The Ultimate Gift

So this last Sunday I decided that I wanted to read The Ultimate Gift again. I love this book and haven’t read it since I watched the movie. In fact I remember the movie being more accurate than it was – it’s REALLY not the same and I still stand by my opinion that everyone should read the book because it is small and very good. It’s also better than the movie and goes more into each of the gifts. I kind of wanted to share the gifts and how they affect my life but that would be a HUGE post so I think I will share some of the things that really jumped out at me (Each of the gifts had stuff pop out and I cried a few times but I am really just going to share a few right now).

The Gift of Problems:

We are like a baby bird and must go through the difficult process of hatching in order to be strong. Problems make us great. "If we are not allowed to deal with small problems we will be destroyed by the slightly larger ones . . .When we can learn from out own problems, we begin to deal with life. When we can learn from other people's problems, we being to master life."

The Gift of Family

I was blessed with a great one. I am thankful everyday for my parents and siblings and the things they teach me and the love they give me. I am grateful for my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends who have become like family. Families are built on love and I am so thankful for all that I get to feel around these wonderful people. Thanks! I also want to throw in the Gift of Laughter here because with my family I laugh A LOT and I love it. When we learn to laugh at ourselves and our problems and the funny things in life we are healthier and happier.

The Gift of Dreams

Your dreams need to belong to YOU! It needs to be a custom-fit thing that grows and develops with you. The book discusses two people one person had a passion for his dreams and loved to share them. Although he had his own share of setbacks and failures he kept going and even on his deathbed he still had a dream (in fact he had a poster of it hung above the bed) - his name was Walt Disney. While Walt died with passion and excitement for his dream another man's dream was to be successful and retire by age 50 and he did so. However he had enjoyed work and his life felt absent without it and the passion he had once had. A month after accomplishing his dream this man committed suicide. Make the dream yours so fulfilling it only makes you better and you are left busting with joy and not empty.

The Gift of A Day

"If we are living our lives the way we should, everything should be in such an order that we wouldn't change the last day of our life from any other day. . . We're not guaranteed anything but today." Also remember that "Life's tragedies are often made up of the simple pleasures and kind gestures missed" - so look for those always.