Can Money Fall From Trees?

I wrote a blog post the other day about maintaining the correct mindset to bring more money into your life. In that post I said that, even though the thought process must be right, one must take necessary action because money doesn't just fall from trees. Well, I may have lied.

When we have the correct mindset about money, interesting things happen. Today when I went through our incoming mail, I found a letter addressed to my wife and I. There was no return address. Inside was an anonymous note saying we may need some help with school supplies. This along with two $100 bills.

My thoughts about money have been good lately. Was it my thoughts that brought the money to me? Partially. As I mentioned in that previous blog (see "A Free Way To Increase Your Income), when we pray and maintain correct thoughts it helps develop the faith necessary for miracles. Along with correct thinking, I believe it is important to know who this money was from. Not so much the human individual. I will probably never know who sent this. I have some ideas, but the people I'm thinking of would be too humble to ever admit they sent it and would never tell. Regardless, I have asked God to bless whoever it is a thousand times over. I know He will do that. Speaking of God, I credit Him for this blessing. I believe it was His idea in the first place, and He planted the idea and resources into my mysterious blesser's hands. I have not stopped thanking Him all day.

Based on my faithful thoughts, I expected to receive some extra money. I did not expect to receive it this way. That's the cool thing about God's miracles. We often receive them in ways we would never expect.

The last thing I will say about this is the wonderful snowball effect this action has. The giver is blessed by God for his/her actions. I have certainly been blessed. Now I am inspired to do the same for others. When I see someone with similar needs, I will be more inclined to share my money, time, and talents. They will then be blessed at that time. And hopefully, others will be blessed and inspired simply by reading this, and then bless others by sharing it with them.

So...when you are near the trees, look up! You never know what might be falling from them. Enjoy the blessings : )

What Is There To be Happy About?

I am reading a great deal lately about the importance of gratitude. The information consistently says that, the more we are happy and thankful for what we already have, the happier we will feel. We are also more likely to continue to receive more of what makes us happy.

The question is..what do we have in our lives to be happy about? For some, answers come easily. This is not the case for others. I saw a book in the store today called "14,000 Things To Be Happy About". It talked about the big things, like family and friends. However, to get that many things to be happy about, you have to dig deep. They did, and mentioned things like cool breezes, supermarkets, bookstores, etc. It's a great idea, but there can't be 14,000 things to be happy about. Is it possible?

This is where I have to disagree with the author. There cannot be 14,000 ways. Instead, I believe...there must be more!! When I think about this further, the things that make me happy are (or should be) unlimited. The key to achieving this happiness is to find as many ways as possible to be happy, and finding as many things as possible to be thankful for. As this book showed, we can be thankful for the smallest of things. I find that, when I am thankful for even the smallest things, those little things that get under my skin, don't quite get to me. Those little pains in the neck aren't felt so much any more.

It is very true. The more gratitude we show, the happier we are. Let us focus on the things (big and small) we can be thankful for. As a result, we will see more of them in our lives. Enjoy the blessings : )

Is It Ok to Boast?

Is It Ok to Boast?

Thanks For...

I am constantly reminded lately of the benefits of gratitude. I should easily be able to think of at least 10 things in a minute to be thankful for.

Now that I have a few spare minutes that's what I'm going to do. I will think of 10 things, then reflect on them. I then feel the positive feelings that go along with them. Then, something tells me my day will be even better than it already is.

If you are looking for quick "pick me ups" throughout your day, try doing the same. Dwell on the things in your life to be thankful for. I'm sure you will appreciate it : )

Thanks For a Great Week

Things to be thankful for this week:

1. Great Memorial Day weekend with family.

2. Though it's a month and a half late, the great Spring weather.

3. After some discussion with admin. today, it appears my job is safe for next year.

4. The great group of baseball players I coach. We still have footprints in our butts from the two kickings we got. However, in both games they fought until the end and held their heads high. Not one of them complained even though they desperately want to win.

Thank you God for a great week : )

The Excellence of Normal

It was a difficult week for me. I almost never get sick, but I spent Easter flat on my back down and out. The only exercise I had was the frequent walks from my bed to the bathroom. It has taken me almost a week to recover.

It feels so good to be normal again! I can eat what I want, and not have to stop and decide if whatever I do will zap my energy or make me feel sick again. It made me realize how often I take my normal life for granted. Some people live their entire lives feeing like I did. They can't eat or do certain things. They can't go certain places.

