generosity
The Ripple Effect Of Kindness
Although I am usually very careful with online transactions, I received a notification yesterday of two unknown online purchases for the same amount, but from separate companies, both debited to my credit card without my knowledge.
It´s been a few years since I have been scammed in this way, so when I began investigating the matter it soon became obvious that online fraud has become rife in recent years. It’s much more complicated and frustrating to sort this out with vendors and the bank than it used to be. It was certainly a lesson for me to be more careful in future.
However, an unexpected blessing came from the mishap, as it often does. At the end of the first phone call I made to report the issue, the call center agent who assisted me thanked me for “being so nice to him.” When I asked him what he meant, he said my voice had soothed him and that he consequently felt a great sense of calm. He explained that people usually begin these call by yelling at him, as if he is somehow to blame.
“Well, it´s hardly your fault,” I said.
He continued by saying that customers are usually very angry and upset. Although he is trained to handle such calls, and understand the frustration of the callers, one never really get used to the feeling of being attacked and insulted – simply for doing your job.
I felt blessed after our interaction to know that I had impacted someone´s day positively. It reminded me that our words and actions really can make or break someone´s day.
It reminded me of the time when I used to work for an airline, many years ago. Our service training was heavily focused on customer care, particularly as this particular airline didn´t have a great reputation for punctuality or customer service in those days. Management was making a concerted effort to rectify their bad reputation.
Remember To Reach Out This Holiday Season
The holidays have been different these past two years. We are normally accustomed to planning big get-togethers, buying many gifts, preparing lots of food and finally gathering with family and friends. In the past, these gatherings were a given, whenever feasible, and both small and large get-togethers were marked with fun, laughter, music, food and festivities.
But a global pandemic has been curtailing our carefully laid plans and we had to be to be innovative to stay connected with our loved ones. Some people live in areas with very little impact. Others are in hot spots. Regardless of your own current situation, it is important to include people safely, to whatever level you can under the circumstances.
Please remember to touch a few lonely hearts this time of year, even if it is just by way of a quick phone call or text message. If there are people you know who live alone or are unable to join their usual groups to celebrate, do whatever you can to reach out to them and make them feel included in the celebrations. Connect virtually, send a parcel or invite them to a future event to look forward to.
Extend your reach to those less fortunate as well. This time of year can be particularly difficult for those in need. Contribute to a charity, or reach out to a volunteer group and offer your services. A willing pair of helping hands is always appreciated.
Amid all the chaos and excitement of the season, also take some time to be good to yourself. We tend to run ourselves ragged, while it just isn’t possible to keep going at maximum speed without a well-deserved break. It is important to remember that we cannot give what we ourselves do not have. Your career or business will always be there. Recharge your batteries so you will be rested, confident, and energized to help others.
De-Cluttering For Body, Mind & Spirit
For me the average household chore is only temporarily rewarding, because before you know it, the serenity which comes from the cleanliness and order you’ve just created is short lived. Dust and chaos return in a flash!
On the other hand, I find ‘de-cluttering’ much more rewarding, and more so knowing that a lot of ‘stuff’ not used in a while is either going to someone who can use it, or to help in raising funds for one of the animal charities I support.
More frequently these days, people are adopting a minimalist feng shui approach to furnishing their homes – and also in other areas of their lives – because somewhere deep down we all long for the space and lack of gadgets and stuff that our forefathers managed quite happily without.
Much has been brought to our TV screens these days in the way of reality shows about compulsive hoarding, bringing awareness about how the obsession of accumulating a vast amount of things is actually an emotional issue, rather than one of material usefulness.
Advances of modern civilization are generally limited to the material. So, our spiritual and mental progress hasn’t kept up with the material, hence people’s anguished stories, which I feel is accentuated because their spiritual development hasn’t kept up with their worldly achievements.
The benefit of clearing out that which no longer serves us helps in two major ways:
Crystal Energy Work And Prosperity
Crystals used in spiritual practice can help us manifest many good things in our life. If you’re specifically looking to increase your financial security, wealth and prosperity, or maybe find that perfect job or start that successful business (or even win that lottery ticket), try adding some new prosperity crystals into your daily spiritual practice.
There are many ways you can bring these crystals into your life for financial success. Keeping a few of your favorites in a purse or wallet, or on your desk at work, is the best way to have them close at hand. Traditionally, the southwest corner of a space is associated with prosperity and wealth, so try a bowl filled with your favorite crystals and place it there. Some practitioners prefer to place a collection of these crystals in a prosperity grid. Maybe a piece of jewelry made with some of these crystals?
