Your Invitation
This book is ultimately an invitation—an invitation to see your life through the lens of appreciation rather than scarcity, to recognize the countless gifts you receive daily, and to become someone who contributes to gratitude rather than complaint in every interaction. It's an invitation to discover that you already have more reasons for thankfulness than you could explore in a lifetime.
But it's also an invitation to something larger: to become part of a growing community of people who are choosing appreciation over grievance, abundance over scarcity, connection over isolation. In a world that desperately needs more kindness, more hope, and more recognition of our fundamental interconnection, your gratitude practice becomes not just personal development but social contribution.
As you begin this journey, remember that gratitude is both a destination and a path. You don't need to wait until you're perfectly grateful to experience its benefits. Every moment of genuine appreciation, however small, is both valuable in itself and a step toward a more thankful way of being.
Welcome to the transformative practice of gratitude. Your more appreciative, joyful, and connected life awaits.
I wanted to offer you an insight about gratitude is, and how it will help you.
My Friends Call me Sam...
My name is Sam, well Sam for short. I grew up on the east coast and my family had a cabin by a lake. We would go there every summer. It was beautiful and relaxing. My aunt would come up as well, with her boyfriend and his teenage son, who was like 16 at the time
My aunt would throw parties and her boyfriends son would sneak alcohol and go out to the lake, he would skinny dip and one night after dinner, I was upset with my mother and went down to the dock where our boat was.
At the time, I didn't know Tommy, my aunt's boyfriends son was in the lake. I heard a big splash and was frightened, until I heard Tommy laughing. So I spun around and asked him what he was doing?
He said he is just swimming and wanted to know if I would join him. At first I said no, he then teased me, and offered me a drink that had fruit in it. I remember eating the fruit which was sweet and had a strange taste.
After that I went to the docks every evening, while the adults were drinking and smoking. I would ask Tommy for more fruit, well, after a couple of days, he saying it would cost hum a kiss if I wanted more fruit, eventually I gave in and then he begin touching me. It felt strange, but by then I was more interested in enjoying the sensation of eating the fruit.
Eventually it turned into intercourse and me actually drinking small amounts of the flavored fruit drinks.I knew I wasn't allowed to drink, and Tommy coerced me saying he would tell my mother if I let anyone know.
By then, I felt like a teenager with my first boyfriend, and this continued the next 2 summers. I can remember looking forward to seeing him. The last summer he told me he would be going to college, and I was crushed.
I asked my aunt what happened, she said she broke up with Tommy's dad. I tried asking why, and she said that SOB, was cheating on her! I was like oh, what does cheating mean? She was blunt and said he was sleeping with other women.
I tried asking about Tommy and she said he was in jail for hurting a young girl. At that time I didn't know what that meant, until I was older.
I have to admit, now that I am grown, a very tiny part of me, misses the indulgence we shared.
Now I am an adult and am expecting to be married, yet, I wonder if he is the one?
I have been in counseling for almost a year, and asked my therapist. "How do I know he won't cheat on me?"
Her reply was brutally honest and said "You won't know, and if you are having suspicions...confront him."
So for the next two weeks, i kept agonizing if I wanted to know the truth, and how would it affect our future.
1) If he was innocent, would he not look at me the same way, and doubt my feelings toward him.
2) If he was guilty, what would that say about my judgement, and what or where would I go from here?
I had so many crazy thoughts going through my mind.
So I made a decision...to be continued
Peace and best wishes,
Sam
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