Thanksgiving blog - 10 reasons to be thankful

Wow! Aren’t we all bombarded with negative economic news! While it is easy to get worried, we can resist that temptation by focusing on being thankful. Rhonda Bryne said in The Secret, “The more thankful we are, the more we will have to be thankful for.” So as I celebrate my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving, here are my top ten reasons to be thankful. Consider my list and see if it applies to you.

1. Your Health. Here is an assignment right away if you want to skip over this blessing. Go (and better yet take friends or family) to a busy hospital emergency room or visit a convalescent home. I promise you will be grateful for the health you have. Even if you are suffering from severe flu at the moment, you can appreciate the fact that you will recover.

2. Your Family. You may be quick to disagree especially if you dread having to spend the holiday listening for the twentieth rendition of Uncle Bob talking about his early childhood. Or maybe you have had a family dispute. You still have a rich history of parents who endured sleepless nights and sacrificed to bring you to adulthood. Be grateful for them.

3. Your Friends. Don't feel like you have any? Get out your cell phone and scroll down your list of contacts. Stop at each one and reflect upon a warm memory of time spent with that person. I promise you will appreciate that relationship more and the value of your friends.

4. Your Sense of Humor. I understand that you may not be feeling any humor if your investments have lost 35% of their value. What if you lacked the ability to laugh at your circumstances? Think how much more difficult life would be. You have heard it said, "One day I will look back and laugh about this current experience." Why wait? Laugh about it right now. Remind yourself that no matter how difficult the present, "This too shall pass."

5. Your Ability to Read. If are able to read this simple blog, then you have the capability that millions around the world lack. If you can read, then you can get exposed to new ideas, travel by book to faraway places, and learn from gifted thinkers.

6. Your Positive Attitude. Here you may say, "What positive attitude?" Didn't you overcome the last challenge you faced? Don't you think you can conquer the next one as well?

7. Your Material Blessings. Is your stomach growling for lack of food? Try to be thankful for the basic necessities you enjoy.

8. Technology. Isn't almost any article about anything available on-line? You can watch speeches, sermons, and news videos any time you are in the mood. Reflect on what is available to you at this moment and say, "Wow!"

9. The Great Outdoors. Turn your head right now and look outside. Isn't God a genius to create all this beauty for us to enjoy?

10. Your Faith. This is the most important of all. Faith helps you to look past the current negative headlines and to put temporarily important "breaking news" into perspective.

So what can I do to appreciate these ten things?

1. Your Health - buy an exercise or yoga DVD and say no to unhealthful food items
2. Your Family - call a family member and tell them how much they mean to you
3. Your Friends - ditto to number 2
4. Your Sense of Humor - watch the comedy channel
5. Your Ability to Read - go to the library and check out two books
6. Your Positive Attitude - go to the library and check out two books on positive attitude
7. Your Material Blessings - go through your closet, donate unused clothing, and give to the community food pantry
8. Technology - learn one new computer skill next week (if looking for new stuff, check out http://www.stumbleon.com/)
9. The Great Outdoors - get out your calendar and plan an outdoor trip for the future and right now go take a walk
10. Your Faith - set aside time and watch these three on-line sermons by Andy Stanley on "Why Worry?"
http://northpoint.org/messages - click on Why Worry

So this Thanksgiving turn off the news for a day. Instead, take a moment to reflect on your blessings.

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Having read five of Jeffrey Gitomer's books, I highly recommend you visit his website and buy his books. You can also sign up for weekly newsletters of great sales ideas.

http://www.gitomer.com/

Partners at Visionaire Partners

Hot skills catch-up

Hot skills catch-up

Author: Nick Langley Posted: 11:27 01 Jan 2008 Topics: Programming Languages Databases


Click on the links for recent Computer Weekly articles on the background and applications of programming languages, formats, standards and skills, how easy it is to become expert in them, and how to go about adding a new one to your CV.


Hot skills: Qt
Mobile Linux
Hot skills: MVC
Courses for games developers
Embedded systems design offers intellectual rewards
Expression Studios breaks down web design barriers
Use Ajax skills to enhance the online user experience
ASP.net ease the move to web for Windows developers
The advantages of using Ruby and Ruby on Rails
Eclipse broadens horizons for Web 2.0
Use Apache Struts skills to underpin Java web careers
Develop multi-platform interface skills on the Qt
Jboss evolves under Red Hat to include Ajax tools
Oracle drives rise of open source embedded database
Sybase pays dividends as City's database of choice
How Oracle skills can be the base for a good career
IBM platform convergence is a step closer with DB2 9
Small database find bing backers in IBM and Sun
PostgreSQL opens way for bespoke database function
Sizeable user base makes MySQL useful skill to have
Desktop Linus waits to challenge Windows
From hobby to ubiquity, Linux continues to expand
Slide up the programming career ladder with Python
PHP offers power without complexity for web coders
Web world's your oyster with Perl
Java's wealth of opportunities
Vista development with .net 3.0
Web developers need RSS
BS 7799 opens door to security work
Big rewards from penetration testing
Certification will let you cash in on security
Microsoft ISA 2006's security premium
Microsoft IIS closes gap on Apache
XSL's style sheet sophistication
XML spreads its wings
CSS brings style to development work

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/01/01/220422/hot-skills-catch-up.htm