16 | November | 2014 | betsybeadhead

There was a kind lady at the retreat named Benji that had a new twist on an old finger rhyme. She shared this during the closing of the retreat. These are her words, with my explanation of the gestures in parenthesis.

“The original line is –
This is the church
(Hands are clasped together, fingers interlocked, pointed down.)

and here is the steeple
(Raise the two index fingers up, and put the tips together.)

open the doors
(Open your thumbs out towards you.)

and see all the people.
(Turn your hands inside out, showing the fingers.)

What came to me is a new version of that.

This is my body, my mind, my heart,
(Hands are clasped together, fingers interlocked, pointed down.)

and this my spirit connected to the unconditional love of God.
(Raise the two index fingers up, and put them together.)

Open my heart to that love from Him
(Open your thumbs out towards you.)

and then I can share it with all the other people.
(Turn your hands inside out, wiggling the fingers.)

What is the point if you make $80K a year if you are miserable? If you find yourself drinking all the time to escape then your money means nothing. If your job doesn’t fit you, if you have an angry boss, if you find that you are expected to go against your beliefs, then it doesn’t matter how much money you make. You’ll spend it all on trying to escape with vacations, therapy, and expensive toys.

What is the point if you have a 25K square foot house if you have to work 60 hours a week just to afford it? You never get to spend any real time in it. You’ll spend a lot of that money in upkeep on it and the grounds.

Who are you trying to impress? What is really important to you? They say that money can’t buy you happiness. Maybe there is some truth in that.

I’ve heard that the best way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your pocket. This seems like good advice.

Let us redefine success as someone who is happy with what they have. Let us redefine success as someone who has time to give back to their community. Let us redefine success as someone who is awake, alive, and present to the amazing thing we call life.