I moved to the Southeast a little over a year ago from Southern California.  As you can imagine, there are many differences between the two parts of the United States. Some welcome changes, some not so much.  Mostly welcome changes though.

One of the biggest difference you notice right away is how polite everyone is in the South…how nice people are here. It’s that old “Southern Charm” that makes you feel welcome and graciously put at ease.   However, the longer I live here, the more aware I’m becoming that for some, the “southern charm” is a thin veneer masking a darker interior.   Not everyone mind you, but for some. 

Some charming Southerners have a deep spiritual life and are as warm,  loving and generous once you really get to know them, as they are on first meeting.  And I’ve got to say, these people are such a pleasure to be around.  I want to hang out with them. I want to give them my business. I want to join their cause.  What do you need from me?  Sure, you’ve got it!

For some, however the charm is only skin deep.  It seems to disappear once you get to know them even a little.  What makes this difference? What separates those who are gracious, warm and loving inside and out, from those for whom it’s only a facade?  My guess would be that the difference lies in their perception of life.  One is able to see the good in everything and has learned to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  These people are generous by nature because they know that giving increases their own joy.

Those for whom the charm is only a facade do not have the same outlook on life. In fact, they seem to complain…a lot…about everything. They feel that they are victims and therefore hoard what they have for fear that someone will soon take it away.  Their lives are usually filled with drama and unhappiness.  They seem to repel prosperity, true friendship and love.  They have not learned to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  I know this, because I used to be just this person…without the benefit of the southern charm!  Yikes, who wants to hang with that?  Only other equally miserable people, that’s who.

Of course I’m not referring to southerners exclusively.  There are people from all over the world who tend to fit into one of these two categories.  It’s just that because “southern charm” is so noticeable when one first moves here, that the differences are striking.

But, what I know is, that the moment those who are living in the second category begin to cultivate a practice of gratitude, their lives begin to transform immediately. And if they keep with it, they will become the people who radiate true charm from deep within, attracting to themselves more friendship, more love, more prosperity and more success.

Which category would you say you fit into?  Which do you want to be?  The choice is yours.

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I am grateful for the perfect resolution to a past financial matter. 

I am grateful for the beauty of the light “powder sugar” dusting of snow.

I am grateful for all the successes from yesterday.

I am grateful for the capacity to always grow and learn more each and every day.