Sunday Story...What Matters

Sunday Story...What Matters


I don't know what matters. I mean what really what matters. I think we each get to decide what matters to us. And it's OK if what matters to me really doesn't matter to you.


I do, however have a pretty good idea about what doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter what color your skin is. It matters who you are and how you conduct yourself in the world

It doesn't matter what church you go to or what religion you belong to, or what name you give your God. It matters how you treat people who are not in your church or who do not believe the same things you do.

It doesn't matter who you love or who you marry. It matters that you love completely and with your heart.

It doesn't matter where you live. It matters how you live.

It doesn't matter how much your paycheck is or what your title is. It matters that you contribute and work with purpose.

It doesn't matter where you went to school. It matters that you are learning and growing and seeking new knowledge.

It doesn't matter who your friends are. It matters that you treat the people around you with respect and dignity.

It doesn't matter if you have made mistakes, if you have had failures and disappointments. It matters that you learn from every experience.

It doesn't matter that you have had your heart broken. It matters that you loved, are loving and loveable.

It doesn't matter what car you drive, the size of your house, the breed of your dog. It matters that you value the things you have and feel grateful for them.

It doesn't matter....
It matters...

I could go on and on. But the bottom line is so much of the stuff we think matters really doesn't matter all that much. Especially when we shine the light of our mortality upon the stuff. You don't get to take any of your stuff with you. No money, no car, no house, no dog, nothing is going to come with you. When you are gone the rest of us will be left with your stuff. It is going to stay here.


You get to take your soul with you. What matters is what you have done with this life to move your soul forward, to create a life that serves as an inspiration for someone else, to make memories that someone else is going to remember for their life. No one says, on their deathbed, I wish I would have made more money, or I wish I would have bought the BMW instead of the Caddy. Most of our deathbed regrets are about people we didn't serve, the legacy we could have left, the words that should have been said, the love we didn't give.

So what are you going to do about it? What can you shift, change, alter or transform that is going to effect this kind of new outlook?
One thing and one thing only: YOUR ATTITUDE!


When you shift your attitude you change the world. Your outlook, your attitude is what matters. And it is the only thing that really matters. Not the weather, not your paycheck, not your parents, not your children...only your attitude.

So how are you going to choose a different attitude? Start with gratitude. Wake up in the morning happy to be alive. You didn't die last night. The house didn't burn down with you in. You are breathing which is one of the major components to being alive. Go to bed at night grateful for the things that happened that day.

Here is an exercise...right before you retire tonight write down 5 things you are grateful for, 5 things that happened today that have you feeling a touch of joy in your heart.

These are the things that matter.

Here is my list for this part of today:
1. The sun is shining and there is a slight cooling breeze
2. I slept long and well
3. I have eaten well prepared food, created with love from ingredients that came from places that were well cared for.
4. I have met my needs for connection.
5. Life feels ease-full, comfortable, and simple. I am stress-free today.


The list does not have to be earth shattering or life changing. It does not need to be a “War and Peace” or the “Communist Manifesto”. It just needs to be you expressing and understanding those things in your life that do matter.


If you take this one practice on, your life will change. The world will change. You will have changed the world! The “what matters” will shift in your life and maybe you will start living out of abundance, prosperity and success instead of lack, scarcity and failure.


What matters is gratitude. What matters is love. What matters is connection. What matters is your relationship to yourself. What matters is your relationship to the world.


What are your 5 things? You can do this. We all can do this. It may not be easy, it might even be really hard. But it is a practice, a habit, a thing to do like brushing your teeth. When I was growing up we always said our prayers before bed. And part of that prayer was asking for a blessing for people. Think of this exercise as your nightly prayer. Expressing gratitude everyday will create a life of gratitude, you will go to bed with a smile and you will wake up with a smile. And that is never a bad thing.


Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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