Terry Lynne Hale

Practicing the Art of Perseverance

Grateful Heart
Heart Full of Gratitude

About 2-1/2 years after my dad passed, my mom came to live close to us in Kansas City.  She had a great-grandson to spend time with!

I helped decorate her new place in a retirement community and bought her a book by Barry Neil Kaufman called “Happiness is a Choice.”  I don’t know for certain that she read it, but about 4 months later mom’s sister and family were visiting our house and I heard her say to her sister, “Dorothy, happiness is a choice.”  I called that a win.

The fastest way I’ve found to lift my spirits is to direct my focus on all that I have. I feel energized when I become aware and then appreciative of the many gifts I’ve been given! If you become aware of the good in your life, and then acknowledge it with open-mindedness and sincerity, you’ll see your disposition change.

For those of us fortunate to have food on the table, and a roof over our head, what great starting points, right? 

For those not as fortunate, there are other blessings to be recognized like your positive relationships, sometimes the weather, your ability to walk, speak, hear – you get the point. We can always find people and events and vigorous cells in our bodies to be grateful for. 

When energized, I discover healthy and creative strategies for living. Eating foods that nourish me vs eating foods that taste good but are loaded with sugar is one such strategy.  In 2017-2018 I went about a year with very little sugar. One huge feat for me.  Then, one day I had a candy bar and it’s been a struggle since. This was a choice I made, to satisfy my sweet tooth, knowing quite well how addictive sugar is.

Most of us are familiar with feelings of self-pity (I’m referring to the infamous pity-pot.) Yes, I know it well. I think it is insecurity monopolizing our thoughts in a covert, manipulative way. Before we know it, we’re sucked into a deep, dark hole.  

We experience events in our lives that may be catastrophic, tragic, and seemingly unbearable.  What one feels when going through these terrible times is different.  Grieving doesn’t pay attention to the clock or calendar.  It feels like forever.

If we are honest with ourselves, the pity-pot is recognizable to most of us.  Once we see it – well, then if we stay on it, we are making a choice.

Life isn’t perfect – as a popular clothing brand asserts – Life is Good.