So, you’re a gambler? How often do you win? Excites you, doesn’t it? The thrill of the bet, the risk-taking, the ecstasy of a win, the personal satisfaction in knowing you have beaten the odds. Ok, good for you.
How often do you lose? How much? A lot? Really? Sounds like you might be losing more than you win. Yeah, I know it’s just entertainment; after all, you’re not addicted, right?
Do you gamble with your life? A risk-taker? Do you jump out in front of moving traffic? Do you play Russian roulette with your friends? How about unprotected sex? It’s just gambling, right?
Life is more than just a roll of the dice. When you wake up in the morning, rolling those blocks of chance, giving the day’s promises to Lady Luck is going to guarantee one of three outcomes. You will either win or you will lose or the day will wind up a wash-out. That’s just 1 in 3 chances of having a great day.
Try this instead. Open your eyes, look around the room, appreciate the bed in which you slept comfortably, and let the first words out of your mouth be a sincere “Thank you. I am so greatly blessed.”
Monkey brain will attempt to engage. Will you allow it? Got to clean the bathroom, must call the pharmacy, need to get groceries, Johnny needs a clean shirt, the cat has fleas, North Korea is going to bomb us, the world is ending, I’ve got to vacuum the rugs…..”oh Lord I’m so weary already!”
STOP! Don’t let monkey brain begin your day. Instead, breathe in. Air is rushing over your lungs, aerating the blood, pumping fresh life into your organs, bringing life to limbs. Wiggle those toes, shake out the cramps from sleeping on your arm, wipe the sleepies from you eyes, hold that breath and then…..exhale. Release the thoughts trying to capture your thinking, inhale again. Exhale, inhale, exhale. Envision your body parts waking up to a great new day. Breathe in, then breathe out.
Now, you are ready to swing those legs out over the bed and rise to greet this day ahead of you. Are you going to roll the dice? No, of course not. You will make this the best day ever, the beginning of the rest of your life. Imagine how you want to enjoy today. Have a cup of coffee or tea on the patio listening to the melody of songbirds in the nearby oak trees. Watch the mother duck leading her hatchlings to the pond. Become amazed by the roses sharing their aroma in the morning air. Are you feeling it yet? Life is wonderful and a great day lies ahead.
Of course, if you would rather roll your dice, go for it. Read the morning headlines, turn up the volume of the TV. Fuss at Johnny for not putting his dirty shirt in the laundry. Scold the cat for being a cruise ship for fleas. Yell at your spouse for being such a slob in the bathroom. It’s your choice. Roll the dice and hope for the best or give the day a fighting chance to be terrific by waking up to the splendor that surrounds your life.
Wasn’t it Erma Bombeck who wrote, “If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?” And remember what Confucius said? “When life gives you a bunch of lemons, make lemonade.”
lpb quest - the twilight dance 