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Today's
Meditation:
There is obviously a lot of misery in this world, but
the good news is that there are many, many people who are
willing and able to lessen its intensity, to help people
through it, to take away its strength. Diluting the
misery of the world isn't a question of trying to wipe
out misery, for such a task never would be possible, but
more a question of doing things for others that help them
to see and feel hope, and to understand the meaning of
compassion.
Misery seems to be a trait of humanity. Sometimes it
occurs on huge scales in places where there is drought or
famine, and sometimes it happens on much smaller scales,
in run-down neighborhoods or in families where abuse takes
place. Misery tends to keep people from feeling
hope, and it tends to keep them thinking that the status
quo is the only way that things can be. But how do
we as individuals have any power at all to help to dilute
its power?
Only by giving of ourselves and/or our talents and/or our
time. If we live in cities, it's certain that there
are people around us living in misery. Help is
needed at food banks and counseling centers and other
places that serve the destitute. We don't even need
to go to these places if the times don't work in our
schedules-- taking the time to help to publicize the need
could accomplish more than serving a breakfast
sometimes. Improving our performance at work may
have an extremely strong effect on someone, somewhere,
that we'll never know about.
If we do work at diluting the misery in this world, it's
important that we give up our need to see results, for
such a need more than likely will lead to frustration and
possibly keep us from giving more. What's important
is that we do find things that can help others, and that
we do make that contribution, no matter how small or
insignificant it may feel when we do so. For then
we're contributing to our larger purpose in life, and
fulfilling our purpose always should be what we seek to do
while we're here.
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