The other day I was speaking to my dear friend Gladys and I was thanking her for being a piece of my heart. Not only did she fill a place in my heart but her love reaches deeper than that. She is a part of my soul. She entered my heart and reached far beyond that. In a word, we are One.

It made me aware of how blessed I am. I have so many Friends of the Heart. I am never alone, as each individual resides inside of me. I only hope I make them feel as special as they have made me feel. I am surrounded by angels who have come into my life, always at the perfect moment.

Many times I have had an acquaintance that I’ve known for years who suddenly walks into my heart and finds a comfortable spot to stay. I’ve found that when I take the time to ask the question, who are you?, instead of, how are you?, a Friend of the Heart is born within the both of us.

I want to say to all my friends that reside in my heart, thank you! You make my life joyful and fun. You honor me by being exactly who you are and for loving me exactly as I am. I am proud and happy that you are a Friend of My Heart.

I’ve always been grateful for all I had, then about 5 years ago, I received an email from The GoGratitude Experiment that changed my whole perspective. It was a series of emails that led me into 42 days of (k)new views of gratitude. The GoGratitude symbol  was a spiral. Everywhere I went spirals were all I saw. It became a game of sorts, seeing a spiral, smiling. then pausing to be grateful for life.  My life went from boring to joyful. I encourage everyone to visit www.GoGratitude.com and start your own journey into gratitude.

Imagine my delight when I arrived at the airport to greet my daughter and seeing this wonderful spiral!

In addition to the GoGratitude Experiment here are some other resources that you may find helpful in shifting your perspective, allowing you move into a life filled with miracles, all created through the adopting the attitude of gratitude.

Thanks for visiting my gratitude blog.  I wish you a life filled with moments to be appreciated and cherished.

On the surface of the world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.

It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out.
From the ground up.
This is a global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.

There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won’t see us on the TV
You won’t read about us in the newspaper
You won’t hear about us on the radio
We don’t seek any glory
We don’t wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes.
It is of no concern to us
who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done.

Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place
Some call us the Conscious Army
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy

Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents.

“Be the change you want to see in the world”
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined.

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.
You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world.
Nobody else can do it for you.
We are now recruiting.
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open.

This was sent in an email and it is too good not to share everywhere.

Peace and blessings,

Barbara

It was raining hard as I set out. Visibility was not great, but traffic was light.  I was behind a slower moving car on the parkway and I started to move to the left to pass. I heard a voice in my head say NO! I got a funny feeling in my stomach. It made no sense but I paid attention to the warning and quickly moved back into the right lane.

Looking in my side mirror I saw a motorcycle approaching  in the left lane speeding at about 80+ mph! He was not there seconds before when I started moving left. I was so grateful that I paid attention to the voice in my head. If I had ignored this warning, this motorcyclist would have had nowhere to go. It could have been a disaster.

I am so grateful for all the angels and protectors that surround us in each moment. I am even more grateful to have learned to pay attention when they  guide me. Many thanks to all my unseen helpers! And to the ones looking out for that motorcyclist this morning.

As I stood in the driver’s room with Beth K and Trish, I asked them how many times we have been together sharing this moment of good will with each other. It was in that moment we all felt the connection of our family here at our 5^th Ave. yard.  In came Mirna and we did a little dance of happiness as we all hugged each other. Yes, we are some of the senior drivers who have been together for over 25  years but then along came Christian, one of our newer drivers, and he joined in our hugs and merriment. This is the beauty of our Huntington Coach 5^th Ave. family. All are included and cared for. Each one of us makes the whole, and the Oneness of our community is very special.

Throughout the years we have shared and reached out to each other in both joy and sadness. We have been there for each other through marriages, divorces, births and deaths. We have seen each other through the ups and the downs of life. Life doesn’t come with guarantees but the family of caring individuals here at 5^th Ave. continues to grow. Each one of us has the power to make a difference in the lives of our fellow co-workers and I’ve seen it happen over and over again.

I am honored and grateful to be part of this wonderful group of diverse, loving and caring individuals. May your New Year be as blessed as I feel right now.

The month of December is filled with days where everyone is rushing around. As School Bus Drivers on the road each day we are keenly aware of the insanity that goes on around us. Shoppers see us coming and see nothing but delays. The creative and inventive and sometimes dangerous ways they have to get ahead of us is nothing short of amazing. Instead of getting frustrated and angry, try a random act of kindness. Allow a car to exit a shopping center and smile as you wave and give them a break. That one small action on your part made their day just a tiny bit easier and perhaps they will pay that random act of kindness forward. If everyone here at the 5^th Ave. yard would consciously practice kindness each day this month, imagine how happy Huntington and the surrounding communities would be.  Of course, keep that kindness going outside of your bus; share it with coworkers, friends and family. Then notice how nice being kind feels.

No matter what your religion or holiday celebrations are, it would do no harm to agree with The Dalai Lama. When asked what his religion was he answered simply, Kindness. It’s a beautiful way to live.

If you’d like to learn more about Scott’s Challenge check out: http://www.ScottKostolni.com

Yes, some have those heavenly wings that flutter, creating a gentle breeze. I feel rather than see their presence. Although I have caught them hovering nearby.

