How do you bless the world?
I was asked this quietly intense question a few nights ago by our new friend and it startled me. He expected an answer. Rather than breathe into my soul and consider what the question meant, I searched only the shallows of my head and blurted out something inane that began with “I hope I…” and ended with something like “give love” or “bring joy.” He listened kindly and softly suggested that I already do those things. He assured me with a gentle smile that while he understood my humility, I do not need to hesitate in my acknowledgement of myself and what I do by my very presence.
This deep question is a double challenge personally. It is first a reminder to be truly aware that every day, every Now moment, is my opportunity to bless the world. To realize that the land I hike on, the water I drink, the people I meet, the animals in my care, stones and mountains, ocean and sand, the tiniest seed of pinecone or flower – all are worthy of my blessing.
To bless: A verb of sacred proportions. It invokes divine care, confers prosperity or happiness, suggests favor and esteem. It denotes worthiness.
Blessing is a recognition of each one’s sacred spirit.
The second challenge is to own that I am blessing it, that I myself am worthy of blessing the world I encounter and especially the people I meet. I need this blessing as much as they because – as Byron Katie so eloquently puts it - we have each been waiting our entire lives for this moment to meet each other.
Owning my power to bless is owning my worth.
So many of us have been made to feel less than about…just name it – weight, religion, height, ethnicity, gender preference, lifestyle choices. Unworthiness as a mind set is created early and often by unconscious actions by parents and leaders or by peers who tease (or bully) because of their own feelings of unworthiness. Hurt people hurt people as another friend reminds me.
Knowing that I bless the world just exactly as I am is a milestone achievement that allows me freedom to be Me. Me – fully. Me – period. And in the comfort of my own skin I can bless everything more deeply and consciously.
Even as I write these carefully selected words I know ~ this is a question to ponder for the rest of my years.
How we bless the world ~ we each get to choose.
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