Jan Denise – Page 867

A grateful man has what an ungrateful man wants but cannot seem to find — enough.

On that first Thanksgiving Day in 1621, the colonists invited the Indians to join them in giving thanks for the harvest. Being thankful meant having enough to share. It still does.

A grateful man will share — and be glad he’s able — regardless of how much he has. What he shares of his time or his substance will include an attitude of sufficiency, a knowing that there is enough, and that there is more where that came from. He sees abundance because he looks through grateful eyes, not greedy ones. And he multiplies what he has by being openhanded.

Often, we measure a man (or woman) by what he has. But what he’s willing to give is a better indication of what he really has. What he’s clinging to is what has him — his attention, his grip, and his energy. The thing he clings to can’t get away, but neither can he.

A grateful man has what an ungrateful man wants but cannot seem to find — enough. A sense of worth and plenty does not come with the accumulation of things; it comes with the knowledge of who you are apart from the things — the house, the job, the bank account, and even the family and circle of friends.… More

Stop Sexual Rejection

It’s hard enough not to personalize rejection, but sexual rejection is by nature deeply personal.

When you want to have sex with somebody who’s not interested, it can hurt to the core … especially when they choose to have sex with somebody else. And the pain may cut deeper when married than single.

When you’re married, it’s about more than sex, and you’ve already committed to one person, the very one who’s rejecting you. As a single person, let’s be honest, you may have been more hungry for sex than intimacy; and you’re free to eat elsewhere.

When we’ve shared our most private physical parts (or tried to) with somebody who just looks the other way, it can feel like we just got sucker punched. After all, before we laid ourselves out there (maybe emotionally as well), we thought we had some reason to believe that the other party was game. And even if we were more interested in meeting a physical need than an emotional one, we feel rejected. It’s personal; and it’s painful.

It’s not about the color of your shirt or your taste in wallpaper. Hey, you could change those.

Your sexual desires are biological; and your sexuality is rooted in beliefs, often the ones you took on as a child without even realizing it.… More

Together when we’re not …

I’ve spent this week in Georgia with by brother who’s ill. And while I’m here, I want to say how much I appreciate my baby. He sent me two photos at 6:00 AM, to show me that he was doing the laundry and making the bed! Sweet, because he knows I like order. But it’s incidental to what I appreciate about him—and what he appreciates about me! We can be apart and not feel apart! We can see each other without seeing each other. We’re still together. I love my baby!

And I love my brother Berf! He’s Precious! And I thank God, and you, with all my heart, for the love he is receiving. … More

What do you hold back?

To live the relationship of your dreams, you need only let somebody love you—all of you. With that in mind, look at what you hold back and why. … More

What are you defending yourself from?

When we get defensive, it’s because we are scared … not of the other, but of how we compare to the other.

Once we truly recognize what we all have in common, we can more readily accept the differences, without finding shame OR pride in them.

The common thread is our greatness. To recognize our greatness is to begin to manifest our greatness AND our oneness. There is no other. … More

Try to remember quietly …

If you stop loving somebody because he (or she) made a mistake, you never really loved him. But it’s possible to forget momentarily. Try to keep your mouth shut until you remember. I think that’s what love would do. But, wait, love wouldn’t forget, would it?! … More