Thank you, God, for our Life!

by Michael Ketterhagen

"You can have flaws, be anxious and even be angry,

but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world.

Only you can stop it from failing.

You are appreciated, admired and loved by so many.

Remember that being happy is

not having a sky without storm,

a road without accidents,

a job without effort,

a relationship without disappointments.

“To be happy is

to stop feeling like a victim and

become the author of your own fate.”

It's walking through deserts,

but being able to find an oasis deep in the soul.

It’s thanking God every morning for the miracle of life.

It’s kissing your children,

cuddling your parents,

having poetic moments with your friends,

even when they hurt us.

“Being happy is

letting the creature that lives in each of us live, free, joyful and simple.

You have the maturity to be able to say: "I've made mistakes".

It's having the courage to say I'm sorry. It's having the sense to say "I need you". It’s having the ability to say "I love you".

May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness...

that in spring he may be a lover of joy and in winter a lover of wisdom.

"And when you make a mistake,

start over.

Because only then will you be in love with life.

You'll discover that being happy isn't having a perfect life.

But use tears to irrigate tolerance.

Use your defeats to train your patience.

"Use your mistakes with the serenity of the sculptor.

Use pain to tune into pleasure.

Use obstacles to open the windows of intelligence.

Never give up ...

Above all never give up on the people that love you.

Never give up on being happy,

because life is an incredible spectacle. "

--Pope Francis

What an incredible short speech! By an incredible spiritual leader!

It reminds me so much of what Pandit Rajmani Tigunait and his teacher, Swami Rama, have taught me over the past few years. “We are the creator of our own destiny.” And yoga with all of its practices has given me the tools to actually “never give up.”

May you know how precious your presence is in the world today! Thank you for living!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I bow to the Divinity within you!