Happy New Year everybody! A Happy New Year to you. And hopefully, today’s blog will help you find some real happiness in the coming months. Here’s how…...
My owner was recently given a present by two good friends; it was a little book. But this wasn’t a normal book to be simply opened and read. No, this was a list-making book. Each page came with a heading, and then a blank ruled space below for the reader to fill in. And that’s what my owner duly did…...
Under the category “Super-powers I’d like to have,” I found that he’d scrawled:
‘Turn the forsythia bush into a chocolate tree.”
“Reprogramme the tax man to give money away.”
“Turn my wife into a football fan,” and
“Teach Cornish Pasties to fly, -preferably straight into my mouth!”
If you think that was bad, then you should have seen what came in the subsequent pages…...
Under “Things I’d do if I were invisible,” he wrote:
“Never bother putting any clothes on.”
“Eat lots of cake without ever having to pay for it.”
“‘Borrow’ a Farrari for a test drive.”
“Sneak into M15” and
“Eavesdrop on all of the gossip at work.”
And then, very sadly, I came to his entries under “Weird celebrity crushes.” At this point, I was close to calling in a psychiatrist. Because his two celebrity crushes were: “Ermintrude”, the cow from ‘The Magic Roundabout’” and “Norah Batty from ‘Last of the Summer Wine’.”
His situation could have been irretrievable, had some better lists not followed on. Yes, the subsequent page headings prompted my owner to think more positively. And so, he then went on to complete lists entitled
“Things I’m grateful for” and “Ways I can help other people.” Finally, he’d stopped thinking about himself and what he lacked and started to count his blessings! And I suppose that’s something that we all need to do on a daily basis if we’re ever to discover true contentment in this life. My owner has no need to grow chocolate trees, make pasties fly, or have any celebrity crushes. He’s got so much already; - a loving wife, a family, a job, a beautiful parrot, not to mention his Christian faith. Compared to so many others, he’s got it made. And by being encouraged to think about how he can help others instead of simply serving himself, he’s likely to find some real joy in his life.
I don’t have very much, myself; a few perches, some dried chillies, several parrot toys, and most important of all, a family that loves me for who and what I am. But you know something? Along with my faith, that’s all I need in my life to be happy, healthy and blessed!
“Be thankful for what you have, and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
(Oprah Winfrey: [1954 – present]: American talk show host, television producer, actress and author).
“Jesus doesn’t demand great action from us but simply surrender and gratitude.” (Saint Therese of Lisieux: [1873 – 1897]: French born member of the Discalced Carmelite Roman Catholic religious order, who tragically died of T.B. at the age of just 24).
“Be grateful for who you are and whatever you have. Everything you have is a gift from God.”
(Rick Warren: [1954 – present]: American evangelical pastor).
“Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
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