Jim Wyse

Rant & Rave

Embracing Abundance

Posted 2010-04-12
by Jim

Why is it that people fail to embrace the gifts that are presented to them every day while dwelling on the things that they don't have?

It's a parodox I witness everyday, people complaining about the material things that they don't have, something that is holding them back in their job, or about the job that they profess that they love. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

Perspective is everything

One lesson I learned as a child from my father is this.

One day I was complaining to my dad that a wish that I had made didn't come true. I had made a wish for a box full of model airplanes. Dad, being far from a spiritual/philosopher type, imparted a surprising bit of wisdom that has stuck with me to this day. He said, "Take a look back at the models that you have received since you made your wish and add them all together. Wouldn't they fill a box?".

In doing so I realized that my wish had actually come true, just not the way I had originally envisioned it happening.

To this day I take that approach with my own life, hoping I can impart similar wisdom on my own child, friends and family. When things look bad or are aggravating, separate yourself from the situation and observe. What you see, may be far different from this angle.

Attitude of Gratitude

I have had people tell me that I am rich. Can you believe that? "Me rich?" I'd say. But taking the approach above I can find that I look quite different through someone else's eyes.

I have a healthy, happy loving family. A job that I love to go to everyday. I can pay my mortgage, put food on the table and drive a nice car. Several times a month I get to go and play music, and people want to pay me money for it! And there's ocasionaly some money left over for a trip or a vacation. I guess to someone else, I do appear rich, and not just monitarily.

Like everyone else, I can get stuck in the spiral of lamenting all the things that aren't going right; surprise bills, a problem at work, or just the toaster breaking. Taking a step back and observing all the things in life that are in place, while one a time might not look like much. But if you look at them all together, and are thankful for them, suddenly that box of models grows into a truck load.

Tags: life

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