Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: gratitude

(+5 insets!) (please view large!) :) I've just returned from a chilly but bright and sunny morning walk and my body is ticking with energy coursing through my veins. How vitalizing it is to get some invigorating exercise at the beginning of the day. It really makes me feel motivated and ambitious. After all, I've done something so good for my health and well-being at the very start. What better way to set yourself up for a series of wins, progress, achievements and successes?! Besides all of that, getting outside when the world is waking up around you is a wondrous experience with the twittering of birds and their songs and calls heard from near and far. It is a joy I missed out on for so many years. How lovely to get up early enough to be immersed in this daily marvel. Sitting down at my computer, I hop onto ipernity and check out the Explore section. Who is showcasing today?! Gazing at the selection of 27 pictures on the front page, I sit in wonder. So much talent. Such a vast variety of photography. The creativity boggles the mind. Pictures from literally all over the world, in all types of formats, from a dizzying variety of cameras. Exquisite images from seasoned professionals and from budding talent as well. Some have such a wonderful, recognizable style that you can tell who took the picture without glancing at the name. Others are unique and exciting and beg for a click so you can see what other pictures they've taken. Inspiration drips from the page. How grand to be part of it all. The community at ipernity is incredible. Wonderful, warm, intelligent folk who, like the pictures on Explore, cover a vast range of personalities and interests. Photographers can be very quirky and plenty of us spurn society for a gamut of reasons. But here on ipernity we can reach out and make friends. Isn't that wonderful. In my "real" life, the "in-person" friends I have fit onto one hand, perhaps two if I include family. But online, my friends and acquaintances number much closer to 100 or more! What a difference! In "real life" I am shy and very wary of people, but online I am extremely friendly and gregarious. Isn't it all so very interesting? I am extremely grateful to have the chance to be friends with people from all over the world, all walks of life, and who allow me the chance to know them. It is an honor and a true gift and I thank you all for allowing me to be part of this fine platform! *BIG HUGS TO ALL OF YOU!* Today happens to be St. Patrick's Day so I'm posting a picture that's very green! This fern was photographed in San Francisco a couple of years ago. Steve and I walked through part of Golden Gate Park to get to the Conservatory of Flowers' dahlia exhibit and on the way we stopped to take pictures of some of the fabulous plants found there. Ferns of many kinds grow everywhere and this one did not miss my gaze. (I'm also including some other green images for you to enjoy!) Pam, isn't it wonderful to be a part of this amazing group of people?! We are so lucky. And because of ipernity, we got the chance to meet…how cool is that?! :) Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to find a nice green picture on your stream and decided on a wonderful picture of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird sitting in a vibrant green oak tree. What a beautiful bird with her iridescent green feathers! It really is fun doing searches in your photo stream--it shows me how few I've actually seen and then I get the prize of appreciating them! Thank you for your lovely comment about my flower pictures! I'm so happy to read that you have been able to see a few of the flowers that are blooming for you now. I hope you can find great joy in these pretty spring sightings…one day at a time my dear! *BIG HUGS* Explored on 3/18/19, highest placement, #6.

(Please view large!) Stop what you're doing and for just a moment, think of three things that you are grateful for in your life right now. Think about why you feel this way. This is something you can do for yourself every morning to make your day even more wonderful! On this rainy, cold, but beautiful morning, I walked up and down our driveway and I thought about my day's trio. What was I especially grateful for? Who did I feel grateful towards? I am grateful for my husband. He's always been there for me, he doesn't give up, and he is a huge reason for all of the fun and adventures we've had in our lives. He's exposed me to things I've never done before, like scuba diving. He's taught me to be the best that I can be whenever he has something to offer; in photography, he's shared his expertise which has shaped who I am. He and I are the best team I've ever had the joy to be part of and we continually prove we are better together than apart. I could go on and on but you get the point! :) I love Steve so much. I am so grateful. I am grateful for my parents. They raised me and my three brothers to the best of their abilities and we grew up in a nice neighborhood in San Francisco, close enough to all of our schools that we could walk to most of them. My mom and dad were both brilliant and I was lucky enough to get my father's analytical mind (but not his math skills, lol) and my mother's creative and artistic talents. I am so grateful that I have been able to tap into these life-long gifts from my mom and dad. I am grateful for the community here at ipernity. Since I came back to start my Pictures for Pam project, I have been welcomed home with open arms. I'd been in a terrible depression and hoped that doing something for Pam might make me feel better. It did. More than that, I've been surrounded by the most amazing, supportive, wonderful, warm, and generous people from all over the world. You've made me a new person. I have a renewed sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. You've reminded me of the joy of visiting the world through this community's eyes. I am able to give back my thanks by visiting your photo streams and letting you know how I feel about your pictures. This feeds my insatiable drive to make others happy. Additionally, the feeling of sizzling inspiration when I see some of your photography is so fantastic. Because of you, I am back to my wiggly, happy, creative self. That joy has then made my whole life, my relationship, my world so rich and full of exciting possibilities. I am so grateful to each and every one of you. Today's picture was something that amazed me when I saw it on my computer. It wasn't something I planned for and I had no idea it was there! As I was looking through images I'd taken a few weeks back, I came to this one and I could hardly believe my eyes! All I can see is Tony Robbins talking to a flock of enchanted followers that gaze up at him in awe. I know that feeling. His teachings are responsible for a huge amount of life-changing understanding and realization. I am so grateful to him. I hope you like my tribute! Pam, I am so grateful to you. You shook my shoulders and woke me up. You gave me the courage to stand up and take a step forward. A gentle realization came to me that doing something to show you how much I care would in turn begin a healing process for me. Because of you, my downward spiral turned upside-down and now I'm on an upward spiral with no end in sight. I am so grateful to you, my dear friend. May all of our grateful hugs bring you the strength to regain your health. We love you Pam. Explored on 12/19/18, highest placement, #2.

