BS’D

Modeh Ani

In Jewish tradition, we start each day with the words, Modeh Ani, – which means “Gratefully, I thank.” The first words we are meant to say, before we even wipe the sleep from our eyes or get out of bed are words of gratitude. Before all of the activity of the day begins, with all its ups and downs – we have the opportunity for a quiet inner moment of connection and appreciation.

Even if this is not your normal practice, try it tomorrow. Begin your day with a moment of gratitude. With the recognition that today is a gift. That my soul was returned to my body is a blessing, and waking up this morning is not to be taken for granted. And if this is already how you start today, make an effort tomorrow to deepen your intention as you begin your day with words of gratitude.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D

Things You Take For Granted.

Imagine losing some of the things that you take for granted, such as your home, your ability to see or hear, your ability to walk, or anything that currently gives you comfort. Then imagine getting each of these things back, one by one, and consider how grateful you would be for each and every one.

Here are some quotes that teach us some amazing insights into not taking life for granted:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

“Never take someone you love for granted. Hold every person close to your heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones.”

“Never fail to appreciate someone who cares for you. Just because they’re always in your life to help in some way, never fail to give thanks or recognition. To value someone or something too lightly is a risk no one should take.”

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D

Morning Coffee Gratitude

One of the best ways to start your day off right is to spend a few minutes thinking of all the things that you’re grateful for. If you’re worried about finding the time to do this, or finding a way to remember to give thanks each morning, tie your morning gratitude session to your morning cup of coffee.

While you’re having your first cup of coffee, sit back and think of the things that you’re thankful for. You can even start out by feeling gratitude for the following:

• The warmth of the coffee mug you’re holding;
• The aroma of the coffee;
• That first sip of coffee;
• The beautiful morning;
• The beginning of a new day full of promise;
• The quiet just before the day officially starts.

Make it a grateful day!  Thank you Hashem 🙂 🙂  Good Shabbos!

For no particular reason but to say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D
 

When we express appreciation to our children we give them a sense of significance; this appreciation is one of the cornerstones of connecting to our children. Acceptance of our kids tells them that their being matters. Expressing our appreciation to them says that their doing matters too. Appreciation gives people a sense of significance — feeling that they are valued and that their accomplishments do make a difference to someone.

Parents should show appreciation for their children not only for the sake of their children’s self-esteem, but for improving discipline in the home as well. The more you praise your children for what they are doing right, the less you have to criticize and discipline them for doing something wrong. Many parents struggle with finding the right words to say or knowing what to praise.

It isn’t a matter of not being able to find things to appreciate about your kids; it’s about disciplining yourself to speak up and tell your kids what you see — to give them honest praise for their effort. Some practical examples:

* “Thank you for getting your homework done on time.”
* “I appreciate it when you take your dirty dishes to the sink after we eat.”
* “Thank you for putting the car in the garage for me without being asked.”
* “I appreciate you for spending time with your little sister when you wanted to be out with your friends.”

Honestly accepting them for who they are is necessary to their well-being as it makes them feel secure and comfortable for who they are.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D
 

Fighting for Happiness/Gratitude
 
In the month of Adar, we have a mitzvah to be happy. How can we be commanded to be happy? Isn’t happiness an emotion that’s out of our control? Don’t we often think: “If this was different, or if had that [fill in your own thing], I would be happy – but, how can I be happy when I’m dealing with…?”
 
Adar comes to teach us – happiness is not a result of our external circumstances. Those are often out of our control. Happiness is created in our attitude. What are we choosing to focus on? Even in every challenge – no matter how big or small – there is some kernel of good. We need to look for it. If we can work hard to look for the good in our lives, if we really try to find the blessings – we will awaken within ourselves that natural, intuitive, real inner happiness.
 
However, we still need to be real – and give ourselves space and permission to talk out our challenges, to garner up resources and support, to feel our pain, and even to kvetch a little when we are cranky.
 
But, at the same time, to also find that point of good.
 
