Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “My Wish For You.”

Enjoy!

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graphic credit: unknown

Fall arrives in the Northern Hemisphere tomorrow, September 22, 2012. I love fall. But, I’m not in a hurry for it to arrive, I will happily wait one more day and enjoy today. That’s because today, September 21, is one of my favorite days. Besides being the last day of summer, it is also World Gratitude Day, which was established globally in 1965 and has been slowly gaining steam.

To commemorate World Gratitude Day, I have compiled my 50 favorite quotes on gratitude and appreciation. Since I painstakingly etched them on a parchment scroll, I thought I should share them. So, I have unfurled the scroll below for all to see. Collectively, they all lead back to the same benefits, but they each have their own subtle nuance or shade. Hence the title, 50 Shades of… oh well, you know what I mean.

This collection is not all-inclusive, of course, so if you have others that you would like to add for all to see, please do jot them down in the comments section below. Then, I and other readers will have something and someone else to be grateful for.

Enjoy World Gratitude Day and thanks for stopping by!  :)  

]]> http://gyatoday.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/please/ Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:28:18 +0000 Paul Mark Sutherland http://gyatoday.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/please/

Enjoy!

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CREDITS: graphic-unknown, verbiage-John Lennon

The remarkable passion and commitment of a teacher in a big inner city school has culminated year after year in remarkable music and a group of marked and remarkable kids. They are marked for life with the knowledge that they can achieve anything that they envision, plan for, and work hard for. They are remarkable for their astonishing musical accomplishments as group. I’m not sure, but I’ll bet these kids can’t wait for school to start each year.

Mr. B is a wonderful example of practicing GYA on the job.

Below are three of the many performances that you will find by searching ‘PS22’ on YouTube.

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Practice time:

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Rehearsal with Celtic Woman:

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Performing at the Academy Awards:

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Also, here are two wonderful and informative articles about Mr. B and the kids.

1. www.openeducation.net
2. www.spinner.com

Enjoy.

Read more about Dr. Schweitzer here

Enjoy!

original graphic credit: unknown

Enjoy!

original graphic credit: unknown

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

story and video credit: ABC news

Enjoy!

We’ve written previously about Stanford researchers’ ongoing efforts to study the science of compassion and altruism. A San Francisco Chronicle story from yesterday takes a closer look at one such project.

In the study, neuroeconomist Brian Knutson, PhD, and colleagues use magnetic resonance imaging to compare the minds of expert meditators and novices to better define what compassion looks like in the brain. Meredith May writes:

The “monk study” at Stanford is part of an emerging field of meditation science that has taken off in the last decade with advancements in brain image technology, and popular interest.

“There are many neuroscientists out there looking at mindfulness, but not a lot who are studying compassion,” Knutson said. “The Buddhist view of the world can provide some potentially interesting information about the subcortical reward circuits involved in motivation.”

By looking at expert meditators, neuroscientists hope to get a better picture of what compassion looks like in the brain. Does a monk’s brain behave differently than another person’s brain when the two are both extending compassion? Is selflessness innate, or can it be learned?

Looking to the future, neuroscientists wonder whether compassion can be neurologically isolated, if one day it could be harnessed to help people overcome depression, to settle children with hyperactivity, or even to rewire a psychopath.

“Right now we’re trying to first develop the measurement of compassion, so then one day we can develop the science around it,” Knutson said.

The larger and more in-depth San Francisco Chronicle article can be found here.

Previously from SCOPE:

1. How being compassionate can influence your health
2. Neurotheology: Investigating the relationship between the brain and spirituality
3. Dalai Lama and Stanford researchers explore science of compassion and altruism

Enjoy!

Number 14 is the one I need to start with …boy is my wife going to be surprised!

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50 Simple Ways to Make Others Feel Special

By Daniel Wong

Photo by JUCO

 “It is the quality of our relationships that most determines our legacy.”
– James M. Kouzes

A few years ago, I received a long personal email from a close friend. It was an especially hectic time for me, so I only got around to replying three weeks later.

I began my email: “I’m sorry for the delayed response. I didn’t have time—“ In a moment of painful clarity, I caught myself in the middle of a lie and stopped typing. Didn’t have time? That simply wasn’t true!

We always make time for the things that are important to us: eating, showering, Facebook, watching our favorite TV shows. If we don’t make time for something, it’s probably because that “something” isn’t actually as important to us as we profess.

If someone were to ask us what we value most, I’m sure that our relationships with our friends and family would come in close to the top of the list. But for most of us—myself included—the way we allocate our time doesn’t always reflect this.

At some level, we all know that the way we spend our time reveals our priorities, much more than merely what we say or think.

Maybe it’s true that we don’t always have the luxury of writing frequent, long personal emails, but we can all make a more conscious effort to show people that they matter and that they’re special.

