With Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought I would take this time to reflect on all the things I have to be thankful for.

Many people focus on the negative and they practice having a victim mentality. Nothing is ever their fault and they are experts at making excuses. These people are usually not happy, nor are they particularly fun to be around. They like to complain about everything that’s wrong and how bad they’ve got it.

I’ve heard it said that if everyone were to put their worst problems in a big pile that most of us would creep forward and gladly take our problems back. Once we see the obstacles faced by some, most of our problems are miniscule by comparison.

One of the best ways I know to be happy is to spend a little time each day giving thanks for all the good things in your life. When you practice having an "attitude of gratitude", your focus shifts to the positive. Since we get more of what we focus on, it only makes sense to look at all the gifts you already possess.

Here are just a few of the things I’m thankful for:

• Water – It quenches my thirst, soothes my body, and keeps my clothes clean.
• Electricity – It allows me to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Lighting – It makes maneuvering in the dark a whole lot easier.
• Modern Transportation – It allows me to explore the world.  Just imagine how difficult it would be to visit someone across country in a stagecoach!
• Food – To me it’s not only a necessity, it’s a great source of pleasure. Most people eat to live. I must admit I am sometimes guilty of "living to eat" especially around the holidays.
• Books – They allow me to learn and expand my knowledge.
• Television – Programming that’s entertaining, informative, and educational.
• Telephones – They allow me to speak with loved ones who don’t live nearby.
• Computers – They keep me organized and in touch with the world.

While these things may seem like basic necessities to some, they are luxuries to a large portion of the world and I feel so lucky to live in a time and place where these things are abundant.

Some other things I’m thankful for are:

• Great Music and the ability to hear it
• Blue skies and the ability to see them
• Sunny days
• Beaches
• Palm Trees
• Iced Mochas
• Creativity
• Family
• Friends
• Flowers and the ability to smell them
• My Kitty Cat
• Laughter
• Butterflies
• Good Health
• Modern Medicine
• Free Will
• Dark Chocolate
• Good Restaurants
• Rainbows
• Sunsets
• Green Grass
• Ice Cream
• Amaretto di Saronno
• Art
• Photographs
• Memories
• My husband, who’s love, patience, and kindness continue to overwhelm me. Someday I hope to become as wonderful as he thinks I am.

These are just a few of the many things I’m thankful for. Now take a moment to think of all the things you’re thankful for. Counting your blessings is a great attitude adjuster; it lifts your spirits and puts you in a joyful mood.

Make sure to tell the people who have helped you how much you appreciate them. And the next time you run into one of those victim types, be sure to smile and give them an encouraging word. Sharing your joy is an excellent way to give something back and to perpetuate the attitude of gratitude.

I’ve heard it said that if you were to take all the money away from the wealthy and redistribute it evenly among everyone, that within one year an upper class, a middle class, and a lower class would re-emerge. I believe this to be true because some people would see opportunities and take advantage of them as they arise. Others would save or invest their money and possibly take advantage of a few opportunities. The remainder would blow their money, ignore opportunities, and make excuses as to why they no longer have the kind of life they desire.

Have you ever noticed that so many of the wealthy people in this country weren’t even born here? This is something I have always found very fascinating. I’ve heard story after story of people who immigrated to this country and came here with very little or no money. Yet many of them became very successful people, at least in terms of amassing wealth. They do whatever is necessary to acquire their dreams. Many of them achieve this success by initially living as cheaply as possible, working 2 or 3 jobs, and saving their hard earned dollars. Then they learn everything they can in a given field and often go into business for themselves. Sometimes they get small business loans if necessary. Once they achieve initial success with one store, they often go ahead and open a second and then a third. They find good managers to run the additional stores. The power of duplicity is a great way to create wealth because once you train someone to do exactly what you do you can continue duplicating this success over and over again.

Why do so many foreigners take advantage of these opportunities while the rest of us do not? I believe it’s because they see opportunities where we do not. Many of these people grew up in countries that don’t have the endless luxuries that we do.

Imagine if you lived in a shack that you shared with 10 other people. The place has no heating or air conditioning, no refrigeration, and a dirt floor. Food is scarce and you have no running water and have to walk a mile just for fresh water. Suddenly the idea of working two jobs in exchange for living in a place that has flooring and refrigeration would seem like a dream come true. The opportunity to learn about business and actually be able to get a loan for this purchase would be unheard of where you came from. So naturally, when you arrive in this country all you can see is opportunity, everywhere you look. There are even fountains with fresh water and coins in the bottom! This is obviously a place of great abundance.

Now this may be an exaggerated example but I use it to illustrate a point. Why don’t we see the many opportunities that surround us? It’s because when you’re comfortable and all of your basic needs are met it’s harder to see the opportunity. We simply don’t want to take advantage of opportunity because sometimes what’s really an opportunity feels like a tremendous sacrifice. We’re just too comfortable to see what we’ve got. So, we make excuses as to why something won’t work to avoid making what we perceive to be a sacrifice.

We use negative self-talk; getting my degree will take too much time, or owning my own business would require too much work, or getting a loan involves too much risk. Oh, and then, pursuing a certain course of action might take up too much of my time and I’d have to give up watching my favorite TV shows, and so on and so forth.

