Each day is a blessing. Every second you have left on earth is a gift. Every action you take, every idea you have, every act of compassion and love is a gift. However, there are some people in your life who might not be giving you gifts right now, but you can still give them to you. And the best way to give someone a gift is to give yourself one. Gift yourself with forgiveness, patience, acceptance, laughter and joy. Gift yourself with love, peace, harmony. All are gifts of mercy. All are gifts given without measure, without condition.
You might be going through a difficult time. You may feel trapped and unable to see a way out. But there is still hope. How can you then deny you these gifts and more? How can you then deny another the gift of mercy? You’re not by yourself. We’ve all had that experience, even if we didn’t realize it at the time. And, as hard as it is to admit it—and as tempting as it may be to deny your gifts—it’s important to remember that you have a gift for writing and an ability to communicate that others can benefit from.
When you feel like there is something or someone before you that is not to your liking, remember: you have a choice of accepting that which is and turn your thoughts to love and light, or cast more shadow and doubt. As much as we would love for the world to be perfect, it does not exist in its current state. There will always be those who are different from us, with different beliefs and lifestyles. You may choose to be grateful for the opportunity to grow and become even more capable, or you may choose to dwell in anger and resentment, believing that all that came before was a mistake, but one you have no power over.
As you turn your thoughts to love and light, you are not turning a blind eye to what is before you. Instead you are choosing to see past surface appearances, seeing the Light of Divine Source within each person. When you imagine yourself as a channel for light and compassion and enable these characteristics to flow out into the world, it is indeed as if a charge carrier starts running through anything that comes into interaction with your energy field. The further we concentrate on loving others, the further we realize how much love we require in our own lives. We can help ourselves by concentrating on how much light we require in our lives. We can also assist others by focusing on their needs and providing them with what they require at this time.
You might believe that your decisions aren’t your own, that they have been managed to make for you, or that all has already been decided for you. However, we contend that this is simply not the case: in any situation, you have the ability to decide how you see, feel, and act. This is your path now; do what is necessary. You are always safe, surrounded by love and light, and given the courage and strength to do what needs to be done.
We do not say you must stay where you are, surrendering to the will of others. We are saying travel with love and light, practice mercy upon yourself and others. Accept where you are, keeping your eye on where you want to be. Don’t let people tell you what to do or how to live your life—make those decisions for yourself. And most importantly, don’t just settle for being average. If there is anything in your life that feels beyond ordinary or ordinary in an extraordinary way, then don’t settle for living it like everyone else does.
Think about what kindness means to you: perhaps it’s showing someone they’re not alone in their struggles, or making sure they have a safe place to go after school. Maybe it’s helping someone with homework or cheering them up when they’re feeling down. Whatever kindness means to you, let us all keep practicing it today. Be kind and loving on this day. Mercy shall accompany you all your days. As you approach this special day, remember that kindness and love are two of the most powerful forces in the world.
