When you know I created the world for you and have given it to you as a gift, which is better, to be displeased or to be grateful? Would you say to Me, “Oh, God, couldn’t You make a better world?” Or would you say, “Thank You, dear God. Thank You.” Would you constrict your heart, or would you open it?
When someone cooks a meal for you, do you push your chair back and throw your fork down and say, “This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted mashed potatoes, not baked. Besides, the zucchini is overcooked.” Good manners would suggest that you say, “Thanks for the meal.”
Good manners are common sense, beloved. It is common sense to point out what you like about a meal. It is good manners and common sense because appreciation works, and displeasure does not. Be a lady or a gentleman in the tropics of the world.
When someone pans for gold, he does not carry on about each stone that is not gold. He holds up the nugget that is gold.
Now is the time for you to accept that you are mining for gold. When you accept that you are mining for gold, you will find that some of the stones that come with gold are not so bad either. They may even be beautiful. Keep your eye on the gold, and gold is what you will see, and gold is what you will have more of.
Do you admire the sunny days as much you disdain the stormy ones? Will you admire the clear days more? Is it clear to you now where your attention belongs? Let your attention go to where it serves you and serves the world. What you look at is what you get. If you want more joy in life, look at joy more. Is this not obvious? The more appreciation you give, the more there is to appreciate. The more appreciation you give, the more you yourself appreciate. Let appreciation well up within you. When you frown, you develop frown lines. When you smile, you develop smile lines. Unless you desire frown lines, it’s better to smile.
Find that which you favor. Let go of that which you do not favor.
No one says there isn’t fault to find. What I am suggesting is that you stop finding it. Haven’t you found enough? Haven’t you by now had your share of displeasure? I am quite sure that you have used up your quota. Now turn the other cheek. Locate what enriches you. Truly, life is not really about your being pleased or displeased. It is about the messages you send out. Pay attention to the messages you send.
You have perhaps been adding coals to the fire. When you don’t want the fire any longer, stop adding coals.
If you could feed an ogre or a sweet puppy, which would you prefer to feed? You know the answer. You don’t even have to think about it. Yet when it comes to your daily choices, you may well have to think about the choices you make.
If you were to hire a greeter of the world, would you choose someone for his attention to what is wrong, or would you hire someone who decks the halls with beauty?
Has trying to fix the world by pointing out its flaws fixed the world? Better to give your nurturance to the world, and then the world will be nurtured.
Think of ten things today that will undoubtedly please you. Be pleased ahead of time. Be pleased once and for all. Please yourself. Please Me. Be pleased.