I’ve come up with a list of 50 simple ways to make someone feel special. (To avoid writing “he or she” repeatedly, I’ll assume that the person is female.) Here they are:

1. Make a note of the important events in her life and ask her how the events went.
2. Give her a specific and genuine compliment.
3. Praise her in front of other people.
4. In a group setting, ask her to tell… her favorite story.
5. If she’s telling a story to a group and she gets cut off for some reason, be the first person to ask her to continue telling it.
6. Ignore her tiredness. Nobody wants to be told that they have dark rings under their eyes or that they look like they just woke up.
7. After meeting someone new, follow up the next day with an email or handwritten note.
8. When you first call her on the phone, ask if it’s a good time for her to talk.
9. If, while talking on the phone, you hear something going on in the background, ask her if she needs to attend to it.
10. Don’t multi-task while you’re on the phone. She’ll be able to tell.
11. Send her a link to an article that you think would interest her.
12. Write her a thank-you note.
13. Connect her with someone else you know who might be able to help her.
14. Wait for a full second or two before replying to something she says. This shows that your response is a thoughtful one.
15. Don’t play with your cell phone while you’re with her. At the very least, put your phone on the table with the screen facing down.
16. If you’re working at your laptop when she comes to talk to you, close your laptop. If you can’t do that for some reason, at least make it clear that she has your undivided attention.
17. Buy her a gift for no apparent reason.
18. Write a blog post and dedicate it to her.
19. When she’s explaining her problem to you, listen intently without offering any solutions or advice.
20. Never tell her that she “shouldn’t feel that way.” This invalidates her feelings.
21. Give her a big smile when you see her. Show her that her presence makes your day.
22. Tell her “Good job!” when she does something well.
23. Tell her you’re proud of her.
24. Ask her to teach you something.
25. Remember the names of the people close to her.
26. Ask her for advice or for her opinion.
27. Brag about her even when she isn’t there. Word will get around.
28. Never say “I told you so.”
29. When you’ve made a mistake, admit it immediately.
30. When she asks you about your day, provide some details.
31. Call if you’re going to be late to meet her.
32. Don’t compare her with anyone else, especially not to her face.
33. Ask about her family.
34. Ask her how she feels about an event or situation.
35. Tell her that you believe in her.
36. Notice when she changes something about her physical appearance.
37. Include her in a group conversation.
38. If there’s an inside joke that she doesn’t understand, explain it to her.
39. When she’s right about something, let her know.
40. Don’t give her any advice unless she specifically asks for it.
41. Ask her open-ended questions.
42. Ask her about her dreams.
43. Share your dreams with her.
44. Share your fears and insecurities with her.
45. Never say “I understand exactly how you feel.” You don’t.
46. Don’t judge her dreams, ideas or opinions.
47. When you introduce her, say something kind about her accomplishments and about your friendship.
48. Tell her how she has made a difference in your life.
49. Bring up a unique shared memory.
50. Celebrate her successes.

People don’t just matter if they have something to offer us. They don’t just matter if we stand to benefit from the relationship. They don’t just matter if they’re “a good contact to have.”

They just do.

Life is all about relationships, so let’s make a conscious effort every day to make others feel special. After all, a strong relationship isn’t built in a day; it’s built day by day.

photo credit, All Rights Reserved: Bahman Farzad

credit: NBC news

graphic credit: RandomFaces.com

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About Andy Rooney:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Rooney
2. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740299/

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

                                                                                —Author Unknown

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.·

Speak To Me

We are each a seed.
We are each a blossom.
We are each a flower.
We are each a tree.
We are each in need of tending, pruning, and love,
from others and our self.

Friend, speak to me of you.
Speak to me of others who have loved you.
You have spoken to me of God.
-                           —Paul Mark Sutherland

artist credit:  Cassandra Donnelly
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“Give love to others through kindness, encouragement, support, gratitude, or any good feeling, and it comes back to you and multiplies itself, bringing love to every other area of your life, including your health, money, happiness, and career.

Give negativity to others, through criticism, anger, impatience, or any bad feeling, and you will receive that negativity back—guaranteed! And as the negativity comes back, it multiplies itself, attracting more negativity, which affects the rest of your life.”

—Rhonda Byrne

photo credit:  Idea go/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s been over 25 years; there is still so much to do …each of us can do a little.

We are the world.
We are the children.
We are the ones who make a brighter day.
So let’s start giving.
There’s a choice we’re making…

> who sang what lines

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“Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.” ~Aldous Huxley

(This post is re-blogged from one of my favorite blogs,
“Meant to be Happy,” written by Ken Wert)

What is Happiness?

We talk a lot about happiness all dressed up and pretty. But what does it look like when it’s standing in nothing but its birthday suit?

As I’ve studied and practiced, researched and questioned, written and talked with people about happiness, I’ve become increasingly convinced that many of us define the term in very different ways.

This is no unimportant matter either. Because some of us understand happiness so differently, we can easily misunderstand what it takes to get more of it. And so we’re often found groping in the dark for something that was never put where we’re groping for it in the first place. We’re understandably left frustrated for trying.

This post, then, is less about how to be happy (though it’s implied in its description) as much as a post dedicated to describing what happiness looks like once you have it.

To read the rest of the post, and I recommend you do, head over to ”Meant to be Happy.“

Enjoy!