Gratitude is the memory of the heart. ~Jean Baptiste Massieu [translated from French]
Have you noticed that when we think with our mind we rationalize and explain what we SEE instead of what we BELIEVE? However, when we feel with our heart we tend to believe with our soul with faith on what we BELIEVE instead of what we SEE?
Of course teachers and sages of ages past have been writing and teaching this very concept but how many of us really get it?
I love this quote “Gratitude is the memory of the heart” because to be grateful we must ‘think’ with our heart. We become instantly more compassionate and more loving and giving. When the news of Haiti became known to us I am sure we were feeling and ‘thinking’ with our heart. Immediately our own concerns and worries seem to fade away as we step into the horrific experiences our brothers and sisters were experiencing. We wanted to do something even if it was a small token of our money or prayers.

Take this response and compare it to the reactions we have to our circumstances and our challenges and ask sincerely if we are ‘thinking’ with our mental faculties or ‘thinking’ with our heart. I assure you that when you go with the heart it is much easier to remember the blessings in our lives even in these of most challenging days. Be certain that most of us face this challenge with you. We connected as one humanity during the recent earthquake in Haiti, as so also remember with your heart that this very same humanity is going through many of the everyday challenges you and I are going through as well. None of us are alone in these times of heart challange. With feelings of gratitude comes the LIGHT of HOPE. HOPE is being optimistic in the worst of times because you ‘think’ with your heart, you BELIEVE.

So take a moment and explore your heart memories and you will see that I speak the truth and we can stay hopeful and peaceful as we share these times together.
Much gratitude for all of you
Elizabeth
www.bluemarble4life.com

As we celebrate this Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18th, 2010, and remember the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, does our hearts not open up in gratitude for all that we have and suffer to share the pain of those that have lost all that they have?
I have written previously when the heart opens the tears flow in joy to connect with our divine. As we watch we are very appreciative of the men and women who are on the ground to rescue those still buried alive, to bury those who have departed, and to feed, clothe and shelter those alive with shock and agony.
Are we not humbled as we see the many facets of what is happening here? As you say grace at your meals can you not feel the hunger of those in Haiti and around the world with no food to eat? As you cuddle in warm beds do you not feel the cold hard ground our brothers and sisters sleep on? As we hug our beautiful children and know that they are safe do we not think about all the mothers who cry with empty arms for their child has been lost to them. At these very same moments we appreciate and give gratitude for the food we eat, the warm bed we sleep in and the loving arms of our children around us. It is in moments like these tragedies that we MUST reflect upon our thoughts about what happens around us, to know we share a common universe, a common humanity.
We have the freedom to use our prayers and meditation to uplift those who suffer and appreciate the many hands that are serving in Haiti and around the world to provide physical assistance to these our suffering brothers and sisters of the world.
Let us not just give our money to assist the tragedy in Haiti but to send love and light through our thoughts to the victims and the men and women who are working in the frontlines to assist the people of Haiti. Our positive thoughts of gratitude, of hope are as powerful as any material assistance we can provide.
Let’s hold vigil in our hearts to help those in Haiti and around the world while we deeply appreciate the abundance we all experience this day.
Much gratitude
Elizabeth
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

So, here we are with a brand new baby year. Many of us have already contemplated the changes we need to make in our lives. Many of us are asking what this year will be like, the same as last? Better? Worse?
The spiritual sages of old will advise us not to become ‘attached’ with the outcome. Be the best in this present moment and all the best moments will add up to make the best year, the best decade, the best century, the best…life. It is true that without the tough and challenging times we cannot contrast or appreciate the good times. It is also true that life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we respond. Everyone has their own impression and interpretation on these life lessons and we all describe it through the eyes of our experience.
No matter how we forecast the future that lies ahead this year, we must take accountability here and now on the responses we make on our current situation. All of us are struggling in some area or another, and these stepping stones placed in our lives are not meant to be destructive but it is there to allow us to get to the next level of understanding, spiritual understanding. You might say how could that be? Financial struggles, loss of employment, divorce, death,stress, poverty, sickness…the list goes on. It is subtle but the message and lesson is there in every experience. These days everyone feels it.
These life situations all drive us to ask; why are we here? What is my life’s purpose? Is my LIFE meaningful?
It could be a lesson to just change one’s attitude towards life, maybe it is just to learn about one’s self, maybe to understand that the purpose is in the journey itself. It is different with every person.
One thing is for sure, giving thanks amidst these struggles creates a new positive and uplifting energy. If we can agree to focus on this energy by remembering to give gratitude whenever possible each day I believe 2010 will be a super year for all of us.
The Blue marble family ended 2009 with gratitude mania hosted by a dear friend Glenn Garnes in Maryland. As a token of gratitude to all blue angels who hosted this year a short video was created, please view it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17bLA2diLo