I once heard in a Torah class that the mitzvah to be happy doesn’t necessarily mean to walk through life singing and dancing with a huge smile on your face. If you can, and that’s real for you – awesome. But, sometimes it means – to fight for the happiness. It’s often not easy. Life throws us all sorts of challenges and ahrdships that are real. But in our revolution, let’s fight to see the good, let’s fight to cultivate gratitude, and, in doing so, let’s fight to awaken the happiness in our lives.
 
Happy Purim!
For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D

Creating a culture of gratitude
 
Let’s create a culture of gratitude – within ourselves, our families, our homes, our communities, in the world. Imagine if we lived in a world where people focused more energy on giving thanks and feeling appreciation rather than on complaining. Imagine what life would be like if we lived with gratitude glasses that saw the little miracles in our everyday lives – rather than entitlement lenses that focused on what we lack. 

Gratitude practice begins by paying attention. Notice all the good things you normally take for granted. Did you sleep well last night? Did someone at work or on the street treat you with courtesy? Have you caught a glimpse of the sky, with its sun and clouds, and had a moment of peace? It also involves acknowledging that difficult and painful moments are instructive and you can be grateful for them as well. Directing our attention this way blocks feelings of victim-hood. Changing the world begins with changing ourselves.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Fresh eyes

Look around. Notice something new – as you go about your normal daily routine today.
 
As you walk to work, or to your child’s preschool, or to the grocery store – on the same path you take all the time – look around you with fresh eyes and find something new. Give yourself permission, for a moment, to marvel in awe and wonder at the infinite goodness that we encounter all the time.
 
* May it’s that tree – with intricate delicate leaves that photosynthesize the sun’s light into oxygen for us to breath.
* Maybe it’s that flower just beginning to open up and blossom in your neighbor’s flower box.
* Maybe it’s that old man sitting every day on his front stoop, reading his paper, who has a lifetime of experience and acquired wisdom.

Look with fresh eyes. And appreciate that we have eyes to see.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D
Gratitude Jar
 
Here’s a gratitude cultivating exercise to try:
 
Place a jar on your table where each family member regularly writes something they appreciate or value in one another. Then, once a week or once a month, pull them out and read out loud as a family.

Here’s what you can learn from this simple exercise:

• It doesn’t matter what you write.
• Mindfulness makes the mundane special.
• Reading the slips brings you back to the abundance in your life.
• Appreciating the small things my husband does improves my attitude and our marriage

Alternatively, this can be a personal exercise. Place the gratitude jar on your table, and you regularly write on slips of paper something you appreciate or are grateful for from your day. At the end of the week or month, go through and read what you wrote, and remember all the big and little blessings you experienced recently.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS’D

Reading our Megillah, (it’s almost Purim)
 
In the megillah of our lives, we often don’t stop to connect the dots. We are aware of what is happening in our lives now, but we can sometimes forget we are part of a much bigger story. We can fail to notice how significant or seemingly small moments from our past led us here. There are miracles and blessings we are enjoying that happened many years ago, sometimes even before we are born.
 
Here’s an example: my husband is a triplet and was born extremely premature. He was in the neonatal unit for months, and needed heart surgery on his little tiny newborn heart. This happened over 30 years ago. And, in my day-to-day life, do I think about this? Nope – it is something I rarely think about, let alone feel gratitude about. But, the truth is, this is a miracle for me that was set in motion 2 years before I was even born. When I stop to think about this, I can’t help but feel an outpouring of gratitude for the successful baby heart surgery, and all the care and healing that he experienced as he entered this world.
 
As we read the Purim megillah this Wednesday night and Thursday morning, let’s create a space to pause and read our own megillahs. Let’s take a moment to connect the dots of our lives, and see how one event led to another. Let’s appreciate the miracles that were set into place years ago – that were waiting for the right time to ripen and blossom.
 
Happy (almost) Purim!
By Yael Zvia Bauer

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’