May You Be Blessed!

It is traditional for us to have New Year's resolutions every time the year ends. Mine for 2010 is just one - I WILL TRY TO BE A BLESSING TO EVERYONE.

As Eric Harvey (www.walkthetalk.com) said in his introductory email about Kate Nowak's book, May You Be Blessed, it is not about religious beliefs but about JOY, APPRECIATION, KINDNESS and LOVE.

Everyday, we meet people who seem to have lost their light. It may be because they have lost a loved one, suffered an illness, experienced a failure or simply just lost sight of their purpose in life. I believe these people crossed our paths for one reason - to help them rekindle their inner light. In the process of doing this, we rekindle our own inner light because being a blessing naturally makes that happen. Goodness begets goodness. Ever heard of that famous line, "Smile and the world smiles with you"? It is true. Try entering a room and greeting everyone happily with a big bright smile on your face and you will see how a simple gesture of joy change and touch lives. Try throwing a word of appreciation to someone who did great. Try getting more emphathetic about someone who's being criticized and tell him what positive you see in what he's doing. Try telling someone who feels alone and unloved that there is someone who loves him.

I think being a blessing is aptly described in the prayer of St Francis. This is my most favourite song and prayer of inspiration:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

A MOST BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!