Two weeks ago an elderly gentleman went for a walk with his handy cane. On his second lap around the block, the man of 93 years lost balance and fell. Instead of falling forward onto the concrete, he landed on the soft grass and was uninjured. No scratches, scrapes or bruises.
Being this gentleman is my father, you can probably imagine how grateful I was to check on him and find him reading in his chair, acting as if nothing happened. Deep down, though, I’m certain he was immensely grateful.
A few days after my father’s slip, a boy of 18 stepped off a golf cart that had come to a complete stop. Somehow he lost his balance and fell backward, hitting his head on a curb. His fate was not so fortunate and I feel great sorrow in telling you he didn’t live to see another day.
Anytime you slip and fall, you might think it’s no big deal. You might think it’s a small matter. I say it’s a good idea to be grateful regardless.
This morning my brother called to see if he could come over and train with me. Although still a bit tired from a late night workout and a pile of things to do first, I told him to meet me at 9 AM.
He showed up at 8:55, interrupting my reading time.
I opened the door and greeted him with a smile as our ever-friendly dog ran circles around him to show his excitement.
After putting on my shoes in the garage, my brother stepped on the scale.
“Wow, this says I’m at 224 pounds,” he crowed. “That means I’m down 35 pounds since I started on this program. And I’m wearing shoes and sweat pants.”
“Let me see that,” I replied. “Are you sure you adjusted the scale correctly?”
I walked over and watched him weigh in once again. He was definitely 224.
“This means your weight is currently around 221 pounds,” I exclaimed. “You’re doing good work.”
“I feel great,” he said.
“I can certainly understand why,” I smiled, as I hit the garage door opener.
The two of us walked a hearty three miles as we talked about philosophical ideas and personal productivity habits.
I told him about my longish list of daily to do’s – and how it is so gargantuan there is no possible way I can get it all done in a day, much less two or three.
So I broke it down into various categories and sub-categories. I looked at the things I could do two or three times per week instead of daily. I looked at what I could work on for five minutes per day instead of an hour or more – and how I’d be far better off with five minutes instead of nothing.
I told him how grateful I felt to have figured out new ways to get more living out of life.
Small amounts of time doing something I want to do is better than no time at all.
Looking for and finding the time to do more, be more and experience more – and finding out there “is time” – provided you look for it, is a profound experience.
If you don’t look for time, you won’t find it.
Small chunks of time are immensely valuable. They may seem unimportant – but they’re just as important as big chunks. Afterall, we can greatly influence our lives and the lives of others with a quick smile or frown – or a kind or malicious comment.
In a split-second, we can uplift another person or make someone feel embarrassed or humiliated.
Ponder this idea as you prepare for Thanksgiving.
Be grateful for the small stuff in your life, not just what is so enormous it’s obvious to all.
Be grateful for every breath, for every step, for every day of good health, for every good night’s sleep, for every friend or family member you have.
Be grateful for time itself. The big chunks of it – and the small portions.
Most importantly, be grateful for your spiritual connection, as well as the family and friends you have. Cherish the time you have with them as well as the time you have for everything else that is important to you.
Yours,
Matt Furey
mattfurey.com
psycho-cybernetics.com
P.S. Stay tuned for an announcement on Friday regarding my forthcoming seminar – as well as an opportunity to get some of my “back by popular demand” programs.