Month: October 2022

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Being Kind

 

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”  -The Dalai Lama

It truly is always possible to be kind.  For kindness can be shown in many ways and in many circumstances.  Some ways I was treated with kindness today were coworkers greeting me with a smile, someone I don’t know holding a door open for me, a coworker patiently answering a question I had about a work procedure, and a person who was waiting for the same bus as I was gesturing for me to go ahead of her.  Those are the actions that I remember; I’m sure there were others as well.  And each one added a little brightness to my day.  They are some of the many ways we show kindness to one another on a daily basis.

In addition to my being a recipient of kindness today, I read about situations where people’s kindness is making a significant difference in other people’s lives.  I read an article describing a pro bono project where some lawyers are providing legal expertise and completing the procedures and paperwork needed to help people leave countries where they are in hiding until it is safe to leave.  The article also told about lawyers who are representing people who have been falsely charged with crimes and are in prison.  By volunteering to investigate the facts of cases, the lawyers are working to prove that the people did not commit the crimes so that they may be free again.  Another article I read was about people who volunteer at a food shelf to help the many people who depend on it to have sufficient food for themselves and their children.  These are just a few examples of worthy causes where people are showing kindness toward others by choosing to assist in the ways they are able to.

Whether in relatively small ways, such as those I experienced today, or in larger ways, such as by volunteering time and energy toward valuable causes, each of us can and does show kindness.  For being kind is always possible, one way or another.

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Life’s Unexpected Gifts

The other day in the early morning, I was going up the outside steps to the entrance of the building where I live when I saw two deer walking along a nearby nature trail.  I watched them for a couple of minutes, and just as I was about to take another step toward the door, another deer came along the path.  And a few seconds after that, a fourth deer appeared.  I again took in the scene for a few minutes before entering the building.

Life gives us unexpected gifts.  Seeing the deer was one of those gifts.  I usually see two or three deer a year, which is also special each time I see one, but to see four in the space of a few minutes was a first for me.  I felt peaceful seeing them in the quiet morning and also seeing the tall grasses and the lake behind them which added to the peaceful scene.  Many of us, including me, have busy lives.  In a way, this occurrence gave me a few minutes to have a break from being busy.  It also served as a connection to nature which adds to our physical and emotional wellbeing.

In addition, my seeing this scene is an example of a synchronicity—a meaningful acausal experience.  Deer are in the traditional stories and mythologies of people around the world, for they live on almost every continent.  Some of the aspects they symbolize are compassion, gentleness, vulnerability, awakening, and blessings.  If a deer would be in a dream I had, I would ponder these symbolic qualities to try to discern the dream’s message for me.  We can do the same with synchronicities.  In fact, the entire incident had a dreamlike quality to it.

Becoming more compassionate and gentle people would make our world a better place for all of us.  Being aware of our vulnerabilities adds to our self-knowledge and enables us to better approach certain situations.  When I think of awakening, I think of spiritual awakening and growing in faith.  And acknowledging our blessings from our Creator and being thankful for them are part of living in faith.

Try to notice such unexpected gifts and their possible messages.  It is another way to live a more meaningful life.

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Infinite Hope

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

This quote is by Martin Luther King, Jr.  His words reflect the way he lived his calling as a pastor and as a leader in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s.  He and many other people who are less well known than he is gave of themselves in order to change the oppressive and unjust status quo and thereby to improve the lives of others.  Despite their nonviolent approach to bringing attention to the numerous wrongs that were being perpetrated, they were often treated with violence and imprisoned.  And yet, despite the setbacks, they did not give up.  They accepted the finite disappointments, and they held onto infinite hope as they continued to make their voices heard.

When I think of finite disappointments, I think of things not turning out the way we want them to.  It is especially disheartening when that which we want to happen seems so right, a change for the better.  When we experience these disappointments, we need to endeavor to discern whether to try again or perhaps to try a different approach toward pursuing our objectives.  In some cases, something not working out as we hoped can be a sign that it’s time to reassess whether that is the direction we should be taking.  Making an effort to discern what our inner wisdom is telling us is essential to determining what our next steps should be.

When I think of infinite hope, I think of a hope that is based on faith; a hope that is present despite whatever else is happening in our lives, including the more challenging and difficult times.  It is the hope that is present during the darker times as well as during the more joyful times.  Infinite hope also involves embracing the truth that only the Creator sees the full picture, and therefore there will be times when we won’t be able to have answers to why something did or did not happen as we wanted it to.

Infinite hope is a gift from our Creator that makes it possible for us to persevere.