Does it take almost $6 million to study the meaning of gratitude?

I suppose it’s not very grateful of me to suggest that this sum of money could be better spent on some more useful and practical research. And I don’t mean to be ungrateful to the foundation that doles out money for projects such as finding the meaning of love (which it did recently in another research project – see here), but really folks, is this the best you can come up with?

The research project in question is being run by the University of California Davis, thanks to the generosity of the John Templeton Foundation. The funding of $5.6 million is supposed to “advance the science of gratitude” and “promote evidence-based practices of gratitude in such settings as schools, workplaces, homes and communities, to better understand gratitude and its role in a civil society.”

Dare we say, thanks but no thanks? I’m sure the university and its researchers are very grateful. But, as for the rest of us isn’t there something more important to spend millions of dollars on?

Three Years Worth Of Gratitude

The researchers say the funding will help them “expand the scientific database of this key human virtue, particularly in the areas of health and happiness, social relationships and developmental psychology.”

The grant will support a three-year project, “Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude,” incorporating researchers from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Hofstra University in New York, and California State University, Dominguez Hills. All these other universities are probably also very grateful to be getting a share of this pot of gold.

And this isn’t the first time the Templeton Foundation has doled out funds to study gratitude. The foundation previously supported a study that found people who kept daily gratitude journals exercised more regularly, complained of fewer illness symptoms and felt better about their lives overall compared with those who didn’t.

Gratitude Is A ‘Forgotten Factor?”

To further heighten the sense of importance of this research, the scientists suggest they are late to the study of gratitude and that gratitude is a “forgotten factor.” Hm-m-m. Did you all know that gratitude has been forgotten? When was the last time you said ‘thank you?’ Not so forgotten, is it?

When you were a child, didn’t your parents always tell you to ‘mind your Ps and Qs’? Seems as though that was as much research as was needed on the subject of gratitude. Certainly if someone offered me a few million dollars, I’d be grateful as well … very grateful. Perhaps the people at the Templeton Foundation could short circuit all the research and dole out their money directly to people like us. Wouldn’t you be grateful?

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This is just a thank you to all who have supported my words of expressions in the months gone by.  The writing journey has been a fulfilling one; taking me places that I didn’t even know I could go.  But, it wouldn’t have been such a nice ride without those who gave me inspiration, motivation and fueled my determination.  

We all want a better year.  This is an indisputable fact, but, the reality is, that bad days are sure to come.  There will be days when we want to give up and give in, but, it’s not the bad times that we should want to be so different, but, the way we deal with them.  

Sometimes how we approach a situation means more than the situation itself.  I can get hit by a storm, fold up and hide away, or I can put on some knee boots and grab the biggest umbrella and walk right into it’s raging winds.  We don’t pray for tragedies to exist; they come on their own, but, we can pray for the protection, wisdom and endurance needed to survive them.

Will God move the mountain?  He sure will.  Will he calm the seas?  Yes, he will and he did.  Can you survive the storm?  Of course.  There is something that I have found comforting, is that God will not only bring us through our storms, but, will give us the ability to walk across them.  We just have to rise above our circumstances and see it for what it is, a passing moment.

Whatever the New Year holds for any of us, I pray that each of us will handle it with grace.  And by all means, we must remember that we are not alone, by placing our faith in right place; turning our faces to God.  Will that make the bad days better?  Maybe not, but, he sure does give the strength to endure.  Happy New Year

 The internet has been brilliant in making the World a smaller place. Our online friends come from every corner of the Globe. Cultures are mixing, race is irrelevant and faiths no longer dictate friendships. As good as this sounds, as we edge closer to online Utopia, there is something lacking… basic manners.

Cover via Amazon

Have you noticed that PLEASE and THANK YOU are seldom used online?

There are several reasons for this.

One being that online speech is written in shorthand, much like the mobile phone text messages my kids send me. PLEASE and THANK YOU seemed to get dropped – too much trouble I suppose.

Another reason is the language of the internet. English is the main language online, whether it be the proper English, American English or the types of English dialect used across the Globe. What one country considers proper manners may not be relevant elsewhere or maybe English may not be a first language and the common PLEASE and THANK YOU gets lost in translation?

The reason that worries me the most is the shift from formal language to informal. I was raised to use PLEASE and THANK YOU whenever the need arose; even today I would never dream of not saying PLEASE when asking for something or THANK YOU upon receiving something. Language is so informal these days, there seems to be little respect or civility in speech anymore.

So where does that come from?

Does it come from the gimme gimme society we now live in?

Which way does it work? Does the internet, Social media and Twitter influence spoken language or does Twitter and Social media mimic the spoken word?

These questions are best answered by people slightly smarter than me.

What I do know is that I miss PLEASE and THANK YOU. Manners are free and there is no reason not to use them. If I do something for someone and I don’t get a THANK YOU, I am quite happy to point out rudeness and if a person omits a PLEASE when asking me something, they will get no joy from their request.

So I will end this article by saying THANK YOU for reading

No this diatribe of mine is, I guess, something that I simply had to write so that I could take a moment to thank the men and women (such as the soldiers I saw in that segment last night) for the sacrifices and nightmares that they have (and many still do) faced for us as Americans. I listened to the stories told last night and wept as the realization that a man, a Soldier, who had received the Silver Star Award for his bravery and his valor in the line of duty is now left to suffer nightmares and memories that no individual should ever be forced to deal with. He spoke of the guilt he felt, of how he blamed himself, for the loss of his Commanding Officer on the day that he was wounded and would later earn an award for still managing to carry his C.O. out of that place that is now forever branded into his memory.

