It's been a good year, and the last few weeks have been particularly cheery and positive! I'm loving our life, and the girls indicate that they feel the same way. We're living kindly, and growing every day.
While I was out doing errands on this sunny morning, I felt particularly connected and compassionate to the faces around me. Ever notice how some people just seem happy? They're walking around laughing and being easy in their gait. They make small talk or nod as you pass by, and when their eyes meet yours - they smile! That's manna! Nice. Way to go Humans! Some of you have turned out to be pretty sunny beings, even on those days when it's raining!
Yet.... not everyone is that way. There are those who wear their worry in their scowl. Those people who just seem so DAMNED mad to be at the grocery store, or so impatient and bristling as they bustle about as if no one else matters.
At first, I found myself wondering - what kind of person walks around feeling so tense and angry all the time? Who wants to have a constant chip on their shoulder, always ready to joust every windmill?
Keeping these unhappy people at arm's length make sense, and it's so tempting to act on that perspective - just disconnecting yourself from their miserable ways. Why not? They fail at Life, right?
But then I turn it around, thinking .. I don't know what that guy right there is going through. And I can't be sure that the lady who didn't speak to me at the gas station isn't afraid or sad or ...just having a horrible day. That's right. In fact, you don't know who just lost a friend, lost a job or said goodbye to a loved one for the last time.
Suffering is generally silent, but often - visible. Yet when we see it made manifest in a negative way, we simply declare the person to be a jerk, unsympathetic to the unseen downpour that may be drowning them.
Compassion for people who act and smile like you is so easy to connect to.
But.... true love is demonstrated when you find your empathy going out to those who don't share your disposition. True strength, also. Hey -- it takes a lot of character to show patience for someone who would cast stones at you. Still, it's the right thing to do. Empathy is important. But it's not enough to just think empathetic thoughts...
The truth of our measure is best demonstrated in what we do, not what we talk about (and expect from others). And really - it doesn't take some monumental action or a donation of cash to make a difference. Just offering a forgiving smile, or letting someone pass you in traffic can be a form of charity.
Your life is an amazing story, so full of the potential for fantastic demonstrations of all these really excellent concepts. Don't let fear, insecurity, anger and all that other negative nonsense stop you from delivering excellence in character! The opportunities each of us are given so desperately want us to be bigger than that.
So.... Be cool to yourself. Seriously.
And when possible, be cool to others that you meet - especially those who don't have it like you do.
People need Love, not lectures.
They need relief, not regulation.
Everybody needs a little surprise kindness.
It changes things.
We're all in this Together. And odds are that we will probably be alright.
Big Up,
-C.D.
RIKA'S BLOG: (Please visit! She's WAY cool!): Rika's Choice
PS: Yes... there is sorrow and a lot of pain in the world. By all means - address the things that matter. But do not dwell on them to the point where darkness is all you see in the world, or all that you can speak of.
You cannot plant a garden just by removing rocks from the soil.
You have to contribute something which can grow.
There is so much more to discover...
There is so much more to share...
So much to enjoy and learn from.
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