While Grandpa is taking a nap on the couch, his seven-year-old grandson gets some Limburger cheese from the refrigerator and smears it on Grandpa’s mustache.
When grandpa wakes up, he says, “This room stinks!” He goes to another room and says, “This room stinks.” After walking throughout the house, he says, “The whole house stinks!”
Grandpa goes outside and takes a deep breath and says, “The whole world stinks!”
Your attitude about life does the same thing.
In an article “Is it Possible to Be Happy?” L. Ron Hubbard writes:
“You remember when you were maybe five years old, and you went out in the morning and you looked at the day, and it was a very, very beautiful day, and you looked at the flowers and they were very beautiful flowers.
“Twenty-five years later you get up in the morning, you take a look at the flowers—they are wilted. The day isn’t a happy day.
“Well, what has changed? You know they are the same flowers, it’s the same world, something must have changed.
“Probably it was you.”
“Actually, a little child derives all of his pleasure in life from the grace he puts upon life. He waves a magic hand and brings all manner of interesting things into being out in the society. Here is this big, strong brute of a man riding his iron steed, up and down, and boy, he’d like to be a cop. Yes sir! He would sure like to be a cop; and twenty-five years later he looks at that cop riding up and down and checks his speedometer and says, ‘Doggone these cops!’
“Well, what is changed here? Has the cop changed? No. Just the attitude toward him. One’s attitude toward life makes every possible difference in one’s living. You know you don’t have to study a thousand ancient books to discover that fact. But sometimes it needs to be pointed out again that life doesn’t change so much as you.”
“The day when you stop building your own environment, when you stop building your own surroundings, when you stop waving a magic hand and gracing everything around you with magic and beauty, things cease to be magical, things cease to be beautiful.”
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Food for Thought
Add Some Magic to Your Life
Remember when Christmas was magical? Flying Reindeer and elves that worked at the north pole and Santa brings toys to all the good little boys and girls. My little girl is eight and when I look at Christmas through her eyes (seeing Christmas as she does) it all looks differently.
In a post on my other blog, “Fishin for Chuckles” (the angel) I wrote in the opening of the post how stress is like a bow being drawn back to shoot an arrow. Pulled back to the point of nearly breaking, then released to make an arrow fly toward its intended target, the bulls eye. Stress, this Christmas is the same, we draw ourselves to the near point of breaking (stressed) and then let the string (stress and tension) go to allow the arrow to hit its mark (Christmas).
When I asked fellow co-workers if they were ready for Christmas? They would reply, “I am ready for it to be over with,” This projects that happiness will come in the future rather than finding it in the here and now. Living in the present is the way of zen, (and reality) preparing for your future is wise, for;
those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Prepare… to have a joyous day
and Christmas Holidays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(“this web page stinks”)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s begining to smell a lot like Christmas
absorb the fragrances of your day
27 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 22, 2011 at 4:31 am
granbee
Art, you have provided some much needed perspective. I, too, have been said to hear folks saying they wish Christmas was over with. Actually, the Christmas they are celebratin and the one you and I are celebrating do not seem to be connected at all! And the photo of the dear little golden-haired angel on the training potty is something only YOU would think to post to give us a positive lift at the end of a post entitled “The Whole World Stinks”. P.S. You MUST be posting while on the graveyard shift. You are keeping me up all night! Oh, well, too much tme iwasted trying to sleep, anyway. And I am 13 years older than you, and also have a younger spouse. Let’s hear it for physical fitness!
December 24, 2011 at 6:53 pm
zendictive
well, when I work, I post at 4 am before I go to work for 13 hours…
but off for the next 4 days… woohooo (~_~)
December 22, 2011 at 4:48 am
mysterycoach
I love this. I have an excellent book here by David Burns, M.D., called Feeling Good and he talks about perceptions which relates to our attitude and how we view things and it’s along the same lines as you are saying here.
I am a massive fan as to changing my environment despite those around me’s resistance. LOL: )
Have a happy holiday 🙂
December 24, 2011 at 6:56 pm
zendictive
perspective… I have heard it said that an elevator looks different to a small person compared to a large person, it is simple but a whole truth that goes all through life
(~_~)
December 26, 2011 at 7:09 pm
mysterycoach
I’m grinning 🙂 Truer words were never spoken. I had a very nice holiday and I hope you enjoyed yours as well.
December 22, 2011 at 5:40 am
wordsfallfrommyeyes
Had never heard the grandpa story before – good one!
Great blog. Yes, perspective. It’s all in the perspective…
December 24, 2011 at 6:55 pm
zendictive
merry christmas to you and yours (~_~)
December 22, 2011 at 6:12 am
10 Day Book Club
perspective and perception….thanks for the pick me up today.
December 24, 2011 at 6:57 pm
zendictive
welcome
and thank you
so true (~_~)
December 22, 2011 at 7:07 am
Jackie L. Robinson
All about the glasses we choose to wear, isn’t it? Life is what we make of it. Perfect timing on this reminder….as my mother-in-law is here in town for several days. ; ) Love to you, my friend. xoxo
December 24, 2011 at 6:58 pm
zendictive
life is what we make of it…perfectly said
good luck and happy holidays to you and yours (~_~)xx
December 22, 2011 at 9:28 am
rumpydog
Jen says to tell you that she’s been guilty of Limburger lips before.
December 26, 2011 at 12:45 pm
zendictive
ha ha (~_~) that’s cute
December 22, 2011 at 9:36 am
Warrior Poet Wisdom
Great post. Shared on my Facebook page. 🙂
Peace & grace,
~Miro
December 26, 2011 at 12:45 pm
zendictive
bows (~_~) humble
December 22, 2011 at 10:17 am
Linda Vernon
Ha! Right On!
December 26, 2011 at 12:46 pm
zendictive
(~_~) bows humble
December 22, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Heather Whitley Gibson
I agree!
December 26, 2011 at 12:47 pm
zendictive
bow (~_~)
December 22, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Janece
Left you something on the blog today 🙂
December 24, 2011 at 6:59 pm
zendictive
bows (~_~) humble
thank you mi amiga ~
December 23, 2011 at 11:41 am
Cindi Pugliese
You write a big truth. We need to be able to reach the child within especially when our moments are difficult. Reaching inward to our “magical self” is indeed a strong message to understand the beauty in this world and others. It’s also such a relief to surrender and have faith that being part of the world is a gift.
December 24, 2011 at 7:00 pm
zendictive
the world truely is a gift (~_~)
thank you
December 23, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Fergiemoto
An inspiring perspective! The mind and attitude are very powerful and influential, aren’t they. Reminds me of a quote “you get back from the universe what you put out there.” Wishing you Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2011 at 7:01 pm
zendictive
you get back from the universe what you put out there.”
very well said (~_~) happy holidays to you and yours
February 22, 2012 at 5:52 am
truth and the trouble tree « zendictive
[…] related zendictive story: the whole world stinks […]
October 24, 2012 at 2:59 pm
artjen1971
I love this, and again, this was the week I needed a little reminding that perspective is everything–it guarantees the outcome, or at least one perspective on it. Thanks