It’s a blessing to be alive. I just heard that you have a 1 in 400 trillion chance of being born. If you’re an adult reading this, then it is a blessing that you made it this far. I know that I have escaped death plenty of times before my 30th birthday.

We live in a world of complainers. There is turmoil and all these terrible things happening all over the US and world. If you listen to or read any of the news outlets you will be filled with all of the outrage that your mind and body can handle and if you let that garbage consume you, then you are in danger of becoming a part of the problem.

Just a few years ago, I allowed myself to become consumed with politics and the news media. It was my duty, after all, to be informed and be a good citizen of this country. I listened to talk radio, read about what was happening around the US and world and listened to the Presidential and other political candidates. I even had the new feeds pop up on my phone There was so much hate and I was getting consumed by it. I was posting on Facebook and other channels, what I thought was the right way for our country to go. I found myself complaining and often angry at the “terrible” state of our country. About 3 months before the election of 2016, I stopped. I shut it all off!

You see, I am a Christian and lately been thinking of the wonderful gifts that God has blessed all of us with and how truly grateful I should be. Whether you come reading this as a Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist or any other religion, we should all be able to agree that the world has so much abundance for us to enjoy. Sure, we have problems in the world and together we can help solve those problems, but think for a minute of all of the blessings that we have in our lives.

I feel that if more of us just shut out the noise, the world and our country will become a better place. We are what we consume, and if we are listening to complaining and evil, that is what our minds will be filled with. If we focus on the blessing that we have been given, our eyes, ears and hearts will be opened up to receiving more blessings. All of us living today are truly blessed.

Look around you and you will see. We live in the most advanced society, without many of the hardships that our parents and grandparents had before us. Think back even just 100 years. We now have transportation that can get us anywhere in the world in less than a day, we have computers and phones to connect with anyone, anywhere. Most of the luxuries that we take for granted, simply did not exist 100 years ago. Most of us today are richer that those that came before us. Major advancements in medical and health make access to life saving treatments easy for most. Transportation, technology, heating and cooling, lights, plumbing and so much more make it possible for us to be treated like Kings, yet we often take it for granted.

Then look at nature for a minute. I love the outdoors. I love to hike, camp, ski, run, hunt, canoe and just be in nature. If you haven’t gone hiking in the mountains or woods or canoed down a peaceful river, you need to plan that trip right now. Just get out to enjoy the natural beauty of this world. Even if you live in the city, you can enjoy the amazing architecture and sprawling city that we have been able to create. There is so much for our eyes to look at and wonder in amazement.

We often hear people say “back when I was young,” when referring to crime or the good old days. People have short term memories. I hear my parents and others that are in their 50’s , 60’s and 70’s talk about how dangerous it is today, yet they were born in or right after the deadliest war in history and lived through the highest crime decades in the US (1970’s ,1980s, 1990’s). Today we have less crime per capita than any time since the 1950’s (again, just after the world’s deadliest war). We still have crime, that will never end, but we are safer today than any time in the past 50 + years.

If you are a woman, a minority or a first-generation immigrant you have more opportunity and less exclusion than ever before in the US. I see immigrants come to this country with very little and do very, very well for themselves. I have heard amazing success stories from many that I would consider friends. We recently had the first African American President and have women and minorities that are CEO’s and successful politicians. They can literally achieve more today than any time in history and we are all able to benefit from that!

The next time you grab the keys to your car, go to a restaurant and get food served to you like royalty, take a shower, put on clean clothes, answer your cell phone or turn on the lights, pause and think of how these simple things were not possible centuries ago. Stop and think about the things that you are entitled to, that you take for granted and realize that there is nothing to complain about.

I don’t mean to sound like there are no problems and that we should just blow off the issues in our world, but stop complaining, stop thinking that it is worse than it actually is, take inventory of the blessings in your life and then, when you realize how amazing and abundant life is and that it gives to those whom are willing and open for it to give to, you can go out and be the change in the world that you wish to be.

You can listen to more here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pillars-of-wealth-creation/id1296372835?mt=2&i=1000423845796

To your success!

Todd Dexheimer