[AffirmationstoDe-Stress] MORNING COFFEE

"A lesson from the lawn."   Imagine if a blade of grass decided it had had enough. It was done with having its head snipped off every weekend and its seeds – its future – cut off in their prime. Who could blame it?   Yet, what does that ol' blade of grass do? It doesn't say:  "I give up! I'm getting nowhere!" It just keeps on growing. It continually takes in the energy from the sunlight and magically converts carbon dioxide from the air into food to make more leaves and more seeds.   A blade of grass is resilient.   You too, can learn to be as resilient as the grass. You may be cut down on a regular basis, yet your strength is in standing up, dusting yourself off, and starting all over again. Even when grass is covered in concrete, it finds a way to grow up through the cracks.   And, so must you.   Take a "leaf" out of the grass' book. Connect with your own resilience and keep on growing.   ©Jane Powell     PRESCRIPTION FOR PEACE Many years ago, Dr. A. J. Cronin occasionally prescribed an unusual treatment for some of his patients who were feeling "blue," "down," or generally blah. He would insist that for six weeks the patient say, "Thank you" for every kindness and keep a record of it. According to Dr. Cronin, he had a remarkable cure rate. If you find yourself depressed, please consult your medical doctor. But everyone gets down at times, and sharpening your sense of gratitude can make an important difference in the way you feel. I have observed again and again that people's day-to-day happiness is not usually found in getting what they want; it comes from appreciating what they have, no matter how little. Writer Arthur Gordon* used to tell about asking a physician friend of his for the name of the most effective prescription he knew. "Well, I'll tell you," his friend said. "A colleague of mine once had a woman patient who suffered from depression. Got to the point where she stayed at home all the time, listless, apathetic, indifferent to just about everything. The usual medications didn't seem to help." One day this doctor delivered a small pack-age to the woman's home. "I want you to take what's in this package," he said, "and spend ten minutes of every day looking through it at some object in this room." In the package there was a strong magnifying glass. The woman faithfully took the prescription. She began looking through the lens at the warp and woof of the fabric on her sofa. She was amazed at what she saw. Then she examined the veins in a flower plucked from her garden, the color dots in an old photograph, and even the texture of her own skin. In days before close-up photography, she'd never seen the likes of it before. She was amazed and astounded at the brand new world opening up before her eyes. Perhaps the doctor knew what Abraham Heschel put so well: "The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living." As this woman gazed at her world through a magnifying lens, she saw, in a completely different way, what had been around her all along. Her sense of wonder gave way to another, more powerful emotion. The physician said that her experience with the lens, more than anything else, was the turning point of her illness. She began to get well because this unusual prescription had aroused within her the most curative of all emotions – gratitude. Do you practice gratitude? I think you'll discover that it is no less than a powerful prescription for peace. Steve Goodier       Foolish worries   Most of the things you worry so much about would never happen if they were left alone. Yet by your persistent focus on them, you greatly increase their likelihood. It is wise to be concerned and to take actions that will address those concerns. Yet it is foolish to simply worry, day after day, until that worry is soon manifest into something real.   Each day you fill your mind with thousands of thoughts. Those thoughts have much power because they influence every little thing you do, and those little things quickly add up.   So rather than filling your mind with worrisome thoughts, fill it with positive, enthusiastic, loving and life-affirming ones. Then, rather than letting the power of your thoughts push you down, those thoughts will be lifting you up.   The next time you find yourself with a worry or anxiety, think of it as a pebble in your hand. Simply let go of it, let it drop naturally, effortlessly to the ground, and continue on your way.   Then pick a positive, enriching thought to take its place.   Ralph Marston     - Dear Readers, " Morning Coffee " is a labor of love and meant to be shared with others to spread encouragement and inspiration. 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