With Gratitude Read online

  To Frank,

  Because you believed,

  With Gratitude

  was conceived.

  Marala

  a note from the author

  There may be moments when you question why good things don’t happen to you, but in fact they do. Good things happen throughout each and every day, but you may not have noticed them because you were focused on the negative or perhaps just distracted. Learning to reframe what you see, hear, and feed your mind will inspire you to appreciate the goodness that occurs all around us, creating a life-changing effect.

  During our journey through life, we will have the most beautiful experiences. Some will be fleeting, others lasting, and some will be accompanied by challenges that cause a loss of comprehension, faith, or gratitude. These challenges can make it difficult to appreciate the incalculable good things you have or have had. I’m not referring to material things, but to matters of higher value. They are lessons, opportunities, kindness, respect, advice, and the love given to you, and yes, the sacrifices, hardships, and pain as well.

  In the midst of challenges, your innate strength may be suppressed, but it is always there. You can foster this strength by cultivating gratitude. I’ve encountered many challenges I didn’t see coming, and others I did. What led me through all of them was learning to focus on and acknowledge gratitude for what is rather than giving attention to what isn’t.

  It took time for me to become more appreciative and in tune with many of my experiences and lessons that called for gratitude. Instinctively, negativity has a way of drawing us in. Negativity easily becomes the focus. When I decided to be conscious about how I focused my attention, my outlook improved substantially. As I began living a life of gratitude, it became evident that the goodness life offers is infinite.

  If you reflect on periods and moments throughout your life, you too will realize that some of the things you needed or wanted, you’ve received. There are things you didn’t ask for, yet were gifted. Consider friendships, relationships, career and life opportunities, and more. They may have eventually been lost, or existed only briefly, but you had them. They deserve gratitude.

  With Gratitude is about the moments of thankfulness and appreciation for the good that happens, in some form, each day. These good things may escape you if you do not live consciously in the moment or let them pass without acknowledgment. It’s up to you to respond. When you make the choice to change the way you see and absorb your experiences, you will allow yourself to recognize the many beautiful gifts you receive each day. Once you pause and appreciate these gifts, you will realize that gratitude has the power to heal hearts, mend souls, and equip the mind to see the best of what is in front of you.

  My intent is to inspire reflection on these moments and gifts, helping you live a life rooted in gratitude by revealing the benefits and beauty in both wonderful and difficult situations. Accept the opportunities to return kindness, evolve spiritually, and appreciate the magnificent things—big and small—that come your way.

  With Gratitude,

  Marala Scott

  You excite me

  and give me something to look forward to

  each day.

  I can’t wait to open my eyes and look at you.

  You are beautiful.

  Life Is My Muse

  Wanting more

  will bring you more

  of what you don’t want too.

  Simplicity can offer peace.

  Uncomplicated

  Take creative control.

  Use the gift of freedom as desired.

  Any direction you choose,

  opportunity is waiting.

  Create the experience you want.

  The brush is in your hand.

  A Painter’s Canvas

  Vast for a reason,

  meant to be explored.

  Less-traveled roads

  broaden understanding of others,

  as well as yourself.

  Remove judgment,

  embrace acceptance,

  and develop a willingness to collaborate,

  cooperate,

  and appreciate.

  A World Other Than Your Own

  I don’t have to pretend

  my voice resonates with strength.

  I won’t retreat.

  My presence is needed.

  I refuse to relinquish control,

  I keep that for myself.

  You Cannot Remove Who I Am

  Deep in thought, pondering what to do.

  Suddenly, I heard laughter escaping from the other room.

  It made me smile.

  Joyful Moments

  It awakens me

  knowing

  I am filled with purpose.

  My Passion

  He fits

  in your life.

  No disruption

  to the essence of you.

  The way you are

  caused his gravitational pull.

  The Way He Loves You

  Tell me whatever you want,

  time will decide if it’s true.

  It has a way of letting me see

  the real version of you.

  Withholding Judgment

  Each month arrives,

  dragging reminders of what was.

  Seasons rotate,

  offering the connection to renewed hope.

  The years pass, providing proof

  anything is possible.

  An Encouraging Perspective

  Two stars

  burning brightly.

  One bearing your name,

  the other mine.

  Next to each other

  while light years apart.

  A constant reminder.

  Infinite Display of Love

  Possibilities come from believing nothing is impossible.

  I Can

  You may hope for good things to happen,

  but they happen every day.

  It’s up to you to notice and acknowledge them.

  They are the countless moments you are shown

  indiscriminate kindness,

  given an idea or solution from a stranger,

  and gifted something you did not seek.

  Until you pause to express appreciation for those moments,

  you are depriving yourself.

  Those Little Gifts

  When I realized

  you were trying

  to become a bully,

  my confidence evolved

  from your fears

  and the truth

  of who you are not.

  Reality

  My bare toes gently touch yours.

  No Need for Words

  You thought you hurt me.

  No, you taught me instead,

  never go against the intuition

  that travels from my core to my head.

  Trusting It

  There is a rhythm to life

  and a rhythm to you.

  Learn to understand it.

  Inconceivable, what you can do.

  Surrounded by it,

  speaks to your soul.

  Pay close attention.

  Work passionately toward goals.

  A Natural Part of You

  You need help,

  yet believe no one can see it.

  They can.

  You feel they don’t care.

  They do,

  more than you know.

 
They believe you can work through this better

  alone.

  It will make you stronger,

  wiser,

  and

  more confident.

  They know what you’re capable of,

  even though you don’t.

  They are determined to help you find

  your path to your destiny.

  And you will.

  They Believe in You

  People leave their mark in profound ways.

