What I Learned Today

I’ve always said that Life comes to teach us something, and I’d like to think that I’ve learned some great lessons along the way, but today was quite a reflective day, and the ten lessons below, though not entirely new, played over and over in my mind.  Here is what I learned:

1. No matter the sincerity of your intentions, there’s always the possibility of being misinterpreted or misconstrued. The only thing you own is your truth.
2. I should not dim my light for fear of others’ feeling small. The total brilliance of this Universe depends on the light in each of us.
3. There are people behind the names, aliases, blogs, and Tweets that are real individuals trying to manage the complexity of their own lives.
4. There’s no sense in overriding instinct or intuition; there’s always a truth beneath the feeling.
5. Everything isn’t to be taken personally.
6. There are small windows of opportunity that, once opened, can possibly save the life of someone, near or far. Don’t be afraid to open them.
7. There is power in words, actions, and thoughts, and that these are the only things that can be controlled.
8. Blessings should be used to bless others, so be a vessel for their transportation.
9. The market on inspiration is open to everyone, so write as you are inspired.
10. Coincidences are rarely so.  We just must search to make sense of the connection.

Unlike chain letters and emails that have already made their way around the world, where the sender requires that you then send to ten of your closest friends in the next ten minutes, bad luck will not befall you if you don’t forward this post.  There will be “no large dove with diarrhea landing on your head at 5:00 pm tomorrow to infest you with fleas” should you not make the deadline…pinky swear!  (Real email) 🙂 Also, I am almost positive that you won’t turn into a pillar of salt should you only send this to nine of your friends, and not ten, including the friend who had the nerve to send it to you in the first place!

Seriously, these were my very own thoughts, inspired by Spirit.  As I went about my day, I thought about my friends and family, some still here and some gone too soon; some “going through”, and others seemingly just fine; and as I recollected some of our more recent exchanges, these were the truths that poured into me, like a vessel.  I felt a tremendous sense of urgency to release them almost as immediately as I received them.  Part of this prodding might also be due to seeing a six-year old boy named Jordan left by his family at a restaurant where my family and I ate this past Sunday afternoon. Jordan was already there, unaccompanied, when we arrived, and sadly enough, his family had yet to return for him when we left almost two hours later. This troubled me, and left an indelible mark on me since. Some things change us forever, I suppose.

Intuitively I felt, and made the suggestion, that the staff track down a family member using the address of one of Jordan’s family members that may have paid for the meal, but this was obviously a delicate matter.  It was now up to the authorities to intervene. Because I was aware of what was unfolding, I couldn’t just go on with business as usual. It was obvious to my family that I was becoming unglued.   Inasmuch as I wanted to do more, I knew that I couldn’t rescue Jordan or take him home. This wasn’t about me, or my feelings of powerlessness, but rather, it was about Jordan and trusting that following protocol would return Jordan to his family.

I believe that it was no coincidence that my path crossed Jordan’s that day.  Good news is that Jordan was reunited with his family later that evening, but somehow, I will never be able to wipe away the smile that lit up his face that afternoon.  You see, Jordan, a special-needs child, seemed oblivious to being left…probably for good.  As I mused over Jordan and the various situations that are evolving in the lives of those that I care for and know about, throughout my day, these inspirations continued to pour in, and I felt compelled and called to “just write” them.

Rather than forward to ten friends, perhaps you can reflect on ten things life has taught you today…and please, do share.

Some Musical Inspiration:

– “All My Mistakes”, Lizz Fields