Bestowing Blessings

Abraham Blessing Isaac by Govert Flinck

Blessings are always in short supply! There are never enough occasions in which we bestow this profound and magnificent infusion of hope, good will and sacred expression. It is surprising that we do not offer more of them to each other. They are powerful ways to confirm love and approval. They change the landscape of our circumstances at the time. People listen to them with care. We certainly offer curses readily enough.

This is my very favorite Gaelic Blessing. It was given to me by my Aunt Lucille and hangs in our home to this day. It is familiar to many people:

"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand."

There is a story about a priest who was blessing members of his congregation. He asked anyone who wanted to receive the special blessing to come to the front of the church. A mentally challenged man came forward. The priest, Henri Nouwen, made the sign of the cross on his forehead and said some words. The man said, “That’s no blessing” and wrapped his arms around the priest. Henri responded by wrapping his own arms around the man telling him of his special place in his heart and in the community. When he looked up from his friend he saw that the entire congregation had lined up for their personal rich blessing.

We need to take the opportunity to bestow and offer blessings. The Hawaiians do it with everything that is new on the islands. The Irish are masters of the celebration of blessing. It is just a matter of speaking your well wishes from the heart. Memorize some or just make them up. Everyone is hungry for them.

The Purpose of Heroes

Most of us have easily identified a personal hero at some time in our lives. We have admired figures in history, politics, celebrities, mythical icons and even comic book characters. Their magnificent behavior thrilled us and set our imagination on fire. We could imagine ourselves doing such things. Some of us played games as children that allowed us to actually become the hero of our fantasies. It is unfortunate that most of us drop our champions as we grow older.

Tarnished images of the human beings that we admired and impossible super powers of fictitious characters lead us to a vision of a more mundane existence. We learn to accept our limitations and see the flaws of those who rise to great heights. Reality sets in. It is easy to become skeptical and suspicious in a world of investigative reporting and instant news. The luster and sparkle of life become murky. Hero worship can rarely have a good end. There will almost always be a fall from grace. It does not have to be that way.

The qualities and behaviors that we admired in the champion are enduring and meaningful. I used to conduct a regular workshop on the hero at Bridgeway in Brevard, NC. The patients at the facility had given up on life in many ways. It was important for them to regain a sense of possibilities. Participants identified heroes from childhood and later life, both mythical and historic. We laughed and reminisced about them all. Then we erased the names of the champions and replaced them with character traits. We talked about our real opportunities to rise to such heights and behave in valiant ways. We may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we can step in to stop a bully. We may not be able to see through a wall to find a missing treasure, but we can provide wisdom for those in need. We can be heroic. All we have to do is envision the great deeds of others and rise to the occasion. Now is the time. The world is waiting for us.

Living With Principles ~ A Moral Compass

A Moral Compass is an invisible tool that guides us along the journey of life. It has a "true north" that is found in our conscience. Values, principals and ethics are it's magnetic center. Human beings have lived for thousands of years while developing the sense of morality that allows us to live in peace, prosperity and harmony. It is made up of truth, compassion, cooperation, love and respect. These traditional values are the moral core of our society.

Outcomes and bottom lines have become the driving indicators in our fast paced world. These are based upon economic theory which results in efficiency in competitive markets. This theory has no place outside of the marketplace. The fact is, despite our emphasis on results, that acting according to our principles provides the most satisfying guidelines for living. When we do the right thing, instead of that which will provide the most benefits, we find that we will be defined as people of high moral fiber. We rise above the ordinary.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is worth compromising our principles. Our self worth is tied up in them. When we take a path away from them we find ourselves feeling guilty and incomplete. It becomes easier and easier to choose outcomes over values. The meaning of our activities is then defined only by financial success. We can do almost anything in the name of the bottom line.

There can be pains in the process of living a principled life. It is not the easy way. It is the satisfying way. Don’t sell out. I have never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse. But I have seen entire city blocks congested by cars following the funeral of a noble man or woman. Our moral core is economic only to the extent that it benefits the greater good. It is our moral compass that will lead us to real success in life. All that we must do is to find our true north.

Judging Others

It is easy to find fault with people. We often quickly assess the interior makeup of others by their appearance, a snapshot of behavior or by the opinion of a friend. This determination is usually dismissive and often an attack on the character of the subject of our judgment. These surface observations are overly simplistic and rarely accurate. The problem is that the discussion of other people’s faults has become a popular spectator sport. Tearing people down is considered funny and is often supported by groups of friends. TV even builds entire sitcoms around making fun of others weaknesses.

