Although I do not participate in any formal religion, I find the Bible to have the clearest instructions for life, basic instructions that make sense to me. And, as my life experience bears out, abiding by these instructions leads to living a joyful life. In fact, the better I follow the instructions, the better life is for me. These instructions are scattered throughout the Bible, along with a lot of what I like to think of as overburden. So, I think of the instructions as golden nuggets.

There’s a funny thing about these instructions. Although there are a bunch of them, ultimately they all boil down to instruct us to do just one thing: love. Because there’s no universal definition of love, I find it easier to be understood clearly by using the word, RESPECT.

I’ve found that when I use respect as the foundation of what I think and say and do, things always turn out better for me than if I don’t. At it’s core, this includes self-respect. Yet, this doesn’t work automatically; it requires constant vigilance to remember to use respect. It’s a full-time practice.

Because of a comment made in an earlier post, I would like to share this one golden nugget, which seems especially appropriate for Christmas:

“In all things give thanks.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Even Christians oftentimes seem to ignore that this verse means exactly what it says, to give thanks for EVERYTHING, even the things we don’t like, even for the most horrible of things. It’s understandable that this instruction causes difficulty, because in spite of this clear instruction, how is it possible to be thankful for terrible things we hear of or witness?

This human experience is full spectrum, which means everything exists. Personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way, and too bad if I did. The perfect balance to the most beautiful things exists, too, at the opposite end of the spectrum. And thank goodness, otherwise the most vibrant beauty couldn’t exist. There is always a perfect balance. This life is perfectly designed.

For me, giving thanks for everything is a wonderful practice. It’s like a deep stretch of the mind, hopefully resulting in my letting go of any judgements I might have (thou shalt not judge… another nugget) and to open my mind to the unlimited gifts that I know are in every situation and circumstance, no matter how dark it might appear from the perspective in my face at any moment. It’s always helpful for me to let go, back off, breathe and accept what I can’t change, then look around for a better way forward. I know I am getting somewhere when I sincerely express gratitude for the experience and for all those involved. One of the realizations that always come with this practice is that there’s only one thing in this life I have any hope of changing, and that’s myself and how I choose to be.

Giving thanks doesn’t mean I should sit back, be a spectator and just condone whatever happens. Definitely not! But in a state of gratitude and awareness, I find I’m better able to deal with every situation, to share what I’m blessed with and to be better able to be a positive influence. Being in a state of gratitude is contagious.

I could go on and on about this subject, because it’s my life, but this is plenty enough for Christmas & Hanukkah.

And, yes, as you know, FGC, the Abraham-Hicks stuff means exactly the same.