Goldie The Grateful Goldfish - Children's Meditation Story

Goldie is a goldfish that is very unhappy. She is so bored with just swimming in circles all day. She wishes she was a caterpillar, that way she would one day change into a butterfly. Her new friends help her see how lucky she is and she then is grateful.

Transcript

Are you ready to meditate with Kari? Lie down in your bed, Make sure that you're comfortable and that everything is just right in your room. You're ready to relax and be still and quiet and listen to a story. The story is all about a fish, A goldfish called Goldie. Goldie didn't like being a fish. All Goldie did all day long is swim around and around and around and around. She'd eat sometimes and then swim around and around in a tiny little fish bowl that was on the windowsill in the house. There was a bird that she would watch through the window, A big black bird. He would fly all over the sky, Hop along the grass on the ground, Fly from tree to tree, Catch worms and insects. His life looks so much more interesting. All I do, She said, Was swim around and around and around and around. One day the bird landed on the windowsill and the window happened to be open. She swam to the top of a fish bowl and said, Hello. The bird tweeted, Hello. Goldie said, What's your name? The bird said, Desmond. Goldie said, Your life looks so much more interesting than mine. I really don't like being a fish. All I do is swim around and around and around. All day long I'm stuck in this bowl. It's very, Very boring. I'm all alone. I don't have anyone to swim with. I don't have anything to swim through. I don't have anything to swim over or under. I just swim around and around all day long. I'm so bored. It's so boring. Desmond said, Oh that does sound boring. Have you tried jumping and maybe landing back in the water? Goldie said, No, No I haven't. Desmond said, Are you ever allowed out of that bowl? Like into a different bowl? Goldie said, No, No, Never. Just this bowl. Desmond said, Oh yes, That does sound boring. I can fly. I can hop on the grass. I can chase other birds and talk to other birds and be with other birds. It's much more interesting. You're right. Your life sounds very boring. Goldie said, Sometimes I wish I was a caterpillar. I'd like to be a caterpillar. Do you know why I'd like to be a caterpillar? She said to Desmond. Desmond said, No. Goldie said, I'd like to be a caterpillar because caterpillars change. They change into butterflies, You know. They become beautiful butterflies and their life completely changes. They go from just being on a leaf or on a branch or on the ground munching away. Munch, Munch, Munch. Just like I swim around and around and around. Caterpillars just munch, Munch, Munch until they become butterflies. That's what I want. I want to be a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. Desmond said, Can you imagine if you were a fish that turned into something else? Like a fish to a frog. Ooh, Said Goldie. That would be fun. Desmond said, What if you were a fish and you turned into a cat? Ooh, Said Goldie. That's a big change. I can see a fish turning into a frog. Not that different really. Well, You know, They have legs but I can see myself popping legs out. But turning into a cat, Growing fur, That's very different. But you know, I kind of like the idea of it. Might be fun. Be so much more fun than this. Just swimming around and around and around. Desmond said, I know lots of caterpillars. Maybe I could fetch a caterpillar that you could talk to and and find out first hand what it feels like to be a caterpillar. Goldie said, Ooh that'd be nice. I'd like to talk to a caterpillar. Just a minute, Said Desmond and he flew away. Desmond we've only gone a few minutes before I came back with a big fat wiggly caterpillar in his beak. He popped the caterpillar down on the windowsill. The caterpillar was screaming, Desmond, Don't eat me. What are you doing? Don't eat me. I thought we were friends. Desmond said, It's alright, Don't worry. I'm not gonna eat you. Goldie here just wants to talk to you about being a caterpillar. Oh, Said the caterpillar. What do you want to know? Goldie said, Well I'm bored. So bored. I'm really really bored and I said that if I could change into something I'd be a caterpillar and then from a caterpillar I'd become this wonderful butterfly and then when I was a butterfly I get to fly and do things whereas being a caterpillar is not as interesting is it? Is it interesting being a caterpillar? The caterpillar said, No not really. It's a bit boring like being a fish. All I do is munch and munch and munch and munch and munch and munch but I've not got long before I become a butterfly and then when I'm a butterfly that's it. I'm out of here, Gone forever, Flying away I am, Flying to a different place in the world. Goldie said, See that's what I want. I want to be somewhere different in the world other than this fishbowl. This fishbowl is so boring, So boring. The caterpillar said, Well I wish I could take you with me but I probably can't because I don't think you'd live very long if you weren't in your bowl. Desmond said, Yes that's right you probably wouldn't. You belong in your bowl. You're safe in your bowl. You're very lucky by the looks of it. You've got fresh clean water, Food, Nice clean pebbles. What more would you want? Goldie said, Suppose you're right. It is nice and clean and it is quite spacious. There is only me in here. I mean how much room would you need? And they do keep it clean and they feed me all the time and I have a lovely view. Things could be a lot worse. I might be in a bowl that's dirty and dingy and not get fed and not have a view. Do you know I've never thought of it like that. I'm actually very lucky. I like my bowl. Me and my bowl. Been together a long time. I like my life. I like how clean my bowl is and I love being able to look out of the window. And I really like to be fed every day. Yeah you know I should be grateful. Thanks guys. I was feeling really down, Really bored, Hopeless in fact. And now look I'm happy and I'm grateful. Just shows you. It's all how you look at it right? Being grateful does feel a lot better than being depressed and bored and boring. Being grateful actually is quite cheery. I feel quite cheery about my little bowl, Me view, Me clean water. Right I'll be off. I'm gonna do some swimming. Said Goldie. Desmond said goodbye and flew away with a caterpillar in his mouth that he wasn't going to eat. He was going to put it back on a leaf very safely so that it could change into a butterfly and fly somewhere else in the world. From that day forward Goldie had a completely different opinion about her world, Her bowl. She was very grateful which made her very happy. Every day she would swim around in that nice clean bowl with lots to eat and lots to see out of the window. It just shows you don't it? It's all how you look at it. The end.

Reviews

I only got a few mins in lol. I think it’s a great practice to do a gratitude check every morning or night, because we should all be appreciative of what we have. I for one am extremely appreciative of Cory and her meditations! Anyway, this story was great!

✨Thank u so much Cory, ur amazing✨ ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

I love it so much Cory! You did an amazing job with this med!

Great! Also, I have a question Cory! Do you have another job? If so, what is it?

That was a great story and promoted some lovely discussions with my 7 year old about perspectives!

I have 2 fish, and I wonder how they're doing. They have a large tank and colorful plants/décor, but I haven't cleaned the tank in months, constantly forget to feed them, and hove my room is a good enough view (LOL)! 😬💖

1 day later: I remembered today! Lol