I just finished watching “The Ultimate Gift” based on the book by Jim Stovall… and it got me here writing. If I can write all the other nonsense, then I most certainly need to write about this. The message simply knocked me off my feet and brought some sense into my head…. as this blog starts off, I’ve been having second thoughts about things, maybe lost sight of what I had cleared out in my mind before.

This movie is about a grandson who before he receives his inheritance, needs to complete a series of tasks and collect different gifts. He needs to learn 12 gifts before Jason can receive the ultimate one. I will go ahead and list them, if you want to read the book or watch the movie, skip the numbered list below:

The gift of…

  1. Work
  2. Money
  3. Friends
  4. Learning
  5. Problems
  6. Family
  7. Laughter
  8. Dreams
  9. Giving
  10. Gratitude
  11. A day
  12. Love

All I could say was, “Man! What the heck have I been thinking?” Life isn’t about saving up, or earning money, pleasures, having fun, spending, trips, shopping… its way more than all that, and the worse is, maybe that’s the way I’m heading. It’s more a life of serving others, giving, to grant a perfect day or a dream to someone who it might be impossible for. Just knowing it’s nice to have money in your pocket and being able to enjoy stuff/things/whatever but also being capable of surviving when all that is gone and being conscious of those around us that have, in very few opportunities, enjoyed anything at all.

Its learning what is really important, knowing not everything comes free or easy, not taking family, friends, people, and things for granted. Knowing some things come only after hard work. Being able to learn even from my “problems”, and when boredom takes over. Being able to take advantage of every moment, making life a learning process. Giving someone the opportunity to learn.

Ouch. The gift of love: Loving and being loved. Loving even when you’re not loved back. Giving of yourself even though in your mind the other person doesn’t deserve it. Taking care of and nourishing those that you love and love you by default. Being grateful/thankful to God, family, friends, others and for everything you are and aren’t and have and don’t have.

There is so much that can be done and needs to be done… and it’s so easy! Don’t need to change the world, and certainly not wait for the world to change.. Start off with a laugh and make some else smile. Then maybe their smile will turn into laughter too and everything else will start changing on it’s own. Take time out of my always very busy and carefully planned schedule to do something out of the ordinary, or simply but for someone else. I just realized I need to pop the bubble I suddenly live inside of and stop being selfish and start giving…

I guess that’s one way to change the world.