Have a blessed prosperous 2010 and may all your dreams come true this year.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Zachariah
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

Gratitude and Healing
As we experience this holiday season and come to a conclusion of another year let us allow ourselves to be filled with gratitude for healing to occur in every area of our lives. Stress is absolutely high around the holiday seasons with many demands on every individual.
Enjoy the season but as we wind down the year and conclude and close many aspects that need closure, allow time to deal with those issues and time for healing. Most of all do not judge yourselves even if others do, be gentle especially with difficult circumstances that only you can comprehend. Sometimes we struggle to grasp why people around us are a certain way or why things happen the way they do. The only thing that we can control is our attitude. If you have people hurt you this year, forgive them with gratitude that you have done the best you can to be peaceful. If people walked all over you this year, honor yourself and proceed to deal with how you feel and allow healing to occur. If you have instigated those behaviors, evaluate if you have unfairly done the very things you want to forgive in others. If you have bring those feelings to a conclusion and deal with the parties involved if possible, talk it out and see if healing can occur. Many of what happens cannot be controlled, emotions are very powerful especially when your heart is open, just do the best you can and understand that no one is ‘bad’ or ‘good’, we all have to honor what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ within ourselves. Even if we wear masks outside, our true intentions are very clear and open to the ‘self’ we live in so we can fool others but not the spiritual part of us which is living within us.
These last weeks of this year 2009 can be used to evaluate and conclude your thoughts in all areas and build a new beginning of 2010 ushered in with gratitude and anticipation of the best things to come. When you bring something to a conclusion, you create new space and something better shows up. Our thoughts and intentions are very powerful. No matter what be honest within yourself of how you feel about all the matters in your life. Do not waste time judging others and what they have done to you leave that up to the universe and higher powers. Just concentrate on being authentic and real with yourself, since the only person who can change you is yourself, none other.
As for me I am tremendously grateful for my children who fill my life up with so much love and light. This has been a year of tremendous learning. I have met some of the most amazing human spirits this year and I am ever so grateful for them. I have faced some of the most difficult challenges personally as well but by grace I have come through all of them stronger and more alive. The biggest lesson I have learnt at the conclusion of this year is to honor myself and stand up to people when they try to walk all over you, this was big because I am so used to always being silent and ‘allowing’ others to have their way. So, it was a huge victory to finally honor my person.

2009’s last GratitudeMania will be hosted by Blue Angel Glenn Garnes on December 29th 6-8pm at
Homewood Suites in Columbia, MD
8320 Benson Dr
Columbia, MD 21045 US
[Those interested in purchasing a 'gratitude' blue earth marble go to the website below. Also read by previous post on how you can celebrate on Dec 29th at the same time from where you live]

The ‘gratitude’ blue earth marble has just arrived from Melbourne Australia and ready to greet the nation’s capitol! Please join us if you live in the Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia areas.

I am so very excited about 2010. Many new beginnings and wonderful exciting doors are opening up in my life and I am so grateful for this. I want to thank so many people who are in my life that makes me feel ever so grateful to have come this far and you beloved ones know who you are…so thank you!