There are consequences for rendering these kinds of verdicts. Our judgments inflict suffering that we rarely get to see. There is none-the-less something that withers and dies when we demean another, not only in them, but in ourselves. We become more arrogant and the subject of our disdain is diminished. There is little possibility that a relationship or friendship might develop. We have probably squandered that opportunity forever. How shallow we can become when we behave in this way! How one dimensional we can become when it evolves into a habit!

Begin anew today. Make a resolution to catch other people being good. Walk away from situations where ridicule is the topic of conversation. Don’t laugh at or make fun of anyone. Take some time with an individual who has been the butt of jokes. Remember what our mothers used to say? Be Nice!

Living Your Dream

Life is meaningful when we are working toward the great vision of our dreams. It becomes enriched by a higher calling that enables us to accomplish the improbable. Gail Devers once said that we should keep our dreams alive and that we must “Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” There are few obsticles that remain in our way when we summon the power of our purpose. We can tackle things that otherwise would block our most determined efforts.

The absence of a dream and lack of a vision leave life flat and empty. Every one of us has had dreams for the future. The problem is that many of us have allowed the requirements of the daily grind to dash them on the rocks. We begin to muddle through and just survive. Our problems become overwhelming and we get stuck. Life seems to pass us by.

The truth is that every problem teaches us how to resolve it when we have vision. Nothing is impossible when we are serving our dreams. Our passion becomes fulfilled when we recognize and honor the daily mission of accomplishing our routine tasks and jobs. Remember that nothing is ordinary. Then, even that which was once mundane, becomes elevated. Accept the challenge to revive the dream that has slipped away and live in dedication to its achievement.

International Day of Peace

September 21 has been celebrated as The International Day of Peace since 1981. This year, the Secretary General of The United Nations has called for disarmament and an end to the stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction. His 100 day worldwide campaign ends on Monday, September 21 with a loud and clear statement, “We must disarm! We must have peace!”

Violent conflict continues to rage throughout the world. There are wars from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka to Sudan. Our focus on the loss of soldiers and their injuries reveals only part of the tragedy. Innocent civilians, the elderly, men, women and children are the most common victims. Boys and girls continue to be recruited as child soldiers. Rape is used as a way of destroying communities. These people cry out for our protection. They have no hope for an escape from poverty and no way of improving their lives until we rise up to the challenge of peace.

This year is the seventieth anniversary of the start of World War II. We said “Never Again” in 1945. It is the ninetieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. We proclaimed that it was the “war to end all wars”. Now is the time to recommit to those ideals and promises. Twenty-one white doves were released into the sky at the Kabul headquarters of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The Peace Bell is ringing at the UN in New York. My hope is that these symbols of our resolution to change might send out the message that it is time to stop the violence and bloodshed. The time is now.

A Personal Philosophy

I have adopted a new personal philosophy or motto. It is not a major shift in the way that I see or approach life. It is a thought that took form in a conversation with my life-long friend yesterday. We were talking about rising from the ashes of disappointment and failings. He said that he appreciates the way that I have been able to remake or reframe my life after some rather difficult circumstances several years ago. My response was that "Everything is a celebration. You just have to decide whether to go to the party or not."

The attitude we cultivate determines how the things that are going on in our lives will affect us. We will find happiness and love if we meet our circumstances with a positive attitude, a smile on our faces and love in our hearts. That's the way that it works. We can find reasons around us to be angry, resentful, wounded and distraught. There is more than enough trouble to go around. It is also a fact that we are surrounded by incredible beauty, generosity and celebration.

There are times in which we must face the tragic. We cannot ignore crisis and poverty of spirit. I do not promote denial or putting our heads in the sand. I do endorse the proposition that practically any situation can be improved by the way we greet and handle it. We can always reach out, ask for help or lend a hand. We can always connect. There is always a way to lift our spirits and the spirits of others by offering a smile, kindness, a gentle touch and a soft ray of optimism. Resentment, anger, glum and pessimistic attitudes will only return increased negativity. They will never inspire or encourage anyone.

The question that leads us is whether we can acknowlege the negative while accentuating the good. Live life in a positive way. It can be done. It takes a conscious effort sometimes. But it can be done. We must embrace the here and now. It's time to come to the party.