Recently I went to see the Taj Mahal with my family. We all had a great time, and I got to spend a lot of time with them, especially my baby boy Vincent. Vince and I went on long walks in the woods, chasing the birds together.

We sat near a place where there were a lot of white pebbles, and Vince started playing with them. I suddenly remembered a story in the movie The Secret about ‘gratitude stones,’ so I picked up five beautiful pebbles.

I decided right then and there that the moment I woke up, I would meditate on five different things, giving each stone a particular significance.

Significance Of The First Stone

I thank God every day for keeping my family and me safe and in good health. With stories of rapes, murders, and natural calamities (think of the recent Nepal earthquake), I am indeed grateful to Him.

Significance Of The Second Stone

I am grateful for my current situation. I can choose to live each day exactly the way I want to. I am my own boss; with the launch of my blog, I am pursuing my dream of potentially helping millions of people stay in shape and helping to change people’s lives. Being in the wellness industry has been a dream come true for me.

In fact, I have stopped calling it to work; rather, I call it my mission and purpose, and I have fun pursuing it. People spend almost one-third of their lives at work, and if your work becomes a pleasure, things can’t get better than this. I am fortunate, and I thank God for choosing me for this wonderful task.

Significance Of The Third Stone

I visualize my short-term and long-term goals, and I make sure that my daily activities align with my goals. Being busy is easy, but being productive is completely different.

Every day, I keep my top three short-term and long-term goals in mind, and my every activity every hour of the day is in alignment with my goals. It’s all about priorities.

Goals are only wished if not given a deadline, so I constantly ask myself: Is this the best use of my time?

To facilitate this, I document what I do with my time every day, and by the end of the week or month, I revise the small and big projects I have managed to complete. I make notes about whether I have completed them on time and then adjust accordingly. This really helps me to eliminate the unnecessary and increase my productivity tenfold.

Significance Of The Fourth Stone

There is no place for anxiety and stress, so I don’t take life too seriously. It’s all just a game. I know I am guilty of occasionally taking life too seriously. I do get anxious about petty things. Meditation really helps me, but I want to reach a point where I eliminate almost all anxiety, fear, worry, and stress from my life.

Is it possible? Maybe! While you cannot control external circumstances, you can develop an attitude about how to react to any situation. Most worries are made-up illusions of your mind.

Oscar Wilde said, “In my life, I have faced so many worries that never really existed!”

Significance Of The Fifth Stone

When I look at my fifth stone, I think about charity and giving away. I have dedicated 10 percent of my net income from Fabulous Body, Inc. to charitable causes. In recent times, I have held blood donation camps at my health club, and I routinely give blood every few months.

I have organized drives to help poor people receive clothes, especially during winter months. Although it’s a recent step, I feel it’s never too late to start giving. It makes me feel part of something bigger.

The idea is to start small and think big. I aim to continue supporting various charitable causes by donating not just money but time and effort, and in the process, inspire others to do the same.

Summing It Up

The whole process of meditating with the stones takes around 10 minutes, and I can’t explain in simple words how this has changed my thinking and helped me seize the day.

I had tried this gratitude thing lots of times, but there sometimes, it would simply slip my mind. Now, the moment I walk over to my study, the stones are right in front of me. After a few months, using the stones to meditate has become as important to me as brushing my teeth!

What are you grateful about? Have anything you like to share? Let me know in the comments below!

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