How is your October going so far? Here on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, we had a high of 88°F on Saturday, still summerlike. However, Tuesday’s forecast predicts a high of 59°F on Tuesday with a low of 38°F Wednesday morning, with a possibility of the first frost of the season.
Frost on the pumpkin time!
And that is how the month of October goes here now. Summers seem to get longer and longer each year, pushing what used to be September’s month of roller-coaster weather into October.
No longer faring well in hot weather and humidity, I look forward to cooler temperatures each Autumn, and will welcome and be grateful for the change this week, if even only for a few days before we possibly climb back into the 80s by the end of the week.
The temperatures are gradually trending downward week by week, and I am grateful for that.
Walking my little chihuahua, Allie, this 
morning, a mockingbird was singing from the top of a red maple tree across the street. And I offered a silent prayer of gratitude for him brightening our early morning walk.
Yesterday, the retractable leash that I used to walk Allie broke, with sixteen feet of lead line fully extended and no longer retracting. At 9:17 a.m. this morning, Amazon had already delivered a new one. And I am thankful for that.
What have you been thankful for lately? There are so many happenings, events, and occasions going on all around us all thru the day to be thankful for. Small things, as discussed in the first part of this series. Did you know that besides Mental Health Benefits, living a life of gratitude and thankfulness actually has physical benefits for our well-being?
It’s true. Hundreds of studies have shown that living a life of gratitude has many physical health benefits, including:
- Reducing Heart Rate
- Lowering Blood Pressure
- Reducing Respiratory Rate
- Increasing Immune Function
- Speeding Recovery Time
- Improving Cognition
- Boosting Mood
- Improving Sleep
- Reducing Chronic Pain
- Lowering Inflammation
- Improving Digestion
Living a life of gratitude releases a flood of what scientists refer to as “happy hormones” in one’s brain, which then helps one to make better lifestyle choices.
As such, research has shown that grateful people are more likely to exercise, eat a nutritious diet, sleep better, and to engage in other healthy behaviors that can help reduce or prevent not only Type II Diabetes but also help to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, chronic pain, insomnia, and even catching the flu.
That is quite a list, isn’t it? So, please allow me to ask again — what are you thankful for today? Please let us know in the Comments!
Living a life of positivity and gratitude clearly has its benefits. Being thankful — it’s a good thing!
“Thank You!” for visiting with us today! We are grateful for YOU taking a
few moments of your day to share with us here. Because you are why we do this.
Please join us again next Monday, when we explore living a life of gratitude in a simple walk around the block.
Best Wishes & Blessings! — Jim (and Red!) 🤠 🐻 🍂 🍁 🍂 🧡
Continue with the Living A Life Of Gratitude series with Part 4 — “Living A Life Of Gratitude — It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood!”
In case you missed it, I invite you to check out Parts 1 & 2 in our weekly Monday Morning series — Living A Life of Gratitude, and Mental Health Benefits leading up to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
You may also enjoy — “Happy October! Welcome Glorious Autumn!”
(Featured image credit — “Autumn Pumpkins in a Field, Watercolor,” created via Bing Image Creator AI)
If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “Mitakuye Oyasin — We Are All Related,” and “Walking A Mile In Another’s Moccasins; What Tracks Will We Leave Behind?”
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In a world where we can be anything, please choose to be Kind!
When not out fishing or gathering honey, Little Red Bear and Cinnamon Charlie love to color in their spare time!
If you have little ones around or simply enjoy coloring yourself for relaxation and fun, be sure to check out “Little Red Bear’s “Happy Autumn Season!” Coloring Pages.”
Download and color as many as you like, free of charge, because that’s just how we roll here!
Happy Coloring!
“The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times.” — Zig Ziglar
“Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue.” — William Bennett
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“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.” — Christiane Northrup
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Thank You for visiting! Best Wishes and God Bless! — Jim (and Red!)
James Milson - The Writing Pages 
Great blog series. Thankful for so many things including the fall season!
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Thanks for visiting, Julie! Autumn is truly my most favorite time of year. Best wishe for a beautiful fall in your neck of the woods, too! 🤠 🐻 🍂 🍁 🍂 🧡
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Great post and great list of how our body and mind changes with our thoughts. Most of us can feel the changes with things are out of sorts. Changing my thoughts and a different way to look at things is something I’ve worked on over the years. It helps!
Thanks, James and enjoy these cooler days.
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Thanks for visiting, Rosie! It truly is amazing all the benefits to be derived from simply living a life of gratitude and not stressing over all the little things, instead focusing on all the blessings we so often overlook. Best wishes for a beautiful Autumn in the coming weeks! 🤠 🐻 🍂 🍁 🍂 🧡
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