Tag Archives: Rhonda Byrnes

Beginning Philanthropy

 

A Chance to Shape the Future

Going to orphanages, or the home for the aged, or seeking out the poor and the downtrodden – to reach out, to help – it is not something one thinks about on a day to day basis.

But they – the abandoned, the old and forgotten, the poor, the downtrodden – their existence is a day to day reality.

But many people do not care – either because they do not have the time and have their own worries, or they have nothing to give.  It is the government’s job, after all, or those with millions to spare.

For a long time, I had those sentiments.

I used to think that as long as I minded my own business, do not take advantage of people, take really good care of my family (charity begins at home), and smile (well, I think this is important), then I am off the hook of what they call “social responsibility”.

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The Secret: Thank You

Climbing Up To the Skies

Climbing Up To the Skies

During my birthday last year, D gave me The Secret Gratitude Book.  It was beautiful, in aged brown, with scribblings dry-embossed on the front.  I ran my hand over the cover and read “Dank Je”… “Gracias”… and said to myself, thank you, these all means thank you.  I was intrigued.  Is The Secret thank you? Rhonda Byrnes in her introduction explained that yes, The Secret is gratitude, that the mere utterance of “thank you” would lead to unimaginable blessings.  I was surprised.

Thank you are the simplest of words, taken for granted, mostly un-uttered because it is unnecessary sometimes because people feel entitled to the deed, or the giver, almost always, has already walked away and it is only the wind that will catch the last strains of the words…  Personally, I would wait for its utterance, and I would expel bated breath when I hear it.  I did not know that, like me, the universe also expels bated breath when it hears it, except that the bated breath has with it the makings of a miracle.  Truly, there is something about expressing gratitude that finds favor with the air around all of us.

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