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Gratitude is the most overused word other than balance. I would include 'life coach', but alas, two words. The funny part is those that recite the word to others are usually the ones to rarely put it into use when the test comes. Yet it's the times when it's inconvenient that we need to remember it. Through hard times, pain, struggle, string of 'bad luck' or death, we need to remember what we have.

Based on my last post, a woman wrote to me about the fact that she keeps attracting the wrong guys. She then went on to say that she doesn't have time for a relationship but she has also had a hard year and found out her husband cheated on her for some time, and then moved in with another woman, leaving the kids to be raised by her.

The natural thing would be to get upset. However, she has taken the trash out! She should be happy and look at this as raising her kids with the values and morals that are important to her. In fact I would say she is in a great situation to start her life over again, IF she can be grateful for that opportunity and not look at it as a curse. Funny enough, she explained to me that she was not happy when she was married to him, so really, she won the lottery!

The other side to this is we sometimes take things for granted thereby not seeing how great we have it. The best friend that has feelings for you and you overlook it when they are actually perfect for you. The fact your house may have been robbed, but you were not inside and therefore not hurt. The fact you are not getting to where you want, but have TOTALLY missed the journey you are on and should be learning from.

I'm reminded of the story that our parents told us as kids about the dog who walked with a bone. He got to the shoreline and looking in the water to see the reflection of a dog carrying a bone. The dog got greedy and tried to grab the bone in the water, only to have lost the bone he had and gain no other.

If you were given the task of walking around the block with a bowl of water and told never to spill a drop, you would be so focused on not spilling a drop. But you would have missed the kids playing, the boats sailing, or birds and whatever else that could have made your walk so much more fulfilling. The bowl is your life and the block is your goal. Relax, enjoy and appreciate all aspects of it (as hard as that can be).

We are having a disastrous 3rd quarter since the booksellers have not been stocking as many books as I would like. But what was pointed out to me was that we now have the latitude to do any type of online promotion I want since stores aren't really doing more anyway. I can do crazy! And because I did by offering a 3 book deal, we sold more in a week than we would have in a month!!

If there is someone you have not told you appreciate, something to have not done to show you are grateful or looked at where you are NOW versus where you came from, then maybe you might want to take just 2 minutes to do that today? Not only will you feel great, but you will truly make the day of someone else.