I have been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. A great teacher once asked me how did I feel and I said grateful. Her face shone and she replied that she was very happy for me, because gratitude is half way to hapiness. Years after I still remember this phrase and I have observed that every time I feel full and happy it is because I also feel grateful, I realise that all beutiful feelings go hand in hand with gratitude.
So, I love the theme of this week's contest by the Ladies Of Hive community. I have already read some wonderful posts, moving stories and big events that can change your life for ever.
I would like to write about something small that I am grateful about. It's the beauty and the kindness that you meet unexpectedly. In these weird times and in this crazy irrational world we live in, nothing is for granted. And every little piece of warmth is more than welcome. A sweet look by a stranger or a look full of understanding that you are not alone, the kindness of someone in the queue, the sound of the piano by the small hands of a child playing its first notes, a song or a sentence in a book or a small dialogue in a movie that will expand your mind and heart, the clouds and the feeling of the sand under bare feet, your hands in soil, a good laugh and a nice conversation with a friend.
My happiness never lasts long, it comes only for a while. These brief moments are the salt of my life. I keep my eyes open to receive the slightest signal and also the other way round, to send it out myself as much as I can. I believe in the magic of the small moments and this whimsical, almost secret, sharing. I guess this is my answer to the second question :)
Dostoevsky said that Beauty can save us, a friend paraphrased it to Beauty can save those that can see it. And that's what I try to do, with open eyes and an even more open heart.
The photos were taken by me today. I was in our herbal garden after having planted more plants that I could have ever imagined. At the end I looked up and saw this beautiful sky. Made me feel a bit less tired :)
I would like to invite @sally-notbright! Please don't feel obliged, take part only in you are in the mood for a contest ;)
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This! Yes girl!
Thanks dear @monti33 :)
Lovely post and I love your photos.
Thank you so much!!!
I hope you feel better after your adventure yesterday:)
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Thank you :)
Thank you :)
So much to see, feel and love in the little things :D
Thank you for sharing your story with us <33
Oh yes @kaerpediem!
Thank you for your comment and your support, much appreciated :)
Your happiness never lasts long, I guess that's the good fortune that you see all those little things and moments around that make you happy. Permanent happiness is not only not possible, not even in Olympus or on Mount Athos, but it would kill all those short, small, intense states of happiness that together give us the joy of living.
I liked your post very much, I wish you success in the contest, not necessarily to win something material but to win as many readers who will see what a sensitive and good person you are!
I wish you a year full of small and frequent happiness, of course also to your partner!
You are so right dear @bluemoon! Happiness is impossible to be permanent and I don't think that it is in our nature either. I guess that the goal (if there is one) is to be in a state of calmness and return to this state after we experience any feeling, happiness or unhappiness, excitment or grief...
Your support is amazing and much appreciated, thank you so much!!!
Same to you! With all my heart!!!
Yes, I feel the same way and appreciate the calmness, but it is increasingly hard to achieve. The world is moving way too fast now, especially for people of my age.
I wouldn't call it "support", it's more of an admiration!
That's a huge compliment!!! Thank you!
Let's take it as an extra challenge living in these times :)
Maybe we can manage to have a good time, too.
On this regard, I try not to take things very seriously, I try not to forget the impermanence of everything (of course I forget it very often!).
People of your age? Age is a matter of mind and heart!!!
Not to mention that you definitely know more about crypto (a super new thing in the world) than I do ;)
It is a sincere compliment and you deserve it! I've noticed that here in the comments, many people tend to gratuity sometimes for no reason, just so they don't get upset and maybe get a vote. I like to know people I like, try to get to know them from what they write, from what they discuss with others. I like to think I can recognize good people. I've met a few here, a few. Few not because they are few but because I haven't gotten to know them.
"extra challenge living in these times" Of course you're right, what else could we do? I'll try and I think this year will give me the answer...
"Age is a matter of mind and heart!!!". Totally agreed!
As for crypto... I learned to do some technical things, send to an exchange where I also made a card and thus spend from the money raised. Because I can't do like the big players or specialists or dreamers, to collect as much as I can and in years I will become rich. Probably for those of your age, this is a good option, I don't know how many years it will be for me. As for crypto knowledge, ha, ha! When I tried to do more complicated things, trading, for example, I always lost. When I followed the advice of specialists, who said in their posts that this will grow, this must be sold..., I always lost! It's so hard to give good advice.
Thank you so much @bluemoon!
All these years that HIVE was the private world of Stefanos I wondered how can it be so interesting there? Sometimes I would ask him if there was something to share and this is how I knew some of you for years now through some of your stories as you say, long before I even think about becoming part of it. It all has to do with meeting people and interacting with each other, we are social animals after all!
As for crypto, every time I try to read something it is unbelievable how my brain shuts down, haha! I doubt I will ever make it clear in my mind. @fotostef is also like that (luckily a bit less), so making a fortune out of it would be miraculous!
Giving good advice is always hard, even harder in this field, but you never know what is going to finally work... Experimenting might make it more spicy, especially if next time you will win!!!
I'm sorry you didn't get into Hive earlier, on the other hand, three to four years ago it was much harder for beginners. Now it's much better, those who have value, who have something interesting to say, are quickly noticed and get a pretty consistent reward.