The world we live in is in great part the result of the way we look at it. At every single moment, there are hundreds of millions of events taking place around us, be it on the social or political levels, in nature or in the unseen realms of a higher reality. The world we live in is the result of the way we CHOOSE to look at events. I can pester against the drunkard disturbing everyone in the bus, or I can bless him in his true spiritual identity. I can lament at the third day of rain in a row, or I can rejoice for those who make and sell umbrellas (SMILE!). As a door-to-door salesman I can complain that six people have turned me back with a scowl or I can rejoice that “ALL things work together for the good of them that love life” as a sage of many centuries ago stated.
I write this as one who, many years ago, practiced journalism and created in French-speaking Africa a quarterly magazine that was lauded for its fundamentally positive approach to all issues, while at the same time remaining sharply realistic. Many people today are depressed by what appears to be going on in the world: the war in Ukraine and Palestine-Israel, massive inflation hitting so many economies, and so, so many other disturbing developments which could cover pages.
But all the good happening in the world could cover volumes:
– hundreds of millions of mothers raising their children with love and wisdom
– tens of millions of nurses worldwide caring for their patients with intelligence, love and foresight
– tens of millions of schoolteachers giving the very best of themselves according to their highest sense of what is appropriate for their audience,
– public transport in dozens of countries that functions to the very best of its abilities and carrying so many of us,
– the police of all countries who represent the most essential and important public profession without which our cities would be in a state of total anarchy after a day or two, as in Montreal in the nineteen twenties when the police went on strike,
– the innumerable forms of public service from the engineers caring for our water, the workers in hospitals and hospices for the elderly…
– and, of course, the fast-growing number of people all over the world who individually or in groups are working to raise world consciousness through meditation, prayer, blessing, unconditional love, and “sacred activism” (to use Andrew Harvey’s expression)
Please continue this list with your own additions!
There is a strange belief in the field of journalism that bad news sells better than the reverse, and that a newspaper essentially covering good news or bad news with a highly constructive editorial approach would sell very poorly. But such an adventure has simply never been tried, at least to the best of my knowledge.
Proposed activity for the family Christmas
Each person above 12 draws their own list of positive events in the world and their own life and then all participants read their personal lists.
For those below 12, an adult or older member of the family helps them draw up their own list.
And especially, have fun doing this exercise!
With the warmest Christmas wishes of the mini team running gentleartofblessing.org,
Pierre, Jane and Manuela
December 2023
