Today's Meditation:

The world in which we live doesn't really teach us about our own power.  This is something that we have to discover for ourselves, and it seems that relatively few people actually do discover it, and even fewer actually act on it.  Many of those who act on the knowledge of their own power use that power for purely selfish motives, trying to extend that power over other people, trying to become "powerful" in the world's eyes, either politically, physically, financially, or even spiritually.

But we all have the power to change the world in small ways, if we're able to find the courage to give of ourselves without being concerned about rejection or failure.  It does take courage to listen to the beat of our own drummer and follow it, letting others follow the beat that they wish to follow.  There is ample goodness in our hearts to make a great difference in the world, if we're but able to access it, trust it, and share it with others.

I may never see any direct results of the goodness I share today, the giving that I do.  But my small act of goodness may inspire someone else to share their goodness, and the ripple effect is born.  Or what I do today may stay with someone else for a very long time until he or she is ready to give, and my act may be an inspiration that that person follows in order to give of him or herself.

Do you dare to be yourself, at all times, in all situations?  If you do, then congratulations--you're among a rare breed.  We all are truly unique individuals with a great deal of goodness to share; unfortunately, we don't all act that way all the time.

Questions to ponder:

1.  What kinds of goodness do you have to share with others?

2.  What kinds of things keep you from sharing your goodness?

3.  Why does it take courage to be ourselves?

For further thought:

Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one's
self.  We must be purposely kind and generous,
or we miss the best part of existence.  The heart
that goes out of itself gets large and full of joy.
This is the great secret of the inner life.  We do ourselves the most good doing something for others.

Horace Mann

Today's Quotation:

The answer to helplessness is not so very complicated.  A person can
do something for peace without having to jump into politics.  Each person
has inside a basic decency and goodness.  If we listen to it and act on it,
we are giving a great deal of what the world needs most.  It is not
complicated but it takes courage.  It takes courage for a person to listen
to his or her own goodness and act on it.  Do we dare to be ourselves?
This is the question that counts.

Pablo Casals

Living Life Fully <[email protected]>