Yesterday I received this email from Mark Kokocki, one of the coaches featured in the WelcomeJoy ebook:

Barbra, Thank you for including me in your Welcome Joy ebook. You may have helped changed at least one persons' view of HIV with this simple choice. I will not forget this opportunity.

I responded to Mark by saying:

Mark, it was my privilege. I was enormously touched by your entry. As my husband often says "less is more" and the simplicity of your words carried a big punch. It was one of my favorites. I hope you like the photo that I choose to go along with it.

Below is the photo and Mark's simple but oh-so-powerful entry.

"After living 15 plus years with HIV, I am simply happy to wake up each morning healthy and capable of being a positive force in my world - something many of my friends did not have the chance to experience.....gratitude, joy and peace all rolled into one."

You can contact Mark through his website DropDeadHappy.com

Lori Radun, Certified Life Coach for Moms writes about how gratitude can help moms get through their day with grace.

How can gratitude help us in our everyday lives as moms? Think about the difference you can make in your family's life just by noticing and being thankful for all the great things they do.

When you express gratitude, you show your love and appreciation. Everyone needs to feel these things every day. But sometimes as moms we feel that no one appreciates us - and it is true that moms are usually last on the list to be thanked.

One way you can teach gratitude is by example. Even on the days when it seems your children or husband are doing everything wrong, find a reason to thank them. Take the time and energy to look for the good. Think about the things that your family does that deserve a thank you. You might say to your husband, "Thank you for working so hard for our family," or to your child, "I really appreciate your sense of humor - it feels good to laugh."

Expressing your gratitude helps family members to understand how it feels to be appreciated. And if they still don't catch on, let them know when you feel unappreciated. You can also tell them how great it makes you feel when they do express gratitude.

Excerpted from the article “The Power of Gratitude” available at iSnare.com

If you liked the article Joy is Not the Same as Happiness, you'll enjoy this other thoughtful contribution from life coach Linda Boos.

What brings you joy? I often hear that question and recently have pondered what it really means.

Here’s my thought: I don’t think anything brings joy. I believe joy is often triggered and brought out by others, but joy is not brought to me. I know this might seem like an insignificant distinction, but let’s take a look at it for a minute.

When we are brought something, it is usually a passive act. We receive and do not necessarily give anything back. It is possible for someone to bring their joy into our life, to allow us to experience their joy and to even bask in their joy with them. But our own joy is not something, that I believe, any person, place or thing brings us. If that were so, many of us, in our current circumstances might not experience our own joy, but only the vicarious joy of others.

I do not see joy as a passive expression, it is not something I am waiting for, it is something that is always with me, always part of me. Many people, places and things trigger my joy – my kids giving me hugs before bed, my dogs licking my face, my cats purring loudly, and not the least – my husband holding me in his arms. For me to sit and wait for someone or something to bring me joy would make me dependent upon the outside world to make me fulfilled.

I learned long ago that the outside can only enhance the inside. Everything I need I carry within. My lifetime of joy is already a part of me; others can only stimulate my joy and cause me to want to let it out, so that others may bask in it.

Linda Boos is a Life Coach who can be contacted at lsboos[at]columbus.rr.com

Let the good in me
connect with the good
in others,
until all the world
is transformed through
the compelling power
of love.
— Rebbe Nachman in The Gentle Weapon

The following article by Dorraine Fisher won first prize in the WelcomeJoy writing contest.

I learned fairly recently that the most important things I know in life came from my Grandpa. He passed away several years ago, but his memory lives on for me every single day in the way I now live my life.

Grandpa was probably the happiest person I ever knew for reasons I never quite understood in my younger days.

He took a lot of criticism from other people for the seemingly lazy way he lived, but he kept on smiling.

He didn’t get too upset about anything, and he didn’t change his ways for anyone.

Those slow summer days spent on my visits to the grandparent’s farm are still fresh in my mind. There was a big picture window by the kitchen table that Grandpa had happily installed with a big bird feeder attached to the outside of the window sill.

Joyful living involves finding your own path, moving forward on that path, taking risks, and inspiring others to do the same.

I find my greatest joy when the trail I leave behind me is so appealing that others are motivated to create their unique trails.

Submitted by Marie M. Loeffler, Certified Life Coach. Contact MLoeffler237 [at] aol.com

Why is it so hard to tell our loved ones exactly what they mean to us? You want to tell your partner how you feel about them but you end up staring at a blank screen for so long you give up. Or you try a few lines only to delete them all and start over. Again.

Don’t let words get in the way of telling your loved one how much they mean to you.

Oftentimes we think that those closest to us know exactly how we feel about them and how important they are to us. But the sad reality is that usually they don’t. And everyone wants to be loved.

So how can you write a love letter that you will feel proud to give and one that your loved one will cherish for all time? Where do you start? Follow these easy tips below and you’ll be on your way in no time.

1. First write down 5 things that you love about your partner and be as specific as possible. Rather than writing that they are kind, instead be detailed about how they are kind. Perhaps they always smile at waiters in restaurants or they are great at making people feel included, especially at parties.

2. Write down 5 things that they have done that confirms how much you love them and again, give examples. Perhaps they enveloped you in a hug last night when you were feeling frustrated about your family. Or maybe they knew how disappointed you were when you missed out on that promotion and they cooked a special meal to cheer you up.

3. Pick the best three examples from each of the above categories and weave them into your letter. You could start by saying ‘I love how you…’ and then include the three examples from the first point. Then you could say something like ‘I loved the way you…’ and then mention the other examples. Make sure you emphasize how their actions made you feel, how loved you felt and how grateful you are to have them in your life.

4. Write up a draft first and then go over it to see if you can improve it. Sometimes it helps to write up what you want to say, edit it until it flows well and then leave it for a day or two before going back for a final edit and polish.

5. Buy some special paper and write out your letter. Don’t worry if your handwriting isn’t perfect – it’s distinctly yours and your loved one will appreciate the time and effort you put into the letter. If you feel your writing is so bad it will be difficult to read or if your illegible handwriting is something you’ve argued about before then pay to get it hand written by a professional. At a stretch you could use a more romantic font on your computer, say Garamond in italic, but you should really only do that as a last resort. The more personal you can make your letter the more your loved one will treasure it.

6. Have fun with how you deliver this letter to them. Will you slip it in their briefcase? Mail it? Leave it under the pillow? Do you want to be there when they open it? If you want to see their reaction, then it is best to hand it to them. You could team the letter up with a small gift like flowers or chocolate but make sure the gift doesn’t diminish the letter as you want that to be the main focus.

Submitted by Jill Brennan, creator of the “101 Love Letters” system available at www.loveyouletters.com