How to count your blessings

HOW TO

COUNT YOUR

BLESSINGS

LET US FIRST START WITH A STORY…

“I USED TO WORRY A LOT,” HE SAID. “BUT

ONE SPRING DAY, I WAS WALKING IN THE

CITY WHEN I SAW A SIGHT THAT BANISHED

ALL MY WORRIES. IT ALL HAPPENED IN TEN

SECONDS, BUT DURING THOSE TEN

SECONDS I LEARNED MORE IN HOW TO

LIVE THAN I LEARNED IN THE PREVIOUS

TEN YEARS…”

“FOR TWO YEARS I HAD BEEN RUNNING A

GROCERY STORE IN OUR TOWN.. I HAD NOT ONLY

LOST ALL MY SAVINGS, BUT I HAD INCURRED DEBTS

THAT TOOK ME SEVEN YEARS TO PAY BACK. MY

GROCERY STORE HAD BEEN CLOSED PREVIOUSLY;

AND NOW I WAS GOING TO THE MERCHANTS BANK

TO BORROW MONEY SO I COULD GO TO MY

HOMELAND TO LOOK FOR A JOB. I WALKED LIKE A

BEATEN MAN. I HAD LOST ALL MY FAITH AND

FIGHT….”

THEN SUDDENLY I SAW COMING DOWN THE STREET

A MAN WHO HAD NO LEGS. HE WAS SITTING ON A

LITTLE WOODEN PLATFORM EQUIPPED WITH WHEELS

FROM ROLLER SKATES. I MET HIM JUST AFTER HE HAD

CROSSED THE STREET AND WAS STARTING TO LIFT

HIMSELF UP A FEW INCHES OVER THE CURB TO THE

SIDEWALK. AND HIS EYES MET MINE. HE GREETED ME

WITH A GRAND SMILE. “GOOD MORNING SIR! FINE

MORNING ISN’T IT?” HE SAID IT WITH A SPIRIT.

AS I STOOD LOOKING AT HIM, I REALIZED HOW RICH I

WAS. I HAD TWO LEGS. I COULD WALK. I FELT

ASHAMED OF MY SELF-PITY. I SAID TO MYSELF, IF HE

CAN BE HAPPY, CHEERFUL AND CONFIDENT WITHOUT

LEGS, I CERTAINLY CAN WITH LEGS. MY SPIRIT WAS

LIFTED AND I GOT THE COURAGE TO LIVE MY LIFE AND

CONFIDENCE THAT I CAN GET A JOB. I GOT THE LOAN

AND I GOT A JOB. I NOW HAVE THE FOLLOWING

WORDS PASTED ON MY BATHROOM MIRROR, AND I

READ THEM EVERY MORNING AS I SHAVE..

I HAD BLUES BECAUSE I HAD NO SHOES,

UNTIL UPON THE STREET, I SAW A MAN

WHO HAD NO FEET.

“SOMETIMES , IF YOU HAVE ALL THE FRESH

WATER YOU WANT TO DRINK AND ALL THE

FOOD YOU WANT TO EAT , YOU OUGHT NEVER

TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING .”

-EDDIE RICKENBACKER-

WHY DON’T YOU STOP

RIGHT NOW ASK

YOURSELF : “WHAT IN

THE WORLD AM I

WORRYING ABOUT?”

YOU WILL PROBABLY

F IND THAT IT I S

UNIMPORTANT AND

INS IGNIF ICANT .

ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES ARE

RIGHT, AND ABOUT 10 PERCENT ARE WRONG.

I F WE WANT TO BE HAPPY , ALL WE HAVE TO

DO I S TO CONCENTRATE ON THE 90 PERCENT

THAT ARE R IGHT , AND IGNORE THE 10

PERCENT THAT ARE WRONG .

I F WE WANT TO BE WORR IED AND B I T TER

AND HAVE STOMACH ULCER , JUST FOCUS ON

THE 10 PERCENT THAT ARE WRONG AND

IGNORE 90 PERCENT THAT ARE GLOR IOUS .

THINK AND THANK

THINK OF ALL WE HAVE TO BE GRATEFUL

FOR, AND THANK GOD FOR ALL THE BOONS

AND BOUNTIES.

THE TENDENCY TO “SELDOM THINK OF WHAT

WE HAVE BUT ALWAYS OF WHAT WE LACK ” I S THE GREATEST TRAGEDY ON EARTH . I T HAS

PROBABLY CAUSED MORE M I SERY THAN ALL THE

WARS AND D I SEA SES IN HOSTORY .

- JONH PA LM ER -

S T O P WO R R Y I N G –

S T A R L I V I N G .

C O U N T Y O U R

B L E S S I N G S – N O T

Y O U R T R O U B L E S .

THIS IS INSPIRED BY THE ARTICLE/STORY

“HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING”

OF DALE CARNEGIE

Prepared by :

Echem, Edgie M. BEED – 3

Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan