Count Your Blessings

How many times have you heard someone say "count your blessings?" Usually we say it to one another, when we've escaped some awful circumstance or when we receive news that we expected would be worse.

How about counting your blessings to simply recognize how blessed you are! I know, I know, your first thought is what a silly idea but if you just think about it for a few seconds maybe your second visit with the idea will produce a kinder, gentler result.

Our mind is always working to distract our attention and lead us to something material, something sparkly that will interest the mind. The truth is that when we focus on material and superficial objects, we don't have a chance to acknowledge all of the fantastic gifts we already have. Our cultural mindset wants us to continue to acquire "things" instead of valuing what we already have.

Our ancestors valued family, the land and their creator for the most part. These were the simple values that built North America. Today our world is far from those values and the crash that we're experiencing is a result of moving so far away from what is truly important. We are disconnected, isolated and chasing after ideals that in reality do not exist. Not all of us can afford our own home; not all of us can afford to send our children on school trips to exotic countries, not all of us can afford to eat.

If we spend more of our energy counting our blessings, we will begin to grow into becoming the change we want to see for future generations.

Start by noticing five things in your day that you're grateful for; how about the fact that you can breathe, notice your breathing and be grateful for the breath. Be grateful for your lungs, your liver, your kidneys, your children or your parents. Be grateful for the lessons life is teaching you; be grateful for the kindness you have in your heart and extend it to someone who needs it. The exercise has turned my life around and now counting my blessings is what I turn to on a regular basis to remind myself of how precious this gift of life is and how much we truly have to share. There is no store that carries this product and no price that we can pay for it. The great thing is that you will always have more blessings than you can count!