my mind, coming as close as I can get, right now, to enlightenment. It lifts one above ego cares, fears, desires - it truly is a transcedent emotion.

    Gratitude is healing. It affects us at a cellular level. Appreciation given to others affects them at a cellular level.

    That is one thing I treasure about the exchanges here among bloggers. There is a tremendous amount of appreciation expressed for the efforts, thoughts, work, talent of others. I think it is this healing component that lifts it above the personal to, at moments, a trans-personal medium.

    I am grateful to have discovered you and your blog with all the love, clarity, wisdom and appreciation for life that you offer.

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  24. Bonnie I agree

    It has an instantaneous effect on us...I said, in jest, to Tulsa in the comment above that we are all going to be flying on the wings of gratitude, focused as we are on counting our blessings but it is so true...gratitude raises us above our cares and worries, our fears and failures, our anxieties, lacks and our general busyness...

    Our expressions of gratitude certainly join us in our endeavours and in spirit...

    thank you for your sweet words Bonnie. I enjoy our camaraderie and am thankful that we have met and can share with each other, stimulate and encourage each other... in this wonderful world ...

    Happy days

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  25. Yes, definitely gratitude as a constant. Learning to want what you have instead of having what you want...

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  26. Delwyn,
    thank you for this inspiring post. I will copy some of these ideas on my personal journal.
    Smiles,
    Monica.

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  27. This truly is a constant that involves all our yesterday, today and tomorrows! Without gratitude we can not appreciate the emotions and attitudes of the benefits we receive or will receive. We must all understand the cost and benefit of gratitude to truly lead a happier life.
    Always, Delwyn..beautiful post!

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  28. Beautiful post! And what a great question, about constants. All the qualities mentioned sound great to me. I'd like to make room in my world for all of them.

    Gratitude is extremely healing for every kind of ill. The most healing quality in the world, from what I've observed in myself and others, is forgiveness.

    Forgiveness will set you free. It is so powerful.

    As are you, Delwyn. Thank you for this whole train of thought. YES. And happy equinox!

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  29. I love this post and the post about today, tomorrow and yesterday.

    Gratitude itself is something we can often over look and take for granted which is why it is always so lovely when it is expressed.

    A little Gratitude goes a long way.

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  30. You are absolutely right about gratitude. Taking time to be grateful for our lives can change everything.

    Thanks.

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  31. Can you stand one more?

    Change. Yesterday. Today and Tomorrow.

    I have found change to be constant. And change can be a good thing. Especially if it is change as in growth. I suppose I am just reflecting on the change of seasons here in the Northeast US.

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  32. Gratitude -- EXACTLY! We must notice, delight, give thanks. There is so much richness unfolding every single day in our lives and all we have to do is focus and appreciate what is so freely given. And by the way, the imagery you used in this post just makes my heart hum with gladness. Thank you!

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  33. Yes, gratitude...a gift we can give ourselves.
    Beautiful post...

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  34. Just looking at the first character fills me with peace again...it's one of my favorites. Still the "good fortune" kanji. The bonus of seeing the Hosukai paintings just adds to the great feeling of your post. Beautifully done, Delwyn. Blessings...

    EFH

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  35. Hello Expat

    Having the Japanese connection must make these images and the kanji resonate strongly for you...

    Thank you for your warm comments my friend and blessings to you today...

    Happy days

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  36. Hello Julie

    welcome to my corner of SE Qld. It is great to meet you and I will drop by later for a visit...
    thank you for calling by...

    Happy days

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  37. Hello Meri dear friend

    Some of the Hokusai images are my all time favourite ukiyo-e.

    Their understated subtlety and muted colours seem perfectly appropriate for this post about blessings as we can see joy and pleasure in the many small and sometimes seemingly insignificant parts of our days...

    I am thankful to know you Meri

    Happy days

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  38. Hi Cook

    Yes, we'll place change in there alongside impermanence...thanks for musing on this subject with us...

    Happy days

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  39. Hi KB

    yes, you have summed gratitude up very efficiently and effectively

    IT CHANGES EVERYTHING....

    Happy days

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  40. Hi Liss

    Do you have the Brunfelsia bushes Liss...

    I agree, and it is one of those attributes that I actually taught myself to practice daily until now it is an automatic habit and way of 'seeing'...and being...

    Happy days

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  41. Hello Reya

    Yes both forgiveness and gratitude are transformative...

    I always think of forgiveness in terms of 'cutting the chains that bind '- which was actually the title of a book way back by Phyllis someone...

    She gave a good exercise where you sit on the floor within one loop of an imagined infinity symbol and visualise the other person in the second loop...after reflecting on the hurts you you take your cutting tool and sever the chains of that figure 8 symbol and feel yourself float free...

    thank you Reya for your interesting contributions and kindness...

    Happy days

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  42. Hi there Alicia

    thanks for your visit and comments today...gratitude does pervade our lives in a most beneficial way...

    Happy days

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  43. Hello Monica

    well that is a lovely thought ...thank you for the compliment...

    all I have really done is distill my learnings about gratitude and my experiences into nutshells that sum up my acquired wisdom...if it be that...

    I like to think that as I get older all my thoughts and experiences and reflections over the ages are gelling into some sort of cohesive clarity and essence. A bit like the gooey sap in trees that eventually through the ages becomes amber...that's my hope...

    Happy days

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  44. Hi GW

    It is the path of least resistance isn't it...there is a conservation of energies...and a freeing up...

    Happy days

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  45. Lovely post. This world should indulge in more gratitude. And I loved the prints you used to illustrate your words.

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  46. I had never thought about it before, but gratitude chases away greed and creates a feeling of contentment, if it's real and continuous. Great observation, beautifully expressed.

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  47. Hi Ellen

    no expression of gratitude is ever wasted...

    thanks for your participation today...

    Happy days

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  48. Hi Janie

    thank you...I'm glad my post gave you a moment's musing today...

    Happy days

    ReplyDelete

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