Short story: Life of True Abundance!

Hi good day ppl!
Have you heard the latest song, it starts with 'Aae Khudha yeh toh bata, tu hai kaha, hum toh musaphir hai, dhunde apni manzil ka pata...'. The rest is of heartbreak but the chorus is beautiful. Was a lil disappointed after hearing the entire song, but the music is soothing.
Was reading this Simple Truths Newsletter & this song fit perfectly.

You need to find your manzil/goal in life & have everything in life. People wish to live in abundance. But what does that mean?

Read on for an interesting insight from book:
Every Day is a Gift, by Barry Gottlieb

Dear Nilima,


The introduction of this beautiful book starts like this:

When I was a younger man, I lived my life with a philosophy of, "What's in it for me?" That all changed with one sentence... "You need to get your affairs in order. You have three months, six at the most, to live."

I sat across the desk from my oncologist as he spoke those words that shook my world. I thought he must be talking about somebody else.

I was diagnosed with a very rapid, fatal form of cancer. The doctor told me that there really wasn't anything they could do for it. He asked if I would be willing to try different types of experimental treatments. I figured I had no other options. The treatments made me unbelievably ill. There were many times when I thought that death would be kinder.

This was the bad news for author, Barry Gottlieb. The goods news, however was "off the charts!" A few weeks later he received a phone call from his doctor screaming on the phone..."You don't have cancer! It was a misdiagnosis...a mistake by the lab."

Can you imagine this happening to you? The roller coaster of emotions!

However, for Barry, it changed the way he thought about life. From that day forward, he said, "I made the decision to treat every day as a gift." Thus, the inspiration for this wonderful "manual for life."

Today, I'll share one of Barry's 33 chapters with you, titled True Abundance. Enjoy!

Excerpt from:
Every Day is a Gift, by Barry Gottlieb

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
~The Dalai Lama

What does "True Abundance" mean to you?

According to Wikipedia, the definition of abundance is "the opposite of scarcity." I believe true abundance is not measured by what you have; rather, it is measured by what you give.

In our culture, it seems that most people are caught up in their "need for greed." Perhaps this is why so many people struggle to find their happiness, and why over 25% of the people in our country suffer from anxiety. We live in a culture where we are taught to judge a person based on what they have, rather than on who they are and what they contribute to society.

I was very fortunate to have met a professor that changed my whole way of thinking. I was one of those people with a, "What's in it for me" attitude when I started his class. By the end of the semester though, my philosophy and my attitude had changed. Forever! This is what I learned:

"You can have anything you want in life, if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
~Zig Ziglar

I challenge you to focus on this philosophy for an entire month! Here are some action steps that will help you stay focused on this incredible gift:

ACTION STEPS

Gratitude. Every night before you go to sleep, recite aloud at least ten things for which you are grateful.

Forgive. Let go of the past. Forgive those who have hurt or angered you. Stop carrying this poison around with you every day.

Love. Be sure to tell those people in your life who mean so much to you that you love them and appreciate them.

Donate. Go through your closets. Anything you haven't worn or used in the past year, box it or bag it and take it to a place where those who are less fortunate will benefit from your donation. Get your children involved!

Praise. Make time to praise. Look for and recognize the good in others.

:) We do these steps often, need a lil more awareness & willingness to do it more daily.

Keep it up! May you have a Life of Abundance !! :)

Bye. tc.

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi Nilima,
This is an excellent topic to discuss on. As a nurse student, I have already started helping a lot of needy patients. But, I did experience that piece of mind and worthyness after my patients appreciate all that I have done for them. It really feels great and motivated to be in this field. I am donating clothes and other stuff from my house that we don't use. We have a system to do that here. They pick stuff up from every house. And about treating each day as a gift is the best idea. Its hard but doable. So will try and learn how to live better.
I know what you are talking about. But of course, I need to hear it again and again. That helps. Thank you. I appreciate it ;)
Nilima Mohite said…
Hi good day!
Thanks Sejal for the comment. KEep up the good work, I am sure you will make a gr8 nurse :). All d best.
bye. tc