Dark Clouds

Dark Clouds
by Annie Tornabene


Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and dark clouds didn't spoil your day. I realize that being grateful is something we have to work at especially at times of family gatherings when there is sure to be someone present that will be a thorn in our side.

You are not alone. You probably had a hectic day of preparing for a feast or preparing your heart to be in an attitude of gratitude. Either way, your nerves have been spent ... they were on the edge. If you were traveling, you know how crowded the airports, the highways, etc were. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Dark clouds come our way whether we want them or not.

This is something that happens throughout the year not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes we have more dark clouds coming at Christmas. When we know these events and people are going to be near us, we must make sure to focus on our attitude of gratitude. Dark clouds always approach when we least expect them, so we better prepare for them.

Preparing for dark clouds is not something we can just throw together at the last minute. It is something we need to work on for a long time...to get in the habit of having an attitude of gratitude. I know we've talked all month about having an attitude of gratitude. It is a key to understanding depression, turning those dark clouds and helping us live our best life now.

Remember time is on our side. So, take time to regularly meditate ... to be still .... to be quiet ... to be one with the Creator. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, our minds and bodies need time to be still and quiet. It is a time for rest in the hands of the Creator. It is a time to feel the peace, the love and joy flowing around you and through you.

It is a time to realize the many blessings we have. It is a time to focus on what we do have. The media, the stores, the news will tell us all the things we don't have. It is important to realize what we do have. It is important that we, anyone reading this; even the poorest one reading this; realize that we are more blessed than 99% of the world. Take time every day to think of three things to be grateful for. How many things do we take for grant it?

At this time of the year, it is easy to focus on those who may be wealthier than ourselves. The stores, the news, the media focuses on all the we do not have. Take time to give to those less fortunate than ourselves. What can we do? Something can be done about it. Donate time at a rehab center, an orphanage, an abuse women or children's center or food bank. When I have worked at these centers or any kind of victim's center, it helped me take the focus off my problems and on to gratitude. Doing things for others less fortunate will remind you of how blessed you really are. Ask them what they are thankful for. You will be amazed and it will open your eyes and hearts to new possibilities and gratitude of what you already have.

When was the last time you told those you love, that you love them. One day you will awake and realize that all to soon that opportunity is gone forever. Write a note to them. While they are in your present, acknowledge your love and appreciation for them in your life. Give them a smile. Hold them close while you can. You will create the possibility of a better life with them now.

If we practice this attitude of gratitude, we keep the dark clouds at bay. Dark clouds will come into our life from time to time and may even keep us from having an attitude of gratitude. Remember the dark clouds will pass shortly. Look beyond the dark clouds and keep your focus for soon the dark clouds pass and a brighter day has begun. Together we make a difference in understanding depression and living our best life now. We are thankful for the thorns in our lives because they help us realize how many blessings we already have and live in abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving
by Annie Tornabene



You, my friend, have helped me through good times and bad. You are my happiness, my sorrow; standing beside me, listening, talking and walking with smiles and tears through the years. I am so grateful for your friendship.

I am so blessed to have you in my life this thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving! May you always be blessed with an abundance of good friends, good food, peace, joy, happiness, love and prosperity. May you live like a penquin...just be happy!

In an attitude of gratitude, Happy Thanksgiving! Together we can make a difference in understanding depression, living an abundant life of gratitude and happy thanksgiving.

The Joy Of Gratitude

The Joy Of Gratitude
By Annie Tornabene


Every day is a good day...it can be depending on the way you look at it. With the joy of gratitude, I experience good days with what use to be "bad days"... days full of frustration, despair, disappointments and discouragement. I call those days an "unbelievable" day. This habit keeps me from being overwhelmed with stinking thinking and emotions. Why does this work?

