Sir Froggie’s Pondering
Ancient Amphibious Wisdom for a Modern Day World
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STOP COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS
Are you enjoying your life to the fullest? Do you feel happy and content? Or does it always seem like there’s one more thing between you and feeling good?
Stop counting your blessings and start enjoying them!
We’ve all heard the old adage to “count your blessings.” It’s a good place to begin because when we look at our blessings it changes our perspective to one of abundance and gratitude. However, counting our blessings is not the same as experiencing them. At some point we need to stop counting and start living.
It’s so easy to get caught up in every-day stuff, to push ourselves until we’re about to drop, and to have more things on the to-do list than could ever happen in this life time. All this hubbub can be very draining. We need downtime to relax, refresh, and rejuvenate ourselves. Unfortunately, modern culture frequently teaches the way to rejuvenation is through purchasing something new or putting one more thing on the to-do list. We’ve gotten big on multi-tasking and have forgotten how to be fully present and focused in the moment.
The discontent we feel really isn’t about getting the brand new purple glitter glazed super max fly swatter on sale for only $9.99 for a limited time only including the complimentary peace and love-labeled water bottles if we order within the next 24 hours. The discontent stems from getting so busy that we disconnect from our authentic selves.
Like attempting to watch four different football games in a sports bar with loud music while simultaneously carrying on a conversation, we get overloaded. We put static in our energy field, heart, mind, and emotions. This static feels like discontent, like something’s missing. It can frequently show up as loneliness. Adding more isn’t going to resolve it.
Simplifying and allowing ourselves to be fully present, to connect with ourselves, our blessings, and what we are doing, will give us a greater sense of joy, fulfillment, and connection.
Bask in your blessings.
Keep life simple. Make time for the little things which bring you pleasure. And make time for the big things you’re working toward.
Most of us have more than we’ll ever need but end up trying to fill the void (created by the static of busyness) with more stuff. Frequently going out to buy more stuff takes more of our time and energy, and although it may feel good in the moment, it leaves us drained in the long run.
They say you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone. It’s crucial to enjoy what we have in this moment. Don’t put it off until tomorrow because the opportunity may not come again. We’ve all had the experience of throwing away something from the refrigerator which started out as good food we meant to eat. But we simply didn’t get around to it and it went bad. Certainly more than one person has said “I’ll do it one of these days…” but one of these days never comes. And just like throwing away that food from the fridge we throw away little pieces of our lives every day, and may even feel a twinge of guilt each time we do so.
Stop. Listen to your heart. Check your gratitude list. What existing blessings can you enjoy right now?
If you’re stuck for ideas, consider the blessing of your five senses. Allow yourself to check in with them for everything you do. For instance, when eating, don’t just put the food on your fork and chew. Savor every moment… What does your cuisine look like? What color catches your attention? What does it feel like? What kind of texture does it have? What does it smell like? What does it taste like? How does it affect your energy levels?
Every bite of food we eat, every breath of fresh air we breathe, is a blessing. So is the home we live in, the mouth we talk with, the feet we walk with. Our family, friends, and pets bless us, as does our work. Both our body and our brains are a blessing. So is everything we’ve accumulated over the years.
What simple pleasure have you been denying yourself because you’re too busy? What change can you make to incorporate that blessing into your life, to connect with it, and experience it full on? Chances are you don’t need more stuff to make you feel good, you just need to connect with what you already have.
Challenge yourself with this experiment: the next time you feel the urge to go shopping, look around. Do you have everything that was on your list already? If not, can you live without them for the next day or week? What existing blessing do you have to connect with in the time you saved not going shopping?
What activity do you keep promising yourself you’ll do? How can you incorporate it into your daily life right now? (If not the actual activity, at least something connected to it.)
What blessing might you be overlooking? Make time to experience it today.
Stop counting your blessings and start enjoying them!
— © May 19th, 2008, Sir Froggie &
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— © Sir Froggie