Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Hi Everyone!

Here it is, New Year's Eve in the US and tonight I will be celebrating the New Year in the most unusual way I ever have.

I have to admit, I have celebrated in odd ways in the past: Slept in the street...used the gutter to prop my pillow...in Pasadena, California for quite a few years. I have celebrated by taking a bubble bath and going to bed early. Other years I celebrated with friends and family.

This year, I will be home alone with Emma and Samuel. (Even ten year old Katherine has plans!)

So I decided to do something really memorable. Some of you know I have started a Gratitude Garden. From personal experience, I can tell you Gratitude has incredible power. It changes lives. Transforms families (it has mine!) Its influence can be felt the world over.

And from someone who used to look at people who were in "the Gratitude Movement" with disdain, this is quite monumental.

Anyway: what I am doing is this: I am going to hold a Special Gratitude Garden Ceremony. As I have been doing, I will be using the notes left in the Gratitude Garden Guest book as a big part of the Ceremony. If you would like to be included in the ceremony, please visit the page and write your entry.

If its After January 1, I will be having another Ceremony on January 6--which is Epiphany Sunday--love that word, Epiphany....and for each Sunday during 2002.

So what are you waiting for? There are no time limits to the times you can note your gratitude!

See you there!

In Gratitude,

Julie Jordan Scott


Setting the Tone with Gratitude

Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Happy New Year, Julie (and all other SOWPUB'rs as well:-)) Signed your Gratitude Garden form and will send a more tangible memento later this week. A great idea and tremendous way to start the New Year - with gratitude and positive attitude!

Bob

Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Julie wrote -

> Here it is, New Year's Eve in the US and
> tonight I will be celebrating the New Year
> in the most unusual way I ever have.

[snipped]

You certainly are doing something interesting to celebrate the New Year in this time of challenges in the US. I think it's a *great* idea and something we need to be cognizant of instead of focusing on all the negative things that have happened to so much of the world this past year.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"




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Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Thanks, Bob!

Don't recall from your sign in form what time zone you are in, but at Midnight Pacific time we (meaning myself, God and the folks who signed the Guestbook!) were celebrating and offering thanks and gratitude...it was lovely!

I never felt LESS alone when I was actually PHYSICALLY alone!

Thank you, again.

With Purpose and Passion,

Julie


The Secret IS out!

Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Rick Wrote

> You certainly are doing something
> interesting to celebrate the New Year in
> this time of challenges in the US. I think
> it's a *great* idea and something we need to
> be cognizant of instead of focusing on all
> the negative things that have happened to so
> much of the world this past year.

**** Thank you, Rick, it was really an excellent moment tonight. It is hard to find words. I re-read all the entries that had been printed out onto separate sheets of paper and joined in gratitude for each and every one.

There were folks from all parts of the globe of all different faiths and all ages...a bit of everything.

One of my friends in Australia decided to have an Impromptu Gratitude Ceremony at the same time...so she was earlier evening in the Summer time on New Years Day and I was midnight on New Years Eve in the Winter (even though it IS California and I was barefoot without even a jacket on!) and it was humbling to think of Barbara doing her Ceremony half way around the world while I did mine...which is really OURS.

*Sigh* I am starting to ramble!

I simply am grateful for ALL of you here....

Here is to 2002!

With Purpose and Passion,

Julie Jordan Scott

> Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"




The Secret IS out!

Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Julie -

> Don't recall from your sign in form what
> time zone you are in, but at Midnight
> Pacific time we (meaning myself, God and the
> folks who signed the Guestbook!) were
> celebrating and offering thanks and
> gratitude...it was lovely!

(Bob's in the Eastern Time Zone.)

> I never felt LESS alone when I was actually
> PHYSICALLY alone!

This is a very interesting and true statement. I have personal experience to back this up also. Gordon and Bob will be able to relate to the story that I'm about to tell.

When I was in the Navy, for the first 5 years of my career, I didn't have to go away for long periods of time. However, I was transferred to a missile cruiser after having been married for about a year. (I had been in the Navy for about 6 years at that time.) For those of you who don't know, missile cruisers are *gone* from their homeport *at least* as much as they're in port. Anyway, I was transferred to a missile cruiser that was coming out drydock. One of the first cruises we made, (after a shakedown trip to the garden spot of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - not my first trip there either), was a cruise we made to the Caribbean. Now that might sound luxurious to some of you. However, you don't get much time to loll on the beach in the sunshine. Most of the time is spent on a missile range practicing. Well, the worst part of that trip was the fact that this particular trip was to be over Mother's Day. (Remember, I had only been married about a year.)

Well, during the evening of Mother's Day, I was feeling particularly low due to the physical and emotional separation from my family. So I decided to go outside to see if I could look at the stars and possibly get to feeling a little better. BTW, the stars in the Carribean sky are *absolutely* phenomenal when you're out at sea. No light pollution, etc. In any case, while I was sitting leaning against one of the stacks,(the exhaust pipes on a ship), and looking up at the stars, I decided to pray. While I was thus engaged in prayer, after awhile, I began to feel very close both to God and my wife. It was one of the best experiences that I had on that cruise.

So one can definitely draw closer to family and spiritual ties even though one is physically separated from both.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"


Click Here to Discover How To Get a Great New Life In 10 Days Without New Year's Resolutions!

Re: Setting the Tone for 2002 and beyond
 

Well said, Rick. I can definitely relate, as I also spent many a Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home and at sea.

Being in the middle of the ocean, with all the stars clearly visible, made me realize the greatness of God (however defined) and nature, and how small my petty problems were.

Same effect, only more so, being in the middle of a typhoon with forty foot waves. It really put things in perspective for me at a relatively young age!