Repetitious thoughts and words create feelings ... positive or negative behavioral patterns and increased thinking of those feelings. If I dwell on stinking thing, I feel the gloom and doom; thus increasing my level of depression and I end up moping around. If I tell myself it's an "unbelievable" day this keeps my mind open to possibilities, gratitude, hope, solutions, resilience, and even laughter. The buoyancy creates joy within me.

So if you are having an unbelievable day like the kids are screaming, you are ready to kiss your boss goodbye, the financial crisis just won't go away or you are crawling in traffic at a snails pace; just take a deep breath and reorganize your thoughts. If you are in the car don't take time to mediate, wait until you are in a safe spot to take a 2 minute meditation. If you are at a safe place, then take a few minutes to mediate and get back on track. If you can't find a place where you can be alone with your thoughts, slip away into the bathroom with the doors locked. A few minutes spent in quiet mediation refreshes you and allow you time to create a more positive feeling within yourself and that you can display to the world. Believe me it helps. You feel stronger and more confident. I think there were days that I could have killed someone without those quiet times. Breathe in peace, hope and tranquility. Allow the joy of gratitude to flow through you and around you.

I don't know all the answers...I do know that it is worth it. In an attitude of gratitude, count your blessings. Never give up. You can make it. Miracles happen every day...we just have to focus on them...look for them. Focus on health, wealth, good friends and family, and anything that you feel make life worth living for. While these blessings are temporary, they do get you in the habit of thinking in an attitude of gratitude.

Having tested this for myself extensively, I found there was an effective way to practice gratitude and an ineffective way. There is a deeper understanding of gratitude and a more effective way to practice it, one that yielded much greater the joy of gratitude.

Genuine gratitude isn’t my feeling because let's face it; my circumstances may not be that exciting. More often than not, it's complicated and it leaves me feeling empty or complacent. This gratitude may be the catalyst for a major attitude change or temporary relief that I need. You can enjoy this state of gratitude temporarily, but overall you’ll remain stuck in your old habits of stinking thinking.

Genuine gratitude is independent of situations and circumstances. The joy of gratitude is a feeling of gratitude for life itself, for our existence, for anything and everything we experience. It is more of an underlying attitude... it becomes part of who we are. It is a sense of charisma or enchantment with the journey of life no matter what the outcome. It is looking at life through the eyes of a child. It is no fear of loss and an enjoyment of the journey of our life, the universe, time and space, our obstacles, trials, and tribulations, our imperfections and bloopers, our realizations, our psyche, our inner child, the difficult people in our lives, our thoughts and angers and happiness, our rights, responsibilities, ideas and concepts, and even the fog.

Gratitude becomes the canvas upon which we paint our life. It doesn’t matter how it looks because we enjoy the experience of painting. We say wow to life.

If we can remain in that state of wonder of a child, we’re likely to find the joy of gratitude...the enjoyment of life. Together we can make a difference in living beyond anger, fear and depression and living our best life now. We will feel the joy of gratitude that resonates with who we are.

Thankful For The Lighthouse

Thankful For The Lighthouse
by Annie Tornabene



This month of gratitude, I remember that I am thankful for the lighthouse that has been a beacon of hope during the storms of life.

Through the endless years, a light of hope slowly emerges from it's tall tower in the darken fog... no matter how dark the night may be...or how howling the winds may rage. Hope begins to fill my heart when I see the light. I am thankful for the lighthouse for where would I be if it wasn't for the lighthouse. I would be tossed on the stormy sea.

It's a beacon of hope for all to see. I am thankful for the lighthouse. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression. In an attitude of gratitude, thank you.

One Day At a Time

One Day At A Time
by Annie Tornabene



Do you find it difficult to be in an attitude of gratitude? Do you take one day at a time and focus on the positiveness around you? Do you find it difficult to change the habits of the past?

If you've spent a large portion of your life in stinking thinking, you can't expect to change overnight to suddenly thinking positively. You can change little by little...one step at a time ... one day at a time.

