Enjoy and share the gifts

My friend was talking on the phone to his sister one day. They had a little sibling rivalry going on, but it was the good, motivating kind.

“I’m going to Asia,” he said.

“Well, I’ve been to Africa and helped build a hospital there,” she said.

They bantered back and forth about the places they’d been and where they hoped to go next. Then they decided that you got points only for how cool the trip had been—and what you learned and what you did with the experience after you were there.

“You helped build that hospital for kids. You get a lot of points for that,” he said. “But you don’t get any points for Denmark. All you did was change planes. You didn’t even look around and enjoy the sights. We’ll have to talk again, in a few years, and see how many points we each have.”

It’s been said before, but it’s important enough to say again: It’s not just where you go; it’s what you do with it that counts. Are you having great experiences, but keeping them to yourself? Are you bothering to get out of your chair and see the sights in your world, or are you staring at your TV? Are you trudging your path, but not gleaning any insights along the way? Are you doing anything of value with what you’ve learned, even if it’s sharing your experience, strength, and hope with a close friend?

How many points do you have for really cool trips?

Part of saying thanks is sharing our lives with the world. The other part is learning to enjoy our lives, ourselves. Live and love and learn and see things; then pass those things on.

Don’t just say thanks. Demonstrate your gratitude for life by living as fully as you can.

God, help me commit to doing something of value and service with the gift of my life, even if that means simply enjoying what I’m experiencing right now.

From the book: More Language of Letting Go

The post Enjoy and share the gifts appeared first on Melody Beattie.