This blog is an excerpt from the book *Magiciens du quotidien* by Olivier Clerc, used with his permission. Thank you, Olivier.
Blessing is the opposite of cursing
There is something incongruous about talking about blessings in a world where slander has become so widespread, especially online. Unless, in fact, it is all the more necessary, as highlighted by the global success of the magnificent book by my dear friend Pierre Pradervand, *The Simple Art of Blessing*.
To bless is to attract divine blessing, to bestow grace upon something or someone. “To bless,” says Pierre, “ means to wish, unconditionally, total, unrestricted good for others and events from the deepest wellspring in the innermost chamber of your heart”
You can bless aloud, when you’re out in nature, in the mountains or by the sea, or while driving in your car. But you can also practice blessing in silence, with your heart and mind, with all your soul, anywhere, in any circumstance—while waiting in line at the post office, on a café terrace, in the middle of a festive evening, or passing by a hospital or a prison; there are no limits.
“Blessing everything and everyone, without any discrimination,” Pierre added, “is the ultimate form of giving, for those you bless will never know where that ray of sunshine came from that suddenly pierced the clouds of their sky, and you will rarely witness that light in their lives.”
Isn’t that pure magic?
Like gratitude, the practice of blessing—beyond the good it quietly spreads around you—benefits first and foremost the one who engages in it. Just compare the state you find yourself in after a day spent grumbling, complaining, or criticizing, with the state you’ll be in after spending the day blessing people, children, animals, birds, trees, and flowers, the sun (or the rain), blessing your day in the morning, blessing life, the food you eat… . Everything!
Voltaire said: “I have decided to be happy, because it is good for my health.” To paraphrase him, one might say, “I have decided to bless, because it is good for my mood.” “At a time when everyone is talking about ecology, why not make the decision to stop saturating the social environment with dark thoughts and foul-smelling feelings, replacing them instead with bursts of color and the enchanting aromas of blessing? That is spiritual ecology!
In Practice
To start, spend a day blessing everyone you meet. Imagine that, in your mind, you are sending them light or drawing divine grace upon them, like a shower of light falling from the sky.
Imagine that this blessing nourishes and strengthens their own divine nature—the very best and most beautiful part of them—even if they are not yet aware of it or cannot access it at the moment (due to illness, suffering, or grief).
Also ask that blessings descend upon you and “infect” everyone around you, at every moment.
The more you discover the magical power of the words you speak, the feelings you nurture, the thoughts you share, and the intentions you sow around you, the more you’ll want to practice this everyday magic at all times and in all places!
Visit Olivier Clerc’s site to find out more about him, his books (some are available in English) and workshops. https://www.olivierclerc.com/
