My Ode to Joy

I love learning new things.  Each day I like to unearth a new little nugget and be able to say 'You're my learned something new today'.

I remember reading Zig Ziglar and Earl Nightengale at quite a young age; I attribute this gift to my Dad as he never preached self help, but I was always consciously aware of it through him.  I remember he would wake us up in the morning saying "Good morning!  I feel happy!  I feel healthy!  I feel terrific!" 

Now having had an interest in this topic over the years, I found that I received a momentary boost at the time, but a lasting change from what I was reading seem to elude me until recently.

I picked up a book called 'The Astonishing Power of Your Emotions'.  The recommendation was 'anything written by these authors'.  I flew through it as if page after page was speaking directly to ME.  I couldn't believe how this information was resonating with me.  I then picked up Ask and It Is Given (same authors) and once again found myself racing through the pages, nodding yes to myself at what I was learning.

I have since read everything by these authors and am now reading something they mention in one of their books by another author and am, yet again, enthralled by what I am learning.  This has changed how I look at things, how I react to things, how I feel about things at my core level.

I feel forever changed by what I am learning.  Like I finally have a user manual for myself and all that is.  I feel liberated from pettiness.  I feel that everywhere I look there is something for me to appreciate, I just have to open my eyes & ears and there it was all along just waiting for me to wake up and notice its beauty.

Being reminded it is just as easy to reach for a compliment as it is a derogatory feeling.  It is just as easy to appreciate something as it is to criticize.  And the best part is with every appreciative thought I reach for, another seems to fall in place behind it and then another and then another until I am overflowing with amazing feelings of well-being. 

I have been brought to tears just thinking appreciatively about someone or something and how much I love them while doing this.  It is as if my heart swells and my spirit sings when I intentionally look for the best around me; I am instantly rewarded with fantastic feelings.

You know those first moments of 'new love' feeling?  That's how I feel when I look around me.  So blessed to be in this lifetime, with these people, with these puppies - I am surrounded by well-being and am finally cognizant of it.

So, thank you to Dad for having little gems of 'you can do it' in our childhood and thank you to Mom for being an everyday reader.  I believe the combination of the two has led me to where I am now and I am eternally grateful.