A very blessed holiday season to you all and a beautiful 2010!!
Much gratitude
Elizabeth Zachariah

www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

For those who need evidence about how critical gratitude and appreciation is for our wellbeing there is scientific based research, feel free to check out the links. At the end of this blog are some references. My intent here is not to discuss those research data but to suggest that our minds so rely on evidence we have failed to understand again and again that it is the very nature of believing its importance without seeing evidence which is the lesson we must learn.
PBS just aired Happiness 101 by Dr.Tal Ben-Shahar on how important gratitude is and to ‘ritualize’ this every single night. Dr. Ben-Shahar emphasizes how New Year’s resolutions fail because it is not done consistently.
Now the question is DO we need to have evidence to prove how important gratitude is? As a society many are focused on seeing this ‘evidence’, the show me the money mentality. Even if a person starts a ritual such as giving gratitude on New Year’s Eve, they continue to experience their outer environment which is ‘evidence’ for them that nothing is changing even with this ‘gratitude’ ritual. So they give up and they miss the point that it is not doe to achieve a particular outcome. Without BELIEF that the change is happening in the ‘inner’ self, not the outer environment, one cannot continue this ritual of giving gratitude, it will simply fair if you are doing it ONLY to get a certain outcome.
As we develop the gratitude muscle we must understand that it is to become who we are, it needs to become a virtue no matter what the outer circumstance is at that moment. Happiness IS a state of mind, it is not something we get, it is something we ‘are’, that we become, it cannot be a forced action, we cannot fake it and we cannot accumulate it with wealth. Yes things can give us a surge of elation but it is temporary ‘fixes’. We have to step out of our mental mind, stop rationalizing. Let’s go deep within and appreciate and be grateful within. Happy peaceful people just won’t elect to go to war and hurt other humans. Happy people don’t get angry frequently and hold a grudge or engage in road rage. Gratitude and appreciation is key in developing this peaceful and happy spirits of society and change the unhappiness that plague our world today. Parents, grandparents and all…we need to teach the kids of today about gratitude and apprciation. Most busy parents buy their way out of spending time with their kids and those kids don’t value the stuff or the abundance they live in. What will become of these kids? What will it take to make them ‘happy’ in a few years? a trip to the moon? We have lost our spirits in all the stuff, the daily grind that we don’t even know happiness or even where to start looking for it. Start with gratitude, just start doing it, you will see a change if you truly do it with humility.

I really had the opportunity to enjoy the first snow today. If you really took the time and looked at the beautiful snowflakes that gently come floating down, you will appreciate and be grateful for the magnificence of Mother Nature’s creativity. Yes we are all guilty of forgetting but here is a chance to remember and start changing that energy inside us to become more serene by developing that attitude that is ever so important, actually, not just important but critical in our lives and in our world today.
The frenzy stress of the holidays is yet another reason why we need to think through why gratitude and appreciation is important as a virtue developing deep within us.
At Blue Marble 4LIFE we are planning one last GratitudeMania to give thanks for 2009 and appreciate the blessings of 2010. Those who are part of our Facebook group (www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com) will receive an email with details. We encourage all of you to have your own GratitudeMania parties to focus on appreciation and gratitude. Go to our website www.bluemarble4life.com to learn more and if your feel so you can purchase a ‘gratitude’ blue earth marble for yourself and those you care about and begin this journey of gratitude with all of us who are connecting to create peace and harmony with an ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE!
Peace and Joy this season,
Elizabeth
Links:
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/
http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/gratitude_theory.html
http://www.cpbn.org/program/happiness-101-tal-ben-shahar

November 26, 2009. It is most appropriate for those who live in the United States of America to give GRATITUDE this Thanksgiving Day.
- Many of us were not born here but came looking for a better life and chances to pursue our dreams and goals. Just for that let’s be grateful.
- Many of us are undergoing much financial stress in this current economy but we still have a roof over our heads and food to put on the table. Just for that let’s be grateful.
- Many of us are looking for peace, abundance and prosperity but look around you and find these things in every little experience. Just for that let’s be grateful.
- Do you get to be with family or with friends today to celebrate that human connection? Just for that let’s be grateful.
- Do you have children who laugh and smile and love the celebration? Just for that let’s be grateful.
As we practice and keep being appreciating of our experience no matter what our outer situation we will build the muscle of Gratitude Giving constantly. Then no one can control our feelings for our feelings naturally become peaceful, become joyful. One who does not practice the art of gratitude will not understand while being in the hustle and bustle of life, the noise, the loudness, the irritation and the aggravation, how to be peaceful.
Wishing you the deepest gratitude on this Thanksgiving Day!!

