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…..

Here is Jon himself!

www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarblegroup.com

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

I experienced that consciously being in a place of gratitude and appreciation allows the flow of universal conspiracy. This subtle change within feels like being in the center of warm creamy yummy chocolate and you feel this incredible sense of satisfaction and contentment….. what can I say, I like chocolate!
It also triggers some kind of universal inner connection and you meet these incredible individuals who turn out to be your soul sisters and brothers. The instant you connect you know deep, very deep inside that you know them and they cherish the same virtues and values as you do and they see the bigger picture.
If an explanation is warranted you will fail miserably to ‘explain’ it away because you know the synchronicity of it all is all too coincidental. The timing, the character, the theme and most importantly the ‘potential’ of this meeting of minds just blow you out of your senses. The same giddy sense of happiness you feel when you appreciate your life and all that you have is the same giddy sense you feel when you meet these fellow spirits who are on their path but at this very moment in time has been intertwined with your path, the timing so very perfect you couldn’t but be grateful to the great universe for this conspiracy to bring these souls to your life.
In life you live, you love, you gain and you lose and I have to say the greatest loss comes when you take that path least traveled that requires you to hold the highest of virtues. It requires maintaining the highest of vibrations and quest to become more refined as you continue along your path. It can get lonely at times at those vibrational levels but you know that what you have left behind no longer serves you as your service is bound by a higher calling, a bigger universal plan. Your soul knows its purpose and must therefore follow this quest to fulfill the need of humanity, the need of the many, and the inner connection that is within us all.
This universal conspiracy is so perfect in its transactions, its plan, and we are part of it all, and it would benefit us all to be conscious participants rather than unconscious wanderers. When you feel like things are most out of control is when you must practice gratitude the most. When you feel like you have hit the lowest point is when you must inhale the appreciation of life itself. When you doubt your destiny is when you must envelope in the grace and magnificence of feeling thankfulness for the magical universe that supports you in the very story that you might see as the storm that hurts you still.
For those of you who are conscious you know the very meaning of my words and for those of you just starting out you can be assured it is a journey well worthwhile. Whatever point we are in one thing is for sure, the practice of gratitude an appreciation changes us within and it heal our wounds and strengthens our purpose to move forward without doubt or question to where our journey is leading us. It allows us to fall on faith and the understanding that we must allow our ego to step aside and allow the universal peace and flow to go through us and just be, just stand still and experience this conspiracy with utmost awe and respect for the one who created us so perfectly.
There is much more to come…it is October 2009 and I continue to meet souls who are opening me up to deeper levels of understandings….to be more compassionate, more kind, more graceful in my being.
Much gratitude
Elizabeth Zachariah
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

GratitudeMania update:
HaveMarbleWillTravel….from the shores of Celebration Florida, the ‘gratitude’ earth marble has made its way to Queensland Australia into the hands of blue angel Lisa Shah. Here is what she had to say
“Thank you for this opportunity. It was a blessing to see how people willingly wanted to show their gratitude, and how the energy immediately changed for all the instant being profoundly thankful became the central focus. Love it.”

The videos/pictures from Celebration, Florida and QLD Aussie will become available very soon….please keep deep gratitude and appreciation in your hearts as we continue the marble’s journey to Melborne Australia next week with blue angel Jon Yeo. Much gratitude to our Aussie angels!!! 

The Blue Marble 4LIFE Team

I guess it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the vast majority of people choose to travel the easy path when facing life’s challenges. Those who stay the path and live on purpose often find that staying in a graceful mindset, and having an attitude of gratitude, in the midst of life’s tremendous storms require a LOT of will power. I am sure the thought has passed the minds of even mighty spiritual warriors to just drop everything and throw a tantrum. It fascinates me how ingrained we are in our old thought patterns (yes, only those of us who need to change our paradigms, not the old wise souls who have mastered the process). I find myself asking, what more must I do to learn these lessons and free myself from a self created prison of worrying thoughts.
Yes, yes…just let go…go with the flow….have you noticed it takes ‘work’ to train your mind to do this very thing. I agree I’ve had moments of freeing thoughts where I feel myself light and worry free when the exercise of letting go is successfully practiced. It is true that when I genuinely place myself in a grateful attitude this task is much easier. At those moments I feel I do have the will power to go through life’s challenges in complete faith.
One of the most difficult tasks I have faced recently is forgiving those who terribly wronged me or having compassion for those very people. As I stand back and look at myself some of my frustration comes from feeling helpless and not being able to “do” something to “fix” myself from feeling the emotions. The truth is there is nothing to fix, we feel what we feel and how we make conscious decisions to embrace a compassionate attitude with grace and how we execute our decisions is what it is all about. There is nothing we can change, there is nothing we can control, and it just is. There lies the wisdom of the statement ‘letting it go”. It takes will power to let it go….and I believe that gratitude is key in putting ourselves into that “space” of letting it go and allowing FAITH to take over.
I believe those of you who share difficult life experiences might relate to what I am trying to express. If you are going through similar situations in life, I just wanted to share with you that this beautiful place of feeling gratitude and appreciation is not just some trend or fad, it really does work. It takes just some progress every single day to get there, to that place of feeling free, but the work will pay off.
Be strong of will as you paddle through the storm…..
Much gratitude
Elizabeth
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com

Imagine a world with a new thought pattern…one that thrives on PEACE. A world where all living beings live in harmony with an inner connection of the heart. A world with appreciation for self but more importantly appreciation for others, compassion for those around and among us and unconditional love. A world where we take accountability and responsibility for all our actions and we don’t have others to control this process because we know in our heart what is truth, what is right, what is kind and what is just. A world that is energized with selfless giving and a sense of genuine and authentic community.

Much gratitude
Elizabeth
www.bluemarble4life.com
www.bluemarble4lifegroup.com