.It’s because of these experiences she has learned not to “waste time” and knows how to “love without fear.” Badyna is one of many quoted in this month’s Inspiration feature,“Practice Gratitude and Change Your Life.” Her personal challenge is to find the beauty in the ugly; the good luck in the bad luck. I have heard this Taoist tale several times:

This farmer had only one horse, and one day the horse ran away. The neighbors came to console him over his terrible loss. The farmer said, "What makes you think it is so terrible?"A month later, the horse came home—this time bringing with her two beautiful wild horses. The neighbors became excited at the farmer's good fortune. Such lovely strong horses! The farmer said, "What makes you think this is good fortune?"The farmer's son was thrown from one of the wild horses and broke his leg. All the neighbors were very distressed. Such bad luck! The farmer said, "What makes you think it is bad?"A war came, and every able-bodied man was conscripted and sent into battle. Only the farmer's son, because he had a broken leg, remained. The neighbors congratulated the farmer. "What makes you think this is good?" said the farmer.

Let’s try an experiment. This Thanksgiving,while we focus our energies on gratitude for the blessings in our lives, let’s go one step further and find it in our hearts to give thanks for the seemingly “bad luck” in our lives. Find the small blessings that exist in the job loss, the divorce, the disease. Recognize that perhaps somewhere, somehow, this adversity will lead to something beautiful, and then let it! Let that gratitude free you from the control this bad event may be holding over you, and let the freedom carry you onto the next stone on your path to personal success.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Note to Readers:

We published an article last month (“Healing Our Pets Holistically,” September 2014, page 26) in which some editorial changes to the title and contents may have inadvertently misrepresented the services provided by Anne Angelo.  The title should more accurately have read “Supporting Our Pets Holistically.” Essential oils are not used to treat but rather to "support" animals.  Anne Angelo does not treat animals but rather provides services for animals.