In love with life

“The field doesn’t need to be reached or earned. It needs only to be recognized.”—Cynthia Li

I spent last week in the mountains of Colorado. At dinner, on our first night there, the chef presented us with a delightful and unexpected amuse-bouche.

Translated from French, it means “an amusement for your mouth.” They’re small, whimsical culinary creations, never listed on the menu. Instead, an amuse-bouche is a free gift from the chef to a) make you feel special and b) to show off his or her talents.

All day, every day, I notice, life presents me with amuse-bouches, unexpected little joys that cost me nothing and showcase its bounty.

That’s the whole premise of the A.A. 2.0 program that I showcased in Thank and Grow Rich: a 30-day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy.

I still practice it every single morning. When you start looking for treasure (because, well, your possibility posse is waiting to hear the brand new things you’re grateful for), amuse-bouches pop up everywhere.

When you put on the magic hat of gratitude, the gifts become too many to list.

I almost had to pinch myself on this trip to Colorado. The number of improbable and wonderous amuse-bouches began multiplying like Mickey’s broom in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice: the night sky without man-made light (I’d forgotten how many stars there are), the tiny adaptions of flowers above the tree line, the stunning beauty of mountain lakes, meeting just the right people giving just the right restaurant recommendations at just the right time.

I’ll close with an amuse-bouche shared yesterday by my Spanish maestra. Thanks to an early freeze, the peach trees on her farm lost their blossoms, taking all hope of a summer crop.

One evening last week, she noticed her mouth watering. She really, really, really wanted a big, fat, juicy durazno (that’s peach in Espanol), but, hey, her crop had failed and she lives in the country, miles from a grocery store. However, when she walked outside to look at the moon, there, on a branch of the peach tree nearest her house, hung a single, big, fat, juicy peach.

Did she summon it with her desire? Or was it an amuse-bouche lovingly presented by the creator of all magic?

#222 Forever!

Pam Grout is the author of 22 books including E-Squared, Thank & Grow Rich , The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World)and her latest, The Ego’s Playbook.