Abiding Wealth: External Resources

I emphasize paying attention to our rich inner world and the benefits of doing so.  Yet there is much more to the story-external resources.  These are free gifts that are available to each of us everyday that can make our lives abundant, beautiful, and rich. 

Let's start with some examples.  One of my favorites are sunsets.  Watching sunsets can be an awe inspiring treat.  Colors cascade across the sky.  It happens everyday yet rarely is it the same from one day to the next.  Yet how often do we appreciate and acknowledge this gift and truly enjoy it, allowing it to touch us, to change us.  How often to we really receive this gift? 

A memorable sunset in Fiji in November, 2007

Nature.  How often do you go for a hike in the woods?  how often to you take a walk on the beach?  Gazing at the stars is one of my favorite things to do in the evenings, particularly in the winter.  Hearing the crickets chirp outside the window of my apartment each evening is a treat I enjoy.  For a few months this spring, there was a frog outside my window as well.  He (or she) would sing its song at different times of the day.  The frog's song was music to my ears.  It reminded me that all is well in the world.  Life is happening all around me.  I am part of it.  It is magical and unexpected.  It can change our mood in a second.

Sunset while beach walking, Gozo Malta, 2007  

Hiking through the woods, Australia, 2009  

Do you notice the gifts that surround us?  Do you experience gratitude for these gifts of nature?  These external resources re disappearing, animals are becoming extinct, air quality is decreasing, water is less readily available.  Are you enjoying the resources we currently have each day, appreciating them and allowing your self to feel gratitude for the external resources we currently do have? 

We get more of what we focus on and appreciate.  Finding something to be grateful for increases our experience of being rich.  If you are feeling poor today, take a few minutes to check the internet to see what time the sun will set today.  Set an alarm for fifteen minutes before sunset.  Go someplace where you can watch the sun set (the beach, the top of a hill, into your backyard, or onto the deck of your high-rise apartment building).  Be still and watch the magic unfold.  See what happens in the sky but also notice what happens inside of you.  What are your feeling?  How is this sunset touching you?

Please let me know below how this exercise effects you.  I look forward to hearing about your experiences.