It’s also important to consider all kinds of wealth and prosperity (good luck, business sense, spirituality, knowledge) and not just material goods when using your crystals. Each of the crystals and stones below has unique abundance properties, so choose the ones most unique and meaningful to your situation.
The main thing to remember in your crystal energy work is your intention. Prosperity is something all of us aspire to, and it’s certainly great to have lots of extra spending money, but we also must remember different kinds of ‘wealth’ exist, especially the wealth of the heart. We must also seek to bless others, so always remember those in need and less fortunate. Wealth and prosperity without love and sharing is meaningless.
How To Practice The Art Of Gratitude
My life has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, I love my job, have a beautiful son, an adorable husband and supportive friends and family. Therefore, irrespective of current world events, I genuinely have a lot to be grateful for!
Gratitude is beneficial for all of us, including physically, emotionally and spiritually. For one, appreciating the good things in our lives helps us to be more tolerant and forgiving, with a higher sense of life satisfaction. Grateful people also tend to have more hope and inner peace and feel less anxious and alone.
God, Spirit, the Universe loves gratitude! Those who are sincerely grateful are blessed with even more to be grateful for. Like attracts like.
How does one ensure that you practice the art of gratitude ever day? The following guidelines should help:
Seek Out The Positive
In my own personal research into positive psychology, I became aware of something referred to as negativity bias. In case you have not heard of this, it means that our negative thoughts tend to be more dominant than the positive ones.
An excellent way of counteracting this negative way of thinking is to seek out at least three things in your life every day that you are well and truly grateful for. Try to make this a daily habit. By doing so, it should have you smiling in next to no time!
I remember when I was about 26 years old and in a particularly challenging place in my life. I was advised by a psychic, whom I reached out to with my troubles, to watch the film or read the book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It is some of the best advice I have every received. Once I had read the last chapter, I felt so grateful for whatever I had in my life.
Think Before You Speak Or Act
Sometimes, it is wise to move with caution and think things through slowly, so that we truly know what the best decision would be. This is especially true if you are one of those sensitive people who tend to be a ‘people-pleaser.’
Like the game of chess, it is smart to plan ahead and consider your options carefully. You don’t want to make a quick move, without clearly looking at what all the possible outcomes could be. We sometimes tend to make snap decisions to accommodate the needs of others, only to regret it later when we discover that it was a really bad move!
For example, if someone is asking you to do something for them or become involved in their project, and you just don’t know if you should commit yourself, you should say to that person: “You know, I’m so busy right now, I need a little time to think about it. I will get back to you on that as soon as I can.”
This way you do not have to walk away feeling you have let someone down, or harbor guilt or regret. You then take the time you need to simply think it through. Have a look at your calendar, make a few calls and decide how you really feel about this request or offer.
I believe this is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given: think through what you say and do, before you say and do it. Always consider if it is going to have a positive effect on your life and those around you. Never do anything that does not serve your highest good. It goes back to the ‘domino effect’ or the Law of Cause and Effect.
Keeping My Promise To A Departed Loved One
Sometimes we become so busy and preoccupied in our daily lives that we forget the commitments we made to loved ones, relatives and friends. But this does not only apply to the living. Some of us also forget the promises we make to those that are no longer with us.
Too often we hold the hand of a loved one on their deathbed and promise to look after those they will be leaving behind. They wish for us to look after those they will no longer be able to care for and love in this life. And we promise wholeheartedly to do whatever it is they ask of us in their final moments.
But once they have departed and life returns to normal, we soon forget these promises and serious conversations. Our memories become conveniently selective. We usually don’t mean for this to happen, but life does have a way getting in the way.
I had a shocking reminder recently of my own selective memory in this regard. Several years ago, I got into the habit of journaling about issues in my life that deeply matter to me. Recently, I was not able to sleep and was encouraged by spirit to go through my journal.
So, I sat up at about four o’clock in the morning and randomly opened my journal on the very page where I had written about a promise that I had made to a loved about another person, whom I had a strong dispute with in the past. Being only human, I had some seriously negative feelings towards that individual.
However, I had promised to check in and be supportive to this person, whom I did not like very much at all, on behalf of the person who was in their final hours. At the time, I remember saying that I would “do my best” and that “if I could, I would.”
The promise was much more than just checking in on the relative. It went as far as the very items I was meant to get at the grocery store, as well as things to say to this person when I delivered it. I had however conveniently forgotten about it since, until I discovered the entry in my journal.