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Did you ever find a $5 bill in your pocket? This morning, it was so chilly, I put on my robe right after getting up. I found something in my pocket, where I usually find used tissues. Today it was a $5 bill. That's a good start to the day in my book.
We all receive unexpected gifts and income from time to time. But mostly, we smile and forget about it. Some people fear that showing too much happiness is in effect setting themselves up for a disappointment. Mixonian says, look for unexpected income and you'll find it even more often.
Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned how when you decide to buy a new car, a new Volvo, for example, you start to see Volvos everywhere. The same goes for butterflies. The same goes for unexpected income, which we'll interpret to include unexpected gifts that are not actually money.
Christine Kane even has a prayer to thank God, in advance, for unexpected income. I became aware of this dimension last April or May, and since then, unexpected income seems to be snowballing my way, recession or no recession.
Here are some unexpected gifts that came our way, just in the last 10 days:
- My daughters and I were at Starbucks. Miranda was not too happy with what I had ordered for her, but she was drinking it anyway. Then the waitress magically appeared with a gigantic frappucino - just what she wanted! Retail value: close to $4.
- I got a check for $126 representing a year's worth of dividends, from a stock I had forgotten that I owned.
- A customer (himself an unexpected source of income) inquired about a pending translation which I thought I had already sent him and billed for it. Not at all. The work was done, I just needed to turn it in and bill for $500. (BTW, Mixonian does Spanish-English-Spanish translations.)
- A couple of nights ago I took my daughters to the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival concert. I knew that they were eligible for free tickets because they study violin. However, the surprise was that I got in free as well. Retail value: $10.
- Christina got an unexpected gift of a $15 gift certificate, from a friend we don't know very well.
- I got a late birthday present, from an unexpected source. It was a book I can't wait to read.
- I was in a music shop to buy several music-related items for my daughters. The shop's owner gave me a set of violin strings. Retail value: I think around $30.
Of course, unexpected income doesn't mean you don't get unexpected bills as well, but appreciating and enjoying (and taking note of) unexpected income and gifts raises your energy level to experience a more abundant life.
Even if you see a penny in the street, pick it up and accept it as a symbol of prosperity that is on its way to you.