Elizabeth Zachariah
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

A very special blue angel hosted the Gratitude Blue Marble in Celebration Florida. Her name is Sandy Harper, the Gratitude Bootcamp DIVA!
www.GratitudeBootCamp.com
Thank you Sandy for honoring us with your wonderful beingness.
Here is what Sandy had to say:
“It was an honor and pleasure to be part of The Blue Marble 4Life project. Everyone who attended The Gratitude Gathering in Celebration, Florida was filled with love and peace. The beautiful & talented Dawn Thomas and my precious & talented 3 year old son, Jake, sang songs that truly blessed us all and I spoke on the importance of having an Attitude of Gratitude. I would like to thank Elizabeth for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this wonderful project. She is a true inspiration to us all.”

Thank you Sandy! You are an inspiration to US all!
Go DIVA!

As promised here is Lisa’s video…Gratitude mania Ozzie style…blue angel Lisa Shah and fellow Ozzie’s
Hello from Queensland, Australia

Recently my dear friend Jon Yeo introduced the ‘gratitude’ earth marbles to fellow Ozzie’s in Melborne. In Jon’s words here is what the gratitude program means to him:

“BlueMarble is about connecting people all over the world in a spirit of harmony and gratitude. It is a reminder of how small the world is and how powerful gratitude can be if we all choose to stay connected. The Blue Marble itself is a focus and celebration of that fact. It is a reminder how important it is for people to come together in gratitude, connect and keep moving, all the while speading peace and gratitude with all the people they meet on the way:
We will be seeing more of Jon and Melborne in the coming days as more videos come along…..

I believe I have said this many times, that we can create a profound and unexplainable inner peace with an attitude of gratitude. I remembered today how much I loved watching the RAINBOW and the immense joy and gratitude I feel to see this miracle each single time it shows up. This summer when I took a trip to Miami with my children, after a very rainy afternoon, my daughter and I stepped out into the balcony to be greeted by such a miracle. Our room faced the oceanfront, and there right in front of our eyes, the most grand and majestic rainbow, a double rainbow actually. I do not know if I can articulate in words the magic I felt in my heart as I appreciated this beautiful magnificent sight in front of me.
I know the story of Noah and how the rainbow was a sign of God’s grace….I thought about the thunderstorms in my life from time to time…some quite intense…how could we ride this believing afterwards a miracle awaits. While we are undergoing the rains in our life, we could still appreciate the rainbow that is coming afterwards if we can keep our faith alive and surrender to the works of nature which is magnificent.
I feel at PEACE at this moment as I write this blog, I have had tremendous inner growth recently, a push into the fire you could say to learn about faith, and to learn about letting go and just trust and have faith. I heard Ester Hicks through a random YouTube video describe the analogy of paddling upstream of a strong river going downhill…she said, we created that strong stream, so why are we not going with the flow downhill towards what is our destiny, what we want and created…but instead we work and work our butts off trying to go uphill just exhausted with the ‘work’ we seem to think we ‘must’ do to accomplish our purpose. I tell you, I let go, I was so exhausted…and it is amazing how stubborn the mind can be, it can be amazing how unaware we are that it is our stubborn mind keeping us from letting go and just ‘allowing’ the river to take us to our destiny easily and effortlessly…which is how it should be.
I know we are all students of raising our awareness and consciousness of our own universe and we all have colorful paths but in the end we are all riding that same rainbow, all of us at different levels and speeds but all learning how to just let go….and let’s do this with gratitude. Are you facing tremendous stress and pressure today, you are not alone my friend, just look into your heart and let go and know the very stress that you are ‘working’ at is there to teach you to let go and stop paddling….just ride the rainbow…
Much gratitude
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Zachariah
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com