The Power of Being Thankful

The power of being thankful...it's not your typical real estate blog post...

I started keeping a journal when I was a teenager, although back then it was called a diary. Having moved from New York, to New Jersey, to California, to Texas, to finally Naples, many of those 'Notes To Myself' have been lost...or buried in boxes in storage...or simply read & re-read a few times before making their way into a shredder or burning bowl ceremony, where letting go and healing was much better than hanging on...Over the years I have come to believe that Being Thankful is one of the 2 most important aspects of living a good life...[The other is forgiveness]. Being Thankful...For EVERYTHING! Good and bad. Days that run smoothly like a gentle ocean breeze: T h a n k y o u...and, Days that wipe you out like a storm trying to demolish everything in its path. T h a n k y o u. I know, no "I KNOW", that it is all for my highest and best good...even the challenges, no ESPECIALLY the challenges! I mean, seriously, have you read a newspaper lately, watched the news? Can you find dozens of things to complain about, to be sad about, to be angry about, to worry about? Oh course you can...but can you also find thousands of things for which to be grateful? I am certain you can. ~and, I am certain that once one begins to count blessings, everything in life turns around. Someone once said, "You cannot be stressed and grateful at the same time." I agree with that!

Today I keep a Gratitude Journal, and I write in it almost every morning....I began this ritual a few years ago. Today I randomly opened it up and 'thumbed' through it...I couldn't help but smile when I read some of the entries: "I am grateful for...When Chip makes the coffee, A friend stopping by unexpectedly, The Yankees in post-season, Chocolate biscottis, Finding a $10 bill in my pocket, Firefighters, Three sons who call me to just say I love you mom, Having choices, my purple scarf, The ability to see the blessing in each situation, Clean sheets, Old photographs, being able to hear music, rainbows, The books on my coffee table"...well, you get the picture. Of course, it goes without saying that we are all grateful for the obvious things in life: Our loved ones, our health, our jobs, our talents, our homes...and sometimes, even those big things are taken for granted. But, being thankful for things when they are NOT going our way...Ahhhh, now that takes a bit more work indeed. I had a little medical scare this year that turned out to be a false alarm--I didn't tell anyone but Chip. Because I try to practice being thankful for everything, as soon as I got the initial news [and took that first deep breath], I simply said, 'Thank you God for whatever you hold in store for me. I know it is for my highest and best good, and the highest and best good for all those around me, and I can't wait to see the blessing that will come of it." This simple prayer completely turned my energy around. Being grateful gave me a different perspective.

So, on this very special holiday I would like to just say Thank you. Thank you to all the wonderful people who have added so much to the success of NaplesRealEstate.com...Thank you to our amazing customers, loyal friends and colleagues, the vendors, the staff at Coldwell Banker, our neighbors on Fifth Avenue South, The Naples Area Board of Realtors...Thank you that I get to sell homes in paradise...and, last but not least, Thank you to Chip and Sam!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Naples Real Estate Blogger