Rays Daily
August 30, 2019
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”
Cynthia Ozick
Tomorrow starts a long weekend for those living in my country, On the first Monday in September we have a national holiday where we celebrate the contributions made be the workers who do so much for us. This Labor Day has reminded me how much I appreciate the staff here in our retirement community, folks too many of us take for granted.
I am thankful for the cooks and servers that provide us three nutritional meals each day. I am grateful for the health workers who help us stay fit. I am also thankful for the drivers who take me to my appointments, the grocery store and on our outings. And I cannot forget our housekeeper who comes once a week to keep our place clean and tidy and the linens changed,
I really benefit from the opportunities provided by Marla and Amanda, our activities staff for the exercise classes, entertainment, lectures, movies and more. We have so much more available to us than we had when we were home bound. So this next Monday as we spend time with friends and family I will also say thanks to my friends, the staff here in my residence.
Here is an abridged article that I got from the Harvard medical School that promotes gratitude and its benefits.
Expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel better.
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you’ve received each day.
Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
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Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul. –
Amy Collette
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A mother was showing her son how to zip up his coat. “The secret,” she said, “is to get the left part of the zipper to fit in the other side before you try to zip it up.”
The boy looked at her quizzically… “Why does it have to be a secret?”
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A motivational sign at work: The beatings will continue until morale improves.
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Grandma, when you and Grandpa had your first baby, did Grandpa ever handle the middle of the night feeding?”
“No. I always did that.”
“That must have been before you had women’s liberation.”
“No, it was before we had baby bottles.”
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Quote from telephone inquiry “We’re only hiring one summer intern this year and we won’t start interviewing candidates for that position until the Boss’ daughter finishes her summer classes.
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A priest was sitting on the steps of the church one spring day enjoying the sunshine. He saw a young boy approaching him on the sidewalk pulling a wagon. Every few yards one of the wheels would fall off the wagon, the boy would say “Damn!” put the wheel back on, and continue down the street, and a wheel would fall off again a few yards later.
As the boy neared the steps, the priest saw this as an opportunity to make an impression on the boy, and stopped him. “You know,” he said to the boy, “when a wheel falls off your wagon, instead of using profanity, you should say ‘Praise the Lord!’ instead.” He went on to tell the boy how someone is always watching over us and how we should be careful to do the right thing at all times.
The boy acknowledged his words and thanked him, and went on down the street. The priest stood there, feeling quite pleased with himself. About 50 yards away from the steps, all four wheels fell off the wagon, the boy stopped, heaved a huge sigh, and said, “Praise the Lord!” Instantly the wagon raised off the ground, all four wheels returned to their places.
Upon seeing this, the priest said, “Damn!”
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“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”
Germaine Greer
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A site foreman had ten very lazy men working for him, so one day he decided to trick them into doing some work for a change. “I’ve got a really easy job today for the laziest one among you,” he announced. “Will the laziest man please put his hand up?”
Nine hands went up. “Why didn’t you put your hand up?” he asked the tenth man.
“Too much trouble,” came the reply.
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“To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you’re overdoing it.”
Josh Jenkins
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At the height of a political corruption trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. “Isn’t it true,” he bellowed, “that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?”
The witness stared out the window as though he hadn’t hear the question. “Isn’t it true that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?” the lawyer repeated.
The witness still did not respond. Finally, the judge leaned over and said, “Sir, please answer the question.”
“Oh,” the startled witness said, “I’m sorry, Your Honor, I thought he was talking to you.”
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“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”
Alfred North Whitehead
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Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
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