You Choose
Daily Thoughts

Monday
Today, choose Gratitude. Although there are always many things we want in our lives, there is much to be grateful for. When you write checks, be grateful for what the money you are paying has given you...lights on in the house, a comfortable place to live, food for your family's table. Remember the goods and services you have received and be grateful for them.

Notice those everyday things that make your life better. The person who lets you into a line of traffic, the teens picking up trash in the park, the color of your pillows on the sofa. When we are grateful for more, the more we have to be grateful for.

Tuesday
Today, choose Fresh. Ah, Fresh - it reminds us of newness, of vibrancy, and vitality. It even feels good to say the word! Are you eating fresh food today? Are you breathing fresh air? Are your plants fresh and flourishing, or do they need to be pruned and tended to recall their beauty?

That which was once fresh in our lives may also need to be tended and pruned. The snake sheds its skin; other animals shed their fur. When we discard the old there is room for fresh and new in our lives. Everytime you think of it, choose Fresh - in the grocery, at a restaurant, in your ideas.

Wednesday
Today, choose to "Do No Harm." The doctor's Hippocratic Oath says, "First, do no harm." If a driver cuts you off in traffic, instead of shaking a fist, simply keep driving. A surly clerk at the drug store? Let there be no contest of wills, simply move on. A co-worker criticizes a project you've just finished? Hold that venomous tongue.

If we let anger get the best of us, we are the ones who suffer most. We carry the rage deep within, and it takes its toll in our bodies, minds, and souls. Do no harm...to others and to yourself. Doing nothing can often be better than doing that which can make things worse.

Thursday
Today, choose Optimism. Always choose optimism over pessimism, for they are merely subjective ideas. One person looks at a glass half empty, the other half full. The glass is the same, simply a glass. It is what each person brings to the glass that makes it so.

Relax into an optimistic point of view. Your bank account can grow. You can work at what you enjoy. You can find solutions to those problems that have been haunting you for so long. You can be receptive to new and greater things. Choose optimism and say "yes" to a better life for you and everyone else.

Friday
Today, choose Stop Signs. Every time you come to a stop sign, remember why it's there. Stop signs tell us to slow down, stop, and yield to others. They are there for our safety. They prevent accidents and mistakes.

Stop signs are in every part of your life. Before you rush headlong into a buying spree, an argument, or job, make sure it's the right move to make. Will it hasten you smoothly along your way, or will it cause damage to you or someone else. Before taking action, stop. Take a deep breath and look in all directions, so you can proceed safely and with confidence.

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