Sometimes, we have to fall to the ground to get a close enough look at the road to see that we are on the wrong path. Sometimes all we need is a broken heart or disappointment to realize that something even better is right in front of our eyes, just waiting to be found.

Sometimes it is the bad stuff we have gone through, the people who have disappointed us and the things that did not go our way, that suddenly make us feel grateful for them, because those are the things that got us where we are. Those are the things that made us stronger, the things that helped us learn whom we can trust, whom we can depend on and those are the things that showed us what it is like to struggle, but in the end, turn out just fine.

Abundance is to see the incredibly rich existence right where we are and at the same time still see that there are endless possibilities before us. It is that feeling of gratitude for everything and everyone we have in our lives that make us realize how blessed we are like the little girl in the following narrative.

The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill - and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.

When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden, she asked her mother if she could go for a bike ride outside and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn't wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got in front of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted her bike, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself...and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood neglected.

So sad she didn't go any further and turned, heart-broken as she remounted her bike ... As she glanced up, she saw a sight to amaze her...there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden ...as the sun shone on her little home.

She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the 'golden house'. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

Many of us are like the little girl. We take for granted the good things we have in life. The center of our attention is on what is missing; we focus on what we want.

We say we are bored, we become very negative and moody and we whine, complain, demand, mock, and ridicule. We become demanding and bossy, and think we know it all. Some of us are bitchy with sarcasm and arrogance, and would make every effort to put some people down. What's more, negative people believe they are always right and purposely force their ideas on everyone.

When we choose not to focus on what's missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present... we experience happiness.

Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have, and offer thanks for all the troubles we don't have. Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love, a dedicated and faithful spouse is family. Having both is a blessing. It’s not happy people who are thankful; it’s thankful people who are happy.

By Tim Pedrosa