I have this strong desire for excellence, and to go above and beyond my current circumstances. Average isn't good enough for me anymore. However, this week has helped me realize how blessed my "normal" life is. I can eat and do what I want. Besides this week, the health of my family and I is excellent. We live in a beautiful house with many "toys". I have a good job (for now anyway).

I wondered why God had me miss the play I was supposed to be in and the excellent family gathering we had on Easter. Now I think I know why. Although I seek greater things, I certainly have a greater appreciation for the normal in my life. I hope your normal is excellent too.

Have an excellent day : )

How To Bring Out the Best In Others

The above title poses an interesting question. If you are like me, you often wonder how you can have positive impacts on others. How can I bring out the best in my kids, siblings, co-workers, or anyone in our lives?

There are many different philosophies for accomplshing this. However, one consistent theory is on most to all of these lists. That would be....drum roll please......be the best YOU that you can possibly be. You may be a bit confused at the moment. After all, this post is supposed to be about impacting others, not ourselves. I understand that. However, I am learning almost daily, that the better I feel about myself, and the more connected I am to the God who created me, the greater impacts I can continually make.

It did not take me too long to verify this based on my own life events. As I look back, the times I felt best about myself were the times I was most influential on others. The times where I lacked confidence and positivity were the times I didn't see the positive response from others.

This has been confirmed in my life lately, so I know its not just a history of coincidence. For the past few months I have felt very close to God, very positive about life, and very confident in the overall goodness of life. Without even going out of my way, people just seem to respond very positively to my demeanor, ideas, and almost seem to know instantly that I am in tune with my best self. It's funny too how, as I try to share this positive energy more, I get more of it back from others.

Please don't get the idea that I am using this space to brag. It just makes me very happy that God would use me to add some good to people's lives. I am thankful that He would consider this little life and imperfect human being to do so. All I have to do is remain close to Him, maintain a positive attitude, and look for small ways to make a difference.

This same formula is true for anyone. If you are looking to make a difference in your world, start from the inside. Know that you are a beautiful creation of the Creator of all. Cherish that idea, be thankful for the good you have in your life, and look for ways to share it. You will be amazed by the way people notice and seem to gravitate towards you without you saying a word. Then the positives snowball from there.

As always, I am always looking to learn more about a topic like this. If you have seen things work effectively in your life, please share.

Have an excellent day : )

Feeling Thankful

Thank God it's Friday!! Friday always feels great. It's also a reminder to feel thankful and great as much as we can every other day too. What is it you want right now? A great way to see it in your life sooner is to be thankful for what you already have. Also, imagine the feeling of your wish already happening. Carry that happy, thankful feeling with you throughout the day. Then watch as it begins to manifest for real. Believe me, I've seen it happen many times in my own life.

Have a fantastic Friday : )

It's How You See It

Is the glass half empty or half full? This is, of course, a common question. We consider those who see it half full as optimistic, while we label the "half empty" folks as not so optimistic.

I'm discovering more that the way we look at things does make a difference. I read a great quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer. It says "change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change".

How true is this? We know that the things we look at don't literally change in front of our eyes. However, I can think of some of examples of the truth of this statement in my own life. When I began teaching at my current school, I was very optimistic. However, some negative things happened and I became disillusioned. So much so, that I began to hate the place. It was difficult for the first month or so, until I made the decision to see things differently. Instead of seeing the school as negative and a roadblock to my career success, I thanked God that I even had a job. I thanked Him that I still had the opportunity to positively impact young lives. I thanked him for the patience to deal with 7th and 8th graders on a regular basis. In a short time, things quickly turned around and became positive. Now, in my second year at the school, it has become my greatest teaching success.

How did this job go from negative to positive? After all, it was the same place, the same job,and the same people I was working with. I know 100% it was that I changed the way I looked at it. It wasn't easy, and I could have never done it it without God's help, but it was when I saw the job as a blessing instead of a negative that the blessings actually began to appear.

Is it always easy to change our way of thinking in a negative situation? Sometimes it's not. However, it's nice to know that we always have control of the situation, and we have the free will to adjust our thoughts to the positive. No one can take that from us.

As we go about our days I find it helpful to put things in perspective. When I think I don't have enough money, I need to remember I am richer than 90% of this world. When I complain about being tired from getting up at 5:30 am, I need to remember that my family and I are very healthy. When I complain about my job I need to remember many people in this country don't have one at this time. The list can go on an on.

The bottom line is that life is great. That is, if you see it that way.

I hope your glass is half full today. Have a great one : )