Gratitude is the word that comes to mind this morning.

I have been writing about contrast for a couple days now. I was so uplifted when I read the quotes from yesterday, that I believed them. Perhaps the belief in a miracle is what actually caused more than one miracle to come true? Yesterday I envisioned this day writing about a miracle, and today it has come to pass.

The inspiring quotes are worth repeating…and believing:

“When the contrast gets greater, the desire gets greater too, and that’s what miracles are from. A miracle is nothing more than a terrible situation that has caused strong desire and then somehow an alignment of Energy with the desire. Every day life creativity, that’s all that it is.

                                                        — Abraham”

And the message from tut.com:

 “How is it Rosie, that with so many brilliant beings on your planet, so few recognize that when one’s life encounters turbulence, choppy waters, or setbacks, it’s always a sign that things are about to get wildly better than they’ve ever been before?

And I’m not talking about the dolphins.

Don’t fight it,
    The Universe”

This morning I found myself reflecting on the individuals who engaged in the dance yesterday to make the miracles come true. We are not alone, and when we ask energetically for help, it is amazing what happens. The stars seem to line up and almost as if by magic, people come to our aid.

Today I was thinking how beautiful it is how we humans pull together to help one another. Just then I walked by the calendar. I hadn’t stopped to notice the quote for this month when I turned the calendar page over to August:

 “When most people say they are being ‘realistic,’ they delude themselves; they are simply being negative.”

One person immediately came to mind. This is the person who will always pull my feet down to earth and let just a little wind out of my sails. I try hard to listen to the wisdom, but it doesn’t ever feel especially good. Now I know why. What good is it to be “realistic”? Is that not just another way of seeing the glass half empty instead of half full?

I could have been “realistic” yesterday with my dilemmas. The people I turned to for help could have been “realistic.” … but for them or me to have been “realistic” yesterday wouldn’t have given me the momentum I needed to believe in that miracle. I needed all the wind in my sail yesterday.

Our attitude and belief colors everything. If we look at contrast as a blessing, and if it pushes us to desire and believe, then anything is possible. Ram Dass, spiritual teacher and author says, “Everything in your life is there as a vehicle for your transformation. Use it!”

“Turbulence, choppy waters, or setbacks”? They are all OK because we can believe that just around the bend “ things are about to get wildly better than they’ve ever been before.”

One of life’s snafus presented itself for me to deal with yesterday.  At snafu times, it is so easy to feel sorry for ourselves. We can consume the whole day in our anguish…or we can make the choice to appreciate the contrast and choose to see the Divine in each person.

 What good is worry?  Worry is a waste of our creative process. By the natural laws of the universe, worry simply attracts more negative into our lives.  Today’s daily message from Abraham-Hicks puts it this way:

“Whatever you’re thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you’re worrying, you are planning. When you’re appreciating you are planning…What are you planning?

                                                                              — Abraham”

What does adversity do for us? It stimulates us to reach higher, to break out of the chains that confine us.

Just about the time I want to feel sorry for myself, I simply need to remind myself what others have been through. Take Dick and Rick Hoyt for example.

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon, they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can’t walk or talk.

For the past twenty five years or more, Dick, who is 65, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines. When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick. And yes, Rick lives in his own apartment, miles away from his father.

And then there is Erik Weihenmayer. Erick lost his eyesight and his beloved mother as a young teenager. Erik is also the only blind man in history to reach the tallest peak of every continent, including Mount Everest. The message on the back of Erik’s book, The Adversity Advantage, is poignant:

“Adversity is one of the most potent forces in life. It shapes your character, clarifies your priorities, and defines your path. It can also fuel your greatness. Each of us faces a rich assortment of adversities every day, ranging from minor hassles to major setbacks and challenges, even tragedies. The path to success, both in business and in life, is learning how to convert any adversity, major or minor, into a genuine advantage.”

 Then there is Nick Vujicic, the 23 year old man with no arms or legs who spends his life traveling to audiences everywhere, delivering the message to dream, to have vision, to set goals, to be thankful. As a young boy, he looked in the mirror, deep into his eyes. He told himself, “Look at your eyes. You have beautiful eyes, young man. You are hot!” Google You Tube and listen to his message. He asks us, “Do you get the message? Can you find one positive thing about your life? Then hang onto it!”

 Lastly, here is this morning’s message from tut.com:

 “Look at it like this, Rosie, the more challenging your life story has been so far, the bigger the goose bumps for future generations who retell it to their kids. Who will no doubt add, ‘And if Rosie Brown was able to do all that, so can you!’

We’ve barely just begun -
    The Universe”

Guess my snafu is not so significant after all.