Generosity of Spirit: "Born To Be Awesome"

               "I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any                             kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now.                               Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way                               again." Etienne de Grellet, Quaker Missionary

Celebrations often mean bringing out our favorite champagne.  Those living middle-class lives, and liking French champagnes, may choose brands such as Veuve Cliquot or Dom  Pérignon. Then, there's  Moët et Chandon. To my untrained palette, the only real difference between Dom Pérignon and Moët et Chandon  is the cost, as the difference in taste is so subtle, it's almost indiscernible. And both champagnes come out of the *house of Moet et Chandon. 

But many would rather have the higher-priced Dom Pérignon, at twice the price ...because we want the best for our friends and family. Then, there are the "neighbors," who may watching us too.  

Question of the day:

Why is it so easy for us to serve the best when we want to leave a lasting impression among our friends, acquaintances and family, yet there's a lack of generosity when serving our thoughts to those same people?   

Serving up spiritual gifts is one of the most generous gifts we can give to a person.  Doing so, too, costs us nothing. But in life, we find that many people would rather give tangible things as gifts...real expensive items... yet  skimp on compliments. 

"Generosity of Spirit" is an elixir so rare that when it's served up, it often takes us by surprise. This should not be. 

"At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

I tend to remember both how people made me feel and also what they did and said.  

And this past week was a week filled with gifts. 

Each day brought blessings from Souls who popped into my space just long enough to pour out their wealth of spirit, making me feel rich and truly prospered.  

It started with a very early birthday card I received, screaming on the cover in black and red:  "Born to be Awesome...that's YOU!" The words inside also elaborated in even more magnificent ways the reasons the sender thought I was awesome. I was truly struck by the "generosity of spirit" that prompted my friend to send such a card.

Then, the next day,  a sweet man, with a wonderful demeanor and style paused at my desk to tell me something: 

"I had some extra time last night, so  I was reflecting on the good things in life. I was thinking of the early morning sun and how it blesses us with its positive, vibrant energy each day. Immediately upon thinking of the sun and its gifts, I thought of you. As you bring this same energy into my space."

Wow. Just wow.

Two days in a row.
On the third day, another person, knowing I had grown to love Welch's mixed fruit snack bought the hugest box she could find and left it on my desk. "Happy Birthday, Cheryl. Enjoy."

Merlyn, my sister, back far right,  pictured with her
two daughters, Shondelle, back row, center, Saudia, front center,
Stephen, back row, 3rd from right!
and their families, recently visiting Seattle.  (Happy Oct. 3 birthday, Saudia!)

On the fourth day, one of my truly awesome sisters, who in the past had forgotten my birthday until the last minute in her busyness with her real estate work, was taking no chances this year:  she called me with a generous offer for my birthday celebration. I truly was touched that this year, she'd taken the time to plan ahead.

Wow! Just Wow! 

My birthday still is a few days away. And I tell you, if this keeps up, I won't have a heart big enough to accommodate the gifts of love and generosity being poured onto me. 

 "Thank you, Universe! Thank you, people!"

These gifts will outlast any sparkling champagne, as they nurture my Soul.

We must then ask, "How much did it cost these Souls to bring me these gifts?" 

We know the cost. Yet, few people seem able to afford them. 

We must understand, though, why:  

• When we're not feeling our best selves, or operating from a place of wholeness, it becomes very difficult for us to give good feelings to others.
• When life has thrown us some seeming cruel, curved balls, and we don't know where we're headed, we may become disillusioned enough to believe that there's little to life than the superficial.
• When we're separated from the center of our being, our Soul, there's no way we can see beyond the circumference of our own bodies, much less to give or bring joy to another. 

Sometimes, it becomes too costly to tell someone else that they are cool.

Sometimes, it becomes more than we can bear to see others strutting their brightness, when our world may be filled with darkness.

This is human. This is real. This is a direct result of our separation from our Soul.

For many of us, this separation is causing real riffs to develop in our lives.

When we feel a sense of inadequacy in some way, it's difficult to celebrate the light shining from someone else.

When we're feeling that way, most of us have the tendency to turn surly and unpleasant. We believe that by looking sour, and acting that way, we will dim the light in others.  Somehow, in our distorted state of mind, this makes us even. 

On the other hand, those who truly have a light that no man on Earth can dim do the exact opposite; they present a bright, cheerful demeanor even when life turns sour on them. One such beautiful soul, Zaudia, told me that she smiles harder when life presses her on the inside.

"I want people to see me smiling during my most difficult times. By doing so, I am able to camouflage my pain and eventually the pain goes away."

We've all heard the saying, "Smile and the whole world smiles with you." This is truth.

Surliness will never win friends. Compliments, and a spirit that expands to see the world beyond the circumference of our body, always will. 

"Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others."                                             -Barbara Bush, via Gratefulness.org

Generosity of Spirit
comes back to us

We so long to celebrate life with  the best of champagnes and the best of life's offerings. My strong belief is that we'll always have to keep breaking out the Dom Pérignon, Cristal and  Salon Blanc de Blanc, or Louis Roederer Cristal Brut, until we reconnect back with our Souls. Champagne and other external "tools" may lift our spirit for a day or two, then it's back to "reality."

For those looking to enjoy a permanent spark,  connect within and then learn to reach out.

We should give generously of our spirit. When we do, joy does come back to us...even in little ways.

We should remember, too, that when it comes to people, we don't often  get "do overs." We may meet someone this year and never have an opportunity again to say, "Thank you for being in my life. I think you were born to be awesome, the way you shine." 

Say your kind words now, heeding the words of Etienne de Grellet at the beginning of this post, and do not defer your good deeds and thoughts, "as (the people we meet) may never walk this way again."

As I move closer to my October 5th birthday this year, I feel tremendously blessed by the Souls in my life. When I reflect on my past life, where I was known as "the hostess with the mostest," and where champagne poured freely at my celebrations, I see a tremendous difference today. With the consciousness I had back then, I was tremendously happy. But my Soul today has filled the center of my being with its energy:  I am totally at peace...because ... I am home!

Thank God for the journey, and the long, slow walk that brought me here.

On Thursday, I may choose to have a rare sip of alcohol. If I do, I know it will not be Dom Perignon or any of the others. I will choose my perennial favorite:

                                Chandon  Brut!

I raise my glass to all of you among us...all of you, my friends and readers...who don't wait to be invited to give gifts:  

Thank you for your generosity of Spirit!

Please remember, too: You were Born To Be Awesome!

 Namaste',

Che' 

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Moët et Chandon began in 1743 by Claude Moët, a wine trader.  In 1973, the then Moet -Hennessy company, founded Domaine Chandon, as an outpost winery in Napa Valley, California. Domaine Chandon was the first French-owned sparking wine operation in the United States.