Wow! How time flies! It's been three weeks since beginning this project for Pam and my life has changed so much for the better. Previously I had retreated into my shell to the point that I wasn't really communicating with anyone at all except my husband. I spent my free time playing a space game called Eve Online, where I became a "Capsuleer" and flew around a universe in my many different space ships. I mined asteroids for ore, I ferried goods across galaxies from station to station, I built ships and explored old relics, breaking codes to get precious cargo. But you see, Eve is a game where other players can actually attack and destroy your ship—and kill your character. I lived in fear when I went out on my adventures because I am not aggressive and just want to have a nice time. Unfortunately, this game is aimed at people who enjoy hunting and killing other players. A great many of them make it their mission to make non-aggressive people's lives miserable if they can. Though I stayed in an area that was generally safe, there are no guarantees, and I was always worried. Once I learned that Pam had come so close to losing her life, it shocked me back to reality. I looked at my life which had become so cold, grey and silent. My creative spirit was gone. The passion that once bubbled within me did not exist. I cared about nothing. I didn't even know who I was anymore, and it didn't matter. I wanted to show Pam that I cared about her, that I was thinking about her. As I mentioned in the first post of this project, I figured the best way to do this would be in the form of a picture along with something fun for her to read. When I realized that meant I'd actually have to pick up my camera, I was like, "NO! I'm not in the mood!" The idea of being creative felt like kryptonite to me. But I knew better and forced myself to do it. I took a picture and posted it, writing a journal entry to finish it off. The ipernity community, my old friends, acquaintances, so many people responded so warmly to welcome me back into the fold. I felt like I'd come home to a place I belonged. The suggestion to create a special Pictures for Pam group was perfect and brought everyone closer with a combined purpose to show Pam how much we care. The transformation back to my bubbly, effervescent self happened so fast that I sometimes question whether or not I'd actually sunk so low beforehand. There really is no question about it though. The important thing is that because of my desire to bring some joy to Pam, I found myself back on ipernity, and then all of you took over. You picked me up, held me high in the air and paraded me around, patting me with encouragement and showing me that I had value. That I was good for something...that I do have talent. I did not lose my ability to take nice pictures or to write well. Just as Pam has said to all of us, the care and genuine sincerity in your comments to me have left me overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I am so thankful—but truly there isn't any way to properly express how much your caring has meant to me. Just know that my life has changed profoundly, and it has everything to do with all of you. *long, warm hugs to each of you* Today I share another leaf! To those of you who are tired of my leaves, I apologize but they are always singing to me and I cannot help but capture them for everyone to see! I found this lovely oak leaf on my walk the other day when I explored our lower forest to see what it looked like now. I'd been concentrating on where my feet were going, as I didn't want to step on anything special. At one point I looked up and BAM! Here's this leaf, cradled by pine needles and right in my face! I burst out with an excited "WOW!! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!" Part of me began to counter the idea since I am forever taking pictures of leaves, but I whacked the thought right out of my mind and wayyyyyy off into the bleachers. "NOOP! I'm taking this picture!" Pam, I hope that this has been a good week for you. I hope you can feel improvement from one week to the next. I hope your vision and energy is improving and I hope that you are comfortable and happy. We love you. Thank you for all that you have done for me...just by being you. Explored on 11/30/18, highest placement, #5.

2 more pictures in notes above! Today's heart-shaped seed pod is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Pam J . She and I are both excited about growing plants from seeds, and because we live in places where it is very hot and dry during the summer, we are sharing seeds with each other in the hopes that we'll have good luck this way! It's been wonderful getting to know her, and a joy to visit her photo stream too. We even have similar luck with butterflies, lol! Take a look at her lovely Grey Hairstreak ! I hope that you'll take a peek at her pictures too. Pam is so nice and has a heart of gold! I am so happy that we met! :) Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) was a Lebanese artist, poet, and writer. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite a cool critical reception, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again especially in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. Wikipedia: Khalil Gibran Explored on August 25, 2013. Highest placement, page 2.

2 more pictures in notes above! I've been doing a lot of thinking about gratitude lately. I have so much to be thankful for, and today I want to say THANK YOU , delivered with a warm hug to each and every one of you. I want you all to know how much it means to me that you visit and leave comments and favorites. But most of all, I want you to know how thankful I am for your friendship, and for the camaraderie we share here at ipernity. You have all made me feel welcome here in my new home. I have made so many new and wonderful friends. I am so grateful for those of you who have joined me here from Flickr, and for those of you who have made a special effort to give ipernity another try, and have found that you just needed to put in a bit more effort to discover how special ipernity really is. Thank you all for making me feel that I have some talent as a photographer and writer, and thank you for sharing your feelings with me. I am grateful for the opportunity to see the world through your eyes, and for the virtual adventures I go on around the world through your wonderful photography. Because of every one of you, I am a better photographer, and a better person too. I learn so much from what I read about your pictures and from the stories and articles that you write. The time I spend visiting your photo streams and reading the comments that you leave for me fill me with so many emotions--joy, happiness, laughter (and often howling cackles of mirth), fascination, wonder, and sometimes sorrow and regret. It's all important though, and I am very thankful that I am allowed to know you a little bit more every day. So...thank you everyone!! I am so happy here and I am so grateful to be surrounded by such a fabulous community and ever-growing group of friends. You mean the world to me. *big hugs to all of you* Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. Wikipedia: Henry Ward Beecher Explored on August 24, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.