Archive for January, 2010

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