"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

-Frederick Keonig

Do you take the time to smell the roses in your life? Or, are you so caught up in work, worry, family, and fear that you simply don't have time to smell them? When you don't take time, not even 1 minute out of your day, to breath in the beauty of life, you end up with the dank, musty, moldy smell that can choke the life out of you.

The beauty I'm talking about are all of the blessing that are in and around your life. Unless you live in a cell with no windows and never set foot outside you can't escape the incredible work of art that is nature. The colors of the sky, the trees, the flowers, the leaves; just take a minute and look at it.

And are you missing out on the never ending symphony of the sounds of nature? The wind blowing through the trees, the music of the birds, the sounds of silence. If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, people pay money for CD's with the sounds of waves and you get it for free. Just take a minute and listen.

Don't be so caught up in your problems and the stresses of life that you miss out on enjoying the gifts you've been given that are free. Don't be one of those people that forgets to appreciate what you DO have in your life instead of focusing on what you DON'T have.

Your parents, children, family and friends are the icing on your cake. If they had a smell it would be that delicious aroma that emanates from inside a bakery. Savor the joy they bring to you and it doesn't cost a thing to say, "I love you." It makes them feel good and you too.

Through all of your ups and downs, good times and bad there is always a place that will soothe your soul and calm your storm if you take the time to stop and listen. Take the time to say, "Thank You" to the world. And take just one minute of your day to appreciate your blessings; they are the fragrance of your life.

When you learn to live in the present moment you will be amazed how insignificant everything else seems. All we really have is "the moment". The past is gone even though many of us try and relive it daily. And the future is what we create by what we think right now.

So open your heart, open your eyes and open your ears and breathe in the pleasures of life.

You are the only one who can take notice of all that is good. You are the only one who can acknowledge your blessings. You are the only one who can choose whether to walk through life smelling the roses or not.