The other Angels are the ones that come into your life and bring exactly what you need at the perfect time. Today a friend I haven’t spoken to for a few years, posted a video clip from Abraham-Hicks that was the exact message I needed today. It is like magic how everything falls in place.

Angels appear everywhere, in the grocery store, traffic, in books and songs. When you take the time to notice who and what is around you, you’ll see you are never alone and that what you ask for is always ready for you to have, if you’ll only allow it to come to you.

IF YOU WANT IT

YOU CAN HAVE IT

JUST GET OUT OF THE WAY

(From an Abraham-Hicks  theme song )

My gratitude and love go to all my angles who surround me and help me to cre8amiracles! I love you all!

Lately I’ve been In Control. Not a good thing. Know why? I’ve been trying to control another’s life and choices. I thought that since I was basing my decisions from a place of love that I was doing the right thing. Not true.

Each one of us knows what is best for us. We have our own unique journey to travel and no one can live our life better than we can. No matter how it looks from the outside, we cannot know what another’s inner journey is.

When you love someone, you want the best for them. You may see things that you believe need to be fixed. You try to fix something that is not yours to fix.  Now you are trying to control the choices and life of that someone you care deeply about. The struggle starts and nothing good ever comes from struggle.

As hard as it is to stand by and allow this person to make choices you don’t agree with, it’s best to be Out of Control. When you let go and release control, there is no longer resistance to you. The person now gets the opportunity to listen to their inner voice and find what works for them. They may surprise you and agree with what you have been trying to get them to see; only this time they will be making the choice themselves. Trusting and allowing others to find their own way is a win-win situation. Each one regains control of their own beingness. Communication will come from the heart and not the mind. Trust and respect blooms, creating harmony and ease where there wasn’t before.

So go ahead, get Out of Control, and watch the healing and miracles appear.

I allowed my mind to take a situation of limited funds and make it bigger and bigger. I allowed this thought to grow and now I was feeling, worried and scared about the future. My thoughts even went as far as creating the feelings of I’m no good, and I am a failure and more. Whew! The pit on my stomach was hurting and I was crying. I certainly created a case of runaway thoughts.

I did not like this at all. I know better than that. I am not my thoughts. Thoughts are things that I have control over. I took charge.  I knew I had to stop and be quite.

I took a short 15 minute meditation and got clarity and peace. I invited my angels, guides and any helpers that wanted to join in to bring me peace and positive higher vibrations. They did not disappoint me! The main point they illuminated for me was that I am not defined by my worldly possessions. The size of my bank account is not a measurement of my value to my family and friends. I needed a reminder of this.

As I write this I am filled with so much gratitude for my runaway thoughts. First I was reminded of who I am.  I am so much more than money. I will always have what I need and more. The past few months have been filled with unexpected and welcome gifts of abundant cash flow, which just magically appeared when I needed it. I have no need to worry.

Second is that I am never alone. All I need do is stop, take a breath and ask for help and it is given every time. Thank you Angels, Guides and unseen helpers and yes, thank you Runaway Thoughts! You reminded me to consciously choose my thoughts to create the life I want.

Third is the opportunity to laugh at myself again. I can have some very silly thoughts!

After having this chat with Andrew and feeling wonderful I saw my friend Jane from Spain (I love saying that) was available online also. Now my day was getting better. We got on Skype and visited. I met Jane through the World Gratitude Forum and she has brought lots of joy into my life. I know that I return to her the same gift.

I intended to write about how special everyone is who have entered my life. I wanted to thank everyone for sharing this journey with me. I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence that I accidentally opened an email from Neale Donald Walsh as I prepared to write this blog entry. I have to include this here now as it so elegantly expresses what I wish to have said and more. Thank you Neale, for once again, for showing up with the perfect words at the perfect time.

Here are a few words from Neale:

My dear friends…

If you were to die tomorrow, would you be happy about how you spent today?
Get on the phone today and say something special to everyone who is special to you.
Go around today to everyone you love who is close to you and give them a hug and a smooch and a real sign of your love.
Write a note today to all of your distant but still good friends and tell them what having them in your life has meant to you.
Then sit down and draft a letter to your children or your grandchildren and share with them everything that you have learned about life, everything that you want them to know about how to get through, how to make things work, how to find joy and have fun and bring themselves and other people some happiness amidst all the challenges they are going to face.
Tell them what those challenges are about and why they have arisen and how to best meet them and the way to celebrate them.
And when you’re through with all of that write yourself a letter, telling yourself how good you have been and how well you have done, given all that you have had to deal with and everything you have encountered. And then write a letter to God, saying thanks for all the blessings, and that you can’t wait `til you get back Home to tell all of your loved ones there all about what your adventure here is has been like, what you have learned, and what you’re going to do Next Time Around to apply all that you have learned.
If you do not die tomorrow, if you are still alive by the end of the week, decide how you want to spend whatever time you have left with your present body. Make a New Decision about the meaning and the purpose of your life. Elevate it beyond the survival level. Look to see what you would choose as the reason you are living if you thought that the choice is being made by your Soul and not by your Mind.
Live whatever days you have left from that space, in the best way that you can. Serve the agenda of your Soul. Your life, however much longer it goes on, will never be the same. It will have some meaning, at last. It will have some meaningful purpose. And that will make every moment special. …love and hugs,

Love and Hugs,

Neale.