Well, look at that!

Here we are at the end of September already. How did that happen? It many ways, it appeared Summer with its record-setting heat would go on forever this year. And now the month of September is about to close out the books. Wow!

Soon, leaves will change colors and be falling to the ground, the days will be cool and the evenings downright chilly, pumpkin spice will flavor every other thing we pick up, apple pies will bake in the oven, and . . . .

Oh, wait a minute. Those are all good things, aren’t they?!?

Of course they are! Everyone who knows anything about me knows that my favorite time of the year is Autumn, and it has finally arrived. October will open the door to the beautiful season of Autumn and following that the joyous Holiday Season. Oh, yes. My favorite time of the year is here.

Let us rejoice and be glad! 🤠 🐻 🍂 🧡 🍎 🌻 🍁 🎃 🌻 🍏 🍂 🍁

But, returning to the present for just a moment, some folks say that they have “eyes like a hawk.” In my case, that may be true.

The vision of hawks, like all predators, is deficient in discerning fine details. And that’s why zebras have stripes, by the way. If they remain motionless, standing still, lions cannot pick them out from the surrounding tall grasses.

But, the vision of predators is astounding in their ability to detect the slightest motion from great distances, and it is that ability which is key to predators detecting and locating their prey.

Now, please don’t get me wrong. Not meaning to imply that I am a ‘predator’ in any way, shape, or form. Think of me more like a lounging deer beneath the shade of a large oak tree while slowly munching on a chocolate bar, than a tiger stalking its prey thru the tall grass. But, I seem to be blessed with vision that can detect and key in on the slightest movement around me.

To the point, simply gazing out my window just now, I spotted a little chipmunk scampering along the top of the curb across the parking lot entrance beneath my third-floor window. He (she?) raced along, darted beneath a large pine tree, and then into where I suspect a chipmunk nest is among a pile of rocks at the side of my neighbor’s house. I frequently see them around that area.

After observing the little guy for merely a few seconds as he dashed along, I uttered a silent “Thank You!” prayer, feeling blessed to see and enjoy such a sight. Thankful for my eyes to have been gazing in that direction, and for the ability to have detected and zeroed in on the movement. Like a hawk. At precisely the right moment in time. Luck? Coincidence? Blessing?

I consider such little things as that to be a blessing. And if we cultivate a mindset of gratitude and thankfulness, we can discover a whole new world of wonderment, magic, and perhaps even miracles that surround us throughout the day. All day. Every day.

Blessings — A little chipmunk dashing along the curbside. A squirrel sitting on a branch just over our head, busily gnawing on an acorn. A chickadee “dee-dee-deeing” its song as we pass by. The beautiful, full-throated song of a Cardinal in springtime. A stranger opening a door for us when loaded down with grocery bags. An unexpected call, message, or visit from a friend on a day when we may be feeling down or under the weather. A compliment from a stranger. And so many more little occurrences in our daily lives. In my mind, they are all little blessings.

A roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in. The ability to shop and have a pantry full of food to benefit from regular meals. The safety and health of not only ourselves, but of our family, friends, and loved ones as well. Bigger blessings.

Are you thankful for all the blessings, big and small, in your life? If we think about it, there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small. I encourage you to live a life of gratitude today.

We are living in stressful times these days, no doubt about it. I won’t even list all the reasons. You know why. We live it every day in the news at night. But did you know that living a life a gratitude can actually help with that?

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” — Eckhart Tolle

We are going to be talking about gratitude more in the coming weeks as we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday here in the U.S., but the principles apply to everyone, everywhere. Join us next Monday when we explore the Mental Health Benefits to be derived from living a life of gratitude.

If you are visiting for the first time here, I encourage you to register to be notified by email about every new post and feature here from now on.

Today, what are you grateful for? What are your thoughts about living a life of gratitude? Please share and let us know in the Comments.

And please join us every Monday morning leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday as we explore the different aspects of living a life of gratitude, along with seasonal Autumn and Holiday Season features along the way.

Thanks always for visiting with us! Best Wishes & Blessings! — Jim (and Red!)

Continue with the Living A Life Of Gratitude series with Part 2 — “Living A Life Of Gratitude — Mental Health Benefits”

(Featured image credit — Artwork by John Sloane, “I Remember When”)

If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “Mitakuye Oyasin — We Are All Related,” and “Wishing You Deep Peace, Love, Happiness, and Joy; And A Very Good Day!” 

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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

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick

Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends — “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods”

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder

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Thank You for visiting! Best Wishes and God Bless! — Jim (and Red!)