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You Live in a Mansion
Episode 88th April 2020 • Simple Happiness • Jim Ryan
00:00:00 00:03:41

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Have you ever been in a mansion? Maybe it was one of the fabulous Newport, Rhode Island mansions. Or perhaps it was a stately southern plantation. You might have gone on a local house tour to view a beautiful home. Did you feel the excitement as you approached the front door with the prospect of exploring the entire home, experiencing the drama of each room that you visited? 

You passed through the imposing front door and gasped as you took in the large entrance foyer. You admired everything: the chandelier, the crown moldings, the wall coverings, the finish on the floors, and the grandfather clock . . . everything! 

The foyer was indeed impressive, but would you have been satisfied totally, just seeing the first room? Would you have been ready to say to your friend who was visiting the mansion with you, “You go ahead and tour the rest of the rooms; I’m going to stay here. This is enough for me!” I hardly think so! Seeing the foyer would be just enough to whet your appetite for more. Most likely, you would have great anticipation to see the other rooms: the front parlor, the back parlor, the dining room, the library, the kitchen, the butler’s pantry and the winding staircase to visit the bedrooms upstairs. 

What excitement as you step into each room, beautifully decorated, each with its own charm, its own character, its own story to tell. How satisfying it is, upon finishing the tour, to discuss your favorite parts with your friend and to appreciate the mansion all over again. 

You see, your life is like a mansion. Each of us has the potential to live a life of complete joy and fulfillment. The problem is that we spend most, if not all, of our lives living in the foyer. It is a life of experiencing the same things over and over again—a life of little growth or fulfillment. 

I challenge you to explore the other rooms in your mansion. One room may contain food for the cultivation of your mind through inspiring books. A second room might be the experience of unconditional love, perhaps for your family, loving without asking anything in return. A third might be giving 100% at work instead of just sliding by, doing as little as possible. A fourth might be developing the habit of only saying good things about others, whether they are present or not. A fifth might be expanding your spiritual side through daily meditation. A sixth might be developing your talents, through music, athletics, art or whatever they may be. A seventh might be doing some volunteer work for the good of your fellow man—giving of yourself in service so that someone else’s life could be better. 

Take a look at yourself. Are you living your life in the foyer of your mansion? It might seem easy and feel comfortable to just stay in the foyer, but why not try opening up some doors and peeking in? Your mansion may contain even more incredible rooms that I have failed to mention. My promise to you is that once you start to venture into the other rooms of your own personal mansion, your life will forever be changed for the better! 

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