One day at a time you can commit to having an attitude of gratitude no matter what happens during the course. You can focus that much, can't you? You'd be amazed how easy it is to focus one day at a time. Just take moment by moment.

Here's how:

You get up in the morning and find something to be thankful for that day. It may be a good idea to make yourself a note the night before. It can be a note by your bedside, on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, the coffee pot or something like a rubber band or string (or anything to trigger your mind) to remind you to be grateful for something.

After awaking, spend a few moments in silent mediation in an attitude of gratitude for one thing in your life. Feel the feeling of gratitude in your heart...total immersed in an attitude of gratitude. Then affirm your intention with saying something like:

"In an attitude of gratitude, I feel grateful from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, from the tips of my fingers to the other side of me, from the back to the front. Today I feel a positive force flowing through me and around me for every person I meet, for every obstacle I face, for every moment of the day. I will make a commitment to stay grounded in the present moment and be glad. I will bring my thoughts and emotions back on track for today. I choose to be in an attitude of gratitude for today. I can do it one day at a time."

Just because you have made a little ceremony doesn't mean that it is smooth sailing. You will probably find yourself being tried and tested. But that's OK, because the more times you practice, the stronger your attitude of gratitude becomes. Just refocus yourself and keep on keeping on. You can do it one day at a time.

You may not make 100% but you should be feeling pretty good about yourself. Look at how well you did. You did better than yesterday! Wow... just think you can do it one day at a time.

Each day that you repeat this, you get better and better and won't have to work on it so hard. After you have mastered finding one thing to be grateful for, add another one. Keep adding another one and mastering it until you find yourself living in an attitude of gratitude.

Want to know how you spend your life? Think about how you spend your day. Each day attaches to the next to make a better tomorrow.

Everything can change one day at a time. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and in living one day at a time.

Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude
By Annie Tornabene


Good Morning Friends,

I got to reflecting during the night how friendship is something to be extremely grateful for. Friendship is the light of the world. This month is Gratitude Month and we all need to take time to reflect on things in our life that we are grateful.

Learning to be thankful for what we have today, and the turmoil of our past, empowers us with courage, hope, optimism and joy that help us reach toward our goals.

Sometimes it has been difficult to accept our turmoil, disappointments and defeats with an attitude of gratitude. There have been times in my life that I wondered how in the world this could be good for me. How could my Creator have allowed this to happen? How could I live another day like this? How could I have allowed that person into my life? How am I going to survive? How am I going to overcome this? What good could possibility come from this?

One day my Grandmaster made me sit down during my meditation time and make a list of all my enemies, those people who have hurt me in the past and anyone with whom I had tension. I had to find something about each person I could be thankful for. The results were amazingly profound. Even when I was only a few names down the list, I started realizing how much resentment I still harbored toward the people I named. I thought I had released that anger against them. It took real effort to hold on to that anger subconsciously, and it was putting physical strain on my body. Oh, I could hide it consciously, but inwardly it was ripping my insides out. As I found something to be grateful for about each person, I felt the pressure releasing bit by bit. I found relief.

I realized that by holding on to that subconscious anger, it was causing my mind to relive endlessly that turmoil and thus the mind was focusing on negativity rather than the positive that would bring me health, happiness and joy. I realized that because of that person, I learned to change for the better. Finding an attitude of gratitude about our enemies and those people that we have difficulty with, we learn to end the mental war and make peace with our past. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a present.

Acknowledging some measure of gratitude for each person allows us to live in the present with an inner peace and hope. It teaches us to set healthy boundaries with people in our present. It reminds us how far we've come. It helps us feel good about ourselves when we realize that we have overcome obstacles. It helps us make life affecting decisions. It helps us appreciate the good in our lives. It helps us realize that the thorn in our side has been removed and we have grown to flourish. In spite of the tears, the smears and turmoil, we thrive.

In an attitude of gratitude, you, my friend, are the light of the world in a world of darkness. Thank you for being my friend.