  Reflection and appreciation can help you understand

  why you achieved a goal,

  brought a dream into existence,

  or accomplished the impossible.

  Contributors

  Pride constructs walls

  to keep you from being exposed.

  It prohibits you from being true to yourself,

  declines the help you need

  unless the terms are yours.

  It shuts love out,

  maintains what it can control,

  and lies to you often.

  Let It Go

  My words are an interpretation of what’s inside me.

  I welcome the thoughts produced in my mind.

  Inside Out

  There is nothing more precious.

  This Moment

  I knew what was missing

  when the time came

  for me to construct a house.

  I refused to build another

  void of love.

  Inside These Walls

  Sometimes you must feel pain

  to appreciate the value of peace.

  Hate will try to converge on you

  to display the need for love.

  You will be invisible to some

  to identify with the need for compassion.

  Loving someone with a cold heart

  will send chills through your soul,

  making sure you crave the warmth.

  Be a Quick Study

  One way to learn is to put you to the test.

  Coming through isn’t the lesson.

  It’s the way you fight when you’re not at your best.

  Inside the Storm

  Feeling sorry for me doesn’t help.

  It is a contribution to remaining a victim.

  My history,

  along with

  choices I’ve made,

  created the person

  I never imagined I could be.

  Finally Finding Me

  You have more value

  than what is visible.

  It is concealed,

  as it is meant to be protected.

  It can change your world

  or simply defeat you.

  The power is in

  the way you use it.

  Your Heart and Mind

  I travel to beautiful places.

  When night falls,

  it’s not the same.

  It doesn’t take long before

  I miss you.

  It’s hard to stay away.

  The only place I want to be

  when things don’t go my way.

  The most comforting place to recover

  for any reason, any day.

  Some say they don’t have much,

  but with a place to lay your head,

  you have more than you know.

  Already you’re ahead.

  My Bed

  Commanding and precise,

  no room for conscious reason,

  trust an unexplained feeling

  that is crucial every time

  in any season.

  Intuition

  She is beside me, shoulder to shoulder.

  In sync, head held high.

  She learned this by walking with me

  when she was less than waist high.

  I could have told her

  but chose to show her

  for those moments she would be without me.

  Quiet Confidence

  We didn’t have the same rules as the others.

  Our parents made their standards clear.

  They didn’t want to see us fit in.

  They were fighting to make us stand out.

  Unspoken Strategy

  Take my hand and come with me.

  I’m not sure if I can give you what you want,

  but I can help you find what you need.

  Teachable Moments

  The things you wanted most,

  give them to others.

  The stories you hoped to tell,

  create them with joy.

  The pain you need to leave behind,

  let it go.

  The way you yearn to be loved,

  love.

  Breaking the Cycle

  Your closest companion

  keeps your secrets,

  trusted never to tell a soul.

  When you’re tired, lacking energy,

  they take what they can get

  without malicious intent or contrary goals.

  Observing your moods, sensing your pain,

  they bring you joy with nothing to gain.

  Your Faithful Companion

  The feeling of gratitude produces life to an empty or lonely soul.

  It brings a smile to someone who gives and asks for nothing in return.

  It allows you to be present, noticing the kindness that once escaped you.

  To Give and Receive

  Individual lessons,

  hurtful truths.

  They are meant to strengthen,

  not weaken you.

  Challenges Reveal the Truth About You

  There are times when your solution is most important.

  You were left alone to figure it out.

  It was a part of your process to heal.

  Extracting Your Strength

  I asked for love

  from someone I could trust,

  that would respect and care for me,

  who would laugh often

  and show compassion instinctively.

  I asked to share my happiness

  with someone who loves You above all

  and lives with unwavering faith.

  I asked for a lot of things,

  but perfect wasn’t one of them.

  You gave me everything else.

  An Answered Prayer

  Things happen.

  People evolve.

  Relationships built on friendship

  and undeniable love

  will return

  when the storm subsides.

  Trust History

  Love is irreplaceable.

  Kindness comes without hesitation.

  Compassion is triggered on sight.

  When It’s Genuine

  There were things I didn’t know.

  Places I’d never seen.

  Joys I hadn’t experienced.

  Perfection had yet to kiss me.

  I’d never imagined all there was

  and all that we would be.

  Lush green landscapes,

  crashing waves and sand dollars

  grazing the toes on our feet.

  I thought I was better without you,

  but you brought out the best in me.

  My Love

  People continue to love you,

  regardless of what you do.

  Be open to offering forgiveness

  when the trial doesn’t belong to you.

  Be Slow to Anger

  You have the opportunity to revive

  someone who is barely here,

  los
t in a repetitive motion,

  unsure of how to change,

  void of reasons to try.

  Their world has become

  unbearable

  until you give them

  what you were gifted.

  Hope

  If a time comes

  when you feel like letting go,

  giving up,

  or running away,

  don’t.

  It will only keep you from your destiny.

  The Reward

  You can find things to be angry about in any situation,

  and you can see things to be appreciative of in them too.

  Reframe the Picture

  The words you hear often will be the words that shape

  your thoughts, your speech, your world.

  If they begin with negativity,

  don’t trust them.

  If they change your positive vibe,

  don’t speak them.

  If they make you doubt,

  rid yourself of them.

  Positive words will bring great thoughts

  and successful actions.

  Words That Shape

  A little more love,

  a little more laughter,

  a little more compassion,

  a little more time to say goodbye.

  A Little More Makes a Big Difference

  I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone.

  Besides, I didn’t know how.

  For some reason, you opened up to me.

  Although you didn’t know it, you helped me.

  Sharing your experiences gave me what I needed.

  Your smile, courage, and confidence let me know I, too, would be okay.