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August 07, 2008
How 1,000 Rocks and a Sonic Drive-In Changed My Life
Several months ago, I heard a talk given by renowned financial counselor and teacher Lee Brower. In the talk, Mr. Brower brought out a rock and told a story about this simple stone and the awakening he experienced as a result of it. In his story, he had been dealing with stresses in his family and relationships, and came across this stone on the edge of a beach on the California coast. With a dark marking on it resembling a butterfly, the image reminded him of his daughter (who had been going through a rough time). Brower said that he was challenged to focus on the good things of his life whenever he touched the rock. He went on to talk about how his life has changed since learning how to appreciate the blessings of his life with the reminder of this “gratitude rock.”
I was so moved by this story that I decided to take up this practice myself. While not constantly thinking about them, I would occasionally notice rocks along the ground while at the park with my daughter, pick them up and think of my own blessings before either losing them or tossing them back.
While I remembered to count my blessings upon glancing at a rock from time to time, however, my life hadn’t changed significantly, though I found I did have a typically better outlook.
Recently, I had been dealing with some stresses of my own. My car had broken down a couple of times and had cost me more than I was prepared to pay for. There were some family struggles, and yesterday, it all began to eat at me. Now understand, I typically regard myself as a generally positive person. I believe in the power of our thoughts and beliefs, and I try to surround myself with positive people, music, thoughts, and ideas. Still, on this day, I was really racking my brain trying to replace the stressful thoughts that had taken some wind out of me.
I turned up the music, tried to read from one of my favorite authors, but I just couldn’t shake these stressful images from my mind. Finally, I got up, stepped outside, and decided to take a walk. While I still couldn’t shut off the stressful thoughts, the fresh air did help.
My walk led me to a Sonic Drive-In Restaurant a few blocks away, where I sat at the outdoor table and ordered a half-price soda.
As I sat, waiting, I turned my head and noticed a neatly maintained portion of landscape. And right there, beginning at my feet and filling the landscape were thousands of – you guessed it – rocks.
And in that moment, my world stopped. I was speechless. Suddenly, brown, black, and grey pebbles were staring me in the face, seeming to call out to me. And I froze; aware that suddenly, these weren’t just rocks anymore.
God had sent me a message. And I was receiving it loud and clear.
A thousand rocks in an ordinary piece of landscape suddenly represented a thousand amazing blessings and gifts in my life. It occurred to me just how wealthy and lucky I am. A half-dozen Sonic customers undoubtedly watched with curiosity as I sifted through dull and boring rocks, analyzing each one and tossing it back.
Instantly, my day began to change. I now had an inescapable smile planted on my face, and I knew two things: I was one of the most blessed human beings on earth, and that everything in the future would ultimately be all right. As I walked back to my office, sipping my drink, I held onto my “lucky souvenir” and thanked God for all of the blessings in my world.
And interestingly enough, when I arrived back at the office, many of the previously unfixable circumstances I had been worried about were already working themselves out. It happened that quickly.
If you haven’t read Lee Brower’s story of the Gratitude Rock, I highly encourage you to do so. And if you haven’t done so now, find a rock of your own and rediscover the amazing life you’re already living.
I’m wealthy beyond my wildest dreams, and I’ve got the rocks to prove it.
11:40 Posted in Life Strategies | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: gratitude, thankful, life strategy
Comments
I wanted to comment to let you know someone is reading your words. But also because I really enjoyed your story about the rocks. What a wonderful way to remind ourselves to have an "attitude of gratitude" (Joyce Meyer). Kristin's blog was similar. I know how much it means to me when my kids truly seem thankful for the meal I spent the entire afternoon preparing or the brand new coats that I bought or the toy they received at a dreaded Wal-Mart outing. How much more does it mean to God when we are truly thankful for all He has given us? It's such an amazing revelation. But yet a new day comes and I am off and running with no time to smell the flowers or realize that there 1000 rocks right under my nose. Thanks for the reminder!
Posted by: Julia | November 09, 2008