That young man was 18 years of age when he fought that battle and his life was altered forever.

With Veteran’s Day coming up on Friday, I couldn’t help but wonder how many men and women I meet and deal with every day that might be going through some of the same things that young Soldier faces now that he is back home and trying to readjust to civilian life. How many more, I wonder, are suffering in silence because they don’t know where to go or who to turn to? Because they don’t have enough resources to seek out the kind of help that they might need in order to help them deal with the horrors that may have followed them home to the States when they left those deserts? How many times a year, a month, a day, do I come across a Veteran of ANY war and (even though I always be sure to shake their hands and thank them for their service) maybe not take long enough to appreciate what they’ve done and been through in their quest to protect this great country of ours? How many of those Soldiers have come home in these most recent years to a Country that is so torn apart by a bickering government and civilians who are feeling angered and betrayed by Washington that our soldiers are, perhaps, not given the welcome home that they deserve?

It’s not the first time in history that this has happened, I know. But maybe, just maybe, if somebody reads this little tirade of mine…maybe if they then turn around and take a moment to thank a Soldier or a Veteran for their service….maybe THEN I’ll feel like I’ve helped to welcome home a few more of those soldiers have given, and suffered, and lost so very much because of a love for this country that can never be overshadowed.

HONORING OUR TROOPS

Freedom, patriotism, honor and glory; all are words associated with America, the United States.  We are a great Country and remain the freest Country on the face of the Earth.  The day we lose that freedom we have no place else to go.  We are unique among nations.  Yes, we have our problems and our issues.  We are no different than any other nation on that score but we are still free to believe what we will believe, make our own choices, right or wrong, be all that we can be as long as we are willing to do our part and work for it, have the right to worship God or not, have our basic needs met, speak up and live without fear.  It is our troops that fight with immeasurable courage that keep us this way.  November 11th is a National Holiday, Veterans Day, a day set aside to say thank you for all they do and give.  The Saturday preceding Veterans Day is a day set aside by the Boy Scouts of America to honor these brave men and women in a special way with a special parade and ceremonies and just plain celebrating what it is to live free.  You can’t help but see a sense of pride when you see these young men and women, boys and girls coming together in such a way to say thank you, to honor our troops that keep us free and recognizing what freedom really means.  Freedom is not free.  It has come at a great cost.  Thank you for our freedom and a land in which freedom still shines. 

As far as I know, the Green Mountain Council of Boy Scouts of Vermont is the only council in America that sets aside a special day for this purpose and they do themselves proud when it comes to honoring our troops.  It is a day to remember. 

HONORING OUR TROOPS

It was a big day in town.

We were honoring our troops

and just as the honor guard marched by

a great Bald Eagle flew

high above the river

and perched high in a tree

out there on the island;

oh what a sight to see,

the America’s bald eagle

with flags flying in the breeze

this bright November morning;

I could hardly believe

and I stared in amazement

as my heart beat to marching feet;

Flags were unfurled and waving

as the parade marched down the street,

two Thousand troops, Boy Scouts and others

saluting the brave souls

that stood tall for freedom’s sake

and keep our Country whole;

our way of saying thank you

to the courageous and the brave

who give their all serving our Country

as we remember on Veterans Day…

And we prayed to God and thanked Him

for all the blessings that He gives

for freedom’s sake and the privilege

to live in the land we live…

And we again pledged our allegiance

to our Red, White and Blue

and to our Country and for what it stands

while honoring our troops.

Please keep sharing my articles while I am on hiatus though. Thank you

Think about it. Those teachers systematically taught us to:

1. Stand in a straight line and wait our turn.
2. Tell on anyone who tried to cut in front of you.
3. Say “please” and “thank you” to everyone.
4. Play fair, tell the truth, and work and play well with others.
5. Resolve conflict effectively with or without help from others.
6. Entertain ourselves if we have to, rest even when we don’t want to, but when we need to.
7. Expect consequences, accept rewards, and share without complaining.
8. Obey those who are in charge.
9. Be on time, start the day with a smile, and do things by a schedule.
10. Deal with separation anxiety, get up the nerve to learn new things, and have a good time no matter what.

These teachers deserve accolades that go beyond the simple “thank you.”  If your Kindergarten teacher or Pre-K teacher is still living, and if you remember their name, it would be wonderful if you sent a note or made a call to show them gratitude and to thank them for their invaluable contribution to your life.

Have a wonderful holiday seaspn!

To have hopes and desires is important to ones life.  It gives something to look for.  It gives them something to dream about.  It gives them a reason to live and work.  It gives them hope to go on.  To look forward to in the future.

Close your eyes and count to twenty to empty the thoughts out of your head.  Then see yourself asking God to help you get that special thing.  Asking God for a new job or even a better one.  See yourself going to different places of employment and filling out application.  Until that day when your dream and hopes come true. 

Remember, to state your faith in God by saying “I have faith in God that I will get a new job!  A new job with his help and support.  With his guiding hand and with his help that will make my crook path straight once again.  Thank you Dearest Father for the new job that you are going to help me get.”   By saying that even before you get the job is a way of stating your faith in the Dearest God Above.

Someone offers you a new job and what do you do next?  You say “Thank you!  to two people.  Those two people are of course the person who offered you the job and your Heavenly Father for helping you to get a new or better job. 

When the day comes that you don’t want to get off that chair or couch, remember your hopes and dreams.  How happy someone would be for you when you tell them the news that God helped you get a new job. 

When we ask, we shall receive it.  Then the next important thing is to remember to say thank you God for the help and support you gave me.  Never ever forget to say thank you to your Heavenly Father.