Deep in the core of your heart
lives a knowing, a Something
surer than eye or word can tell,
a fixed reality, transcending
all illusion. Trust in that,
and flow in its grace.
Flow in Grace
Petal by Petal
Petal by petal, life’s flower unfolds,
a mystery, unfathomable, its beginnings
unknown, its destination the source
of numberless words and whisperings
swept across the centuries. Choose
whatever your heart sings as your guide,
for it knows truths beyond what words
can tell. Trust what feels most loving.
The moments are here for your experiencing.
Drink of their nourishment deeply
and with joy, opening yourself
petal by wondrous petal.
The Happiness of a Giving Heart
Have you ever noticed that feeling you get when you do something for somebody else? That little lift you get? That little burst of energy?
It’s such a clean, strong feeling, even when it only lasts a second or two. That’s what giving does for us. The boost it generates is life’s way of telling us that easing the way for someone else makes us happier, too.
That’s what “the golden rule” is all about. Treating others the way you’d want to be treated makes for increased happiness all the way around.
We’re happy when others help us when we need it, and when can help others, we’re made happier, too.
Giving stimulates our sense of our capability. When we respond to somebody’s need we feel connected to our hearts, the place from which giving rises,
Happiness researchers Foster and Hooks have this to say about giving:
“True giving, radiant giving, comes from the same inner place as deep happiness. It’s a desire to share our personal sense of worth and values.
“It’s having the self-esteem to feel that what we have to offer is valuable—our advice, wisdom, expertise, skills, physical labor.
“The manner in which we give these gifts is a reflection of who we are.”
That’s a very special way of giving. It’s not giving from a sense of obligation, and especially it’s not giving from a sense of guilt or as a compensation for feeling unworthy in some way. It’s giving for the sheer joy and beauty of giving; it’s giving from a full heart.
The highest level of giving, Foster and Hicks say, is giving in a way that helps other people live better, more independently and more effectively.
They found that many of the happy people they studied volunteered time in their communities working for causes they considered worthwhile. Some acted as mentors. Some spent time counseling family or community members.
Sometimes their giving was the habitual performance of kindnesses, stepping up whenever they saw a way to fill a need or to ease someone’s way. Sometimes they simply offered encouragement or gave appreciation to others, or brightened others’ days with a genuine smile.
Happy people, Foster and Hicks say, “give because it is a decree of their heart, letting their internal sense of contentment and joy overflow into the world.”
One of the most fulfilling ways to give to others is simply to share what you love. Share your passions. Whether you’re into music or carpentry, reading, gardening, exercising, playing chess—whatever you love, engage somebody else in it.
The opportunities for giving are endless. It’s simply a matter of being aware of them. Learn to find them by asking yourself, “What can I offer?” “How can I help?” “Whose life can I support?” “Whose day can I brighten?”
Share your skills, your knowledge, your emotional support, material items, money or time. Give of them freely, with joy, and you’ll find the giving returns more rewards than you could ever anticipate.
It builds bonds. It creates trust. It enhances life both for the recipient of your sharing and for you.
As a tool for enriching your happiness, it ranks as one of the most powerful. Make a point of noticing your giving this week and watch what happens inside you.
Wishing you a week of happy-hearted giving!
Warmly,
Susan
Image by Harish Sharma from Pixabay
Painting on the Rocks
The leaves fall to the creek floor
like careless drops from the brush of some artist.
splattering the rocks with rust and bronze,
pastel yellow and shades of green. They and the creek
make a painting of their own. But this is no accident.
There’s nothing careless here. It took eons
to create this scene, time beyond measure.
All for this moment, this one breath of a day,
when the light and the air were just so,
and it was early September.
Some Love
All love goes beyond words.
Some of it’s so deep you can’t even think it,
only feel it in your heart.
And then there’s the love that’s made of
al the bits and crumbs of love there ever was.
Why, it’s so big that all it can do is paint itself
all over everything, right before your very eyes.
How It Goes
Sometimes I want to roll up my sleeves, step on into it
and hurl things, wailing in anguish and outrage.
I take note, you see, of what’s going on.
But it’s like the lyrics from that ‘60’s era tune,
either Moody Blues or the Beatles,
maybe you’ll know:
“Someone exploded a bomb today,
but it wasn’t anybody I knew.”
Another bomb? Too bad; so sad.
I take note and tuck it away.
The creek beckons. Trees are waiting
to be heard. Go now. Gifts await.
It will keep you sane.
And I did. And it does.
But as I said, I take note of what’s going on.
And from time to time I look beneath
the surface and am astonished at how vile
evil can be, what a cold and twisted thing
.
Then I remember the creek. And the trees.
And I am saved.
Rough Neighborhoods
Finding themselves on rocky ground,
surrounded by the broken and the fallen,
in a place where the sun can find only
brief and narrow openings,
some spirits nonetheless thrive,
rejecting excuses for failing,
choosing instead to laugh and stand tall,
to shine their light, to blossom in love,
to sing the Yes of the infinite song
and live free. If you chance to see them,
let your heart applaud.
Choices
One by one, the leaves decide.
Who will go first? Who will hold on?
Who will be the last to go?
Already some could not resist
the chance to ride the wind
and fly, free of all restraints,
to sail birdlike on the wings of air.
Most waited, savoring the familiar view,
savoring its changes. Neither choice
was right or wrong. Time would tell them
when to fly. And time, the creek told them,
has its way of doing things
in exactly the perfect order.
The Bridge
A turn of the calendar’s page, and here’s September,
come to bridge the seasons, to provide a pathway
into fall. The green of the trees still sings of summer,
but the first of autumn’s leaves have begun to tumble
down, to gather at the edges of streams and roadways.
It happens like that, gradually, so that you hardly notice.
Beneath the bridge, time’s stream flows endlessly on.
Sunday Messenger
A flicker of tan caught my eye
and, expecting a butterfly,
I glanced toward the window.
“Oh! A deer!” I said aloud,
surprised as a graceful fawn
ambled into view, then paused,
surveying the scene, listening,
every muscle in its body ready
to bound away. A Sunday messenger,
come as an unexpected guest,
so welcome a sight
for these world-weary eyes,
refreshing them, reminding me
the world still holds the wild and free.