We’re like spoiled children who get everything handed to them only to take it all for granted. It drives me crazy when I see parents give their kids everything, which teaches them the value of nothing. There, I said it. This opinion might not make me too popular with some, but I don’t care; it’s what I truly believe. We tend to place much more value on things that we have to work for and pay for with our own money especially if we earn them the old fashioned way. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to give your children opportunities and provide them with a wonderful life. However, teaching them the value of working and seizing opportunities is one of the best gifts you can give them.

The following quote is attributed to Helen Keller.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us ."

If a blind and deaf mute could see opportunity then surely all of us can learn from her remarkable attitude. While she may not have had the gift of sight, she certainly possessed vision.

People have been coming to this country for years in search of a better life. After all, this is the land of opportunity. Once you realize this, the possibilities are limitless! If you have sight, but lack vision you might not see every opportunity. If you have vision, you can take advantage of opportunities and create the life you desire. Having sight allows you to see what is. Having vision allows you to see what can be!

What can self-improvement do for you?  In a word, everything.  It can make you more positive, less fearful, and more knowledgeable.  All of which will not only make you more interesting, but also more enjoyable to be around. Because you will begin utilizing more of your potential, you will feel more alive and happier with who you are.

The fact that you’re reading this leads me to believe that you’re already someone who knows why self-improvement is important or you’ve at least given it some thought.

What do people mean when they talk about self-improvement?  To me, it’s anything you do that improves your mind, your body, and your spirit with the greatest emphasis being on the mind.  If you begin by filling your mind with only the best thoughts and the best information, then it will be a natural progression to want to improve the body and spirit as well.

There are so many reasons to want to improve one’s self.

Improving your mind can assist you in:

• Developing better relationships
• Being happier with yourself
• Becoming a better communicator
• Developing better career skills

Improving your body can assist you in:

• Looking more attractive
• Feeling more youthful and vibrant
• Having more energy
• Living a longer and having a better quality of life

Improving your spirit can assist you in:

• Being more connected with the world
• Living without fear
• Experiencing life more "in the moment"

When you are operating at a place where you are living without fear, then you are better able to accomplish anything you want.  You will experience more abundance and more joy.  You become more generous and more concerned with helping others. This creates a chain reaction.  As you become a role model, you inspire others to grow.  Soon, they will follow your example and they too will become role models.

In the movie Pay it Forward , Trevor, played by Haley Joel Osment, comes up with a profound idea as part of a class project.  He proposes that you perform an act of kindness for another person without expecting any pay.  Instead, you ask them to pay it forward by doing a favor for at least 3 other people.  They, in turn, pay it forward to 3 more, creating  a global chain reaction of kindness.

When we improve ourselves, we learn to be more positive and as such, we make better decisions for ourselves and for others.  We embrace life without fear and we accept challenges rather than run from them.  We become more confident and we become better communicators.

Self-improvement isn’t about trying to be perfect, as that is an impossible task.  It’s definitely not about comparing yourself to others either.  We all have different gifts and aptitudes.  Therefore, comparing yourself to someone else is pointless.  There is one thing that you can do better than anybody else in the world; be yourself.  Self-improvement is about being the best version of yourself and being the best that you can be.

People who engage in self-improvement have made many great contributions to society.

By creating the best version of ourselves, we create a better life. We inspire others to do the same and this in turn has a positive cumulative effect on the entire world.

The topic of yesterday’s post was about the importance of having a positive attitude.  Here’s a short and beautiful video titled The Secret: Positive Thinking & Bringing Abundance to Your Life.

Welcome to The Metamorphosis Café. As this is my very first post, I thought it would be appropriate to explain the reason I’ve decided to launch this blog.
When I first saw the movie, The Secret, the concepts were exciting and refreshing yet very unfamiliar. The messages contained throughout the movie resonated with me profoundly and I knew I wanted to learn more. Just imagine, being able to manifest your dreams and have all the things in life you desire! I’ve always been interested in becoming a better person.

"Armed with the knowledge that our thoughts create our reality, I feel empowered me to become the best person I can be."

Helping others has always given me a great sense of personal satisfaction. Self- Improvement and Personal Development are things I’m very passionate about. While I’ve always enjoyed writing, I’ve never given any serious thought to doing anything with it. As I began implementing visualization techniques in my own life, it occurred to me that I could use writing as an instrument to help others grow as human beings to realize their potential.

We live in times of uncertainty and it’s easy to get caught up in fearful and negative thinking. I’ve certainly done my share of negative thinking in the past. Sometimes we develop habitual thinking patterns and we aren’t even aware that we’re being negative or fearful. I now understand how harmful this type of thinking is as it only perpetuates more of the same. To achieve our dreams we need to break free from negativity and fearfulness, and instead, focus on the abundance that we deserve and desire.

I want to share the things I’ve learned and will continue to learn about Personal Development. It’s my great desire that by doing so I can help you to become the person you want to be and achieve your heart’s desires. However, my purpose for writing this blog isn’t completely unselfish. Researching and writing is not only a great way for me to share my thoughts, it’s also a great way for me to learn as well.

If everyone were to practice self-improvement by becoming a better version of themselves, imagine the positive effect this would have on the world! I’m enjoying a fantastic voyage while creating the life of my dreams. I am a student of personal development and manifestation and I will consider it an honor, should you decide to join me on the journey.