CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF YOU

CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF YOU

“And your body is the harp of your soul,

And it is yours to bring forth sweet

Music from it, or confused sounds.”

-          Kahlil Gibran

Humanity is blessed with the greatest gift and that is the gift of SELF.
Socrates once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” How many of us actually live a life without any meaning or purpose? The philosophy of Existentialism tries to explain to us the importance of individual existence, freedom and choice. In "The Myth of Sisyphus" (1942), Albert Camus, an Existentialist, uses the analogy of the Greek myth of Sisyphus (who is condemned for eternity to roll a rock up a hill, only to have it roll to the bottom again each time) to exemplify the pointlessness of existence, but shows that Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it.
It is very important to find the meaning and purpose of our lives. Tao Te Ching once said, “Knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom, Mastering others is strength, Mastering yourself is true power.” Isn’t that true? True wisdom comes to us only when we make an effort to know ourselves and we will have the inner power and strength to conquer any amount of difficulties in the world. Our world is interwoven and we are all interconnected. Deepak Chopra speaks a great deal on the Law of Dharma. He says that if we want to experience the Law of Dharma, there are several things we can do. First and foremost we should seek the higher Self through spiritual practice and discover our divinity. Secondly, we should find our unique talents and third, we should serve the humanity with the expression of our talents. It is so very important to nurture the divinity within us because that is the source of our existence.
Everything in life is an expression of the miraculous unfolding of the spirit. We are travelers on a cosmic journey. Life is eternal, but the expressions of life are momentary and transient. Buddha once said, “This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds….A lifetime is like a flash of lightening in the sky, rushing by like a torrent sown a steep mountain.” If we look through our own lives, we find that we have stopped to encounter one another, to meet, to love, to share. If we share with caring, lightheartedness, and love, we will create abundance and joy for one another. And living our life would be worthwhile for we will understand the purpose of our lives in a better way.
The universe on the whole supports our every need and desire, including our need for joy, love, laughter, harmony and knowledge. Everything that comes to us isn’t something that we earn, but it is a gift freely given to us by the universe, which means it comes from a deep awareness of what we need. Can we take some time during the day and think of the things that have been freely given to us without even we having to ask for them? When we are grateful, things flow freely in our life. We always think of giving gifts to others in terms of material things. Can we do something different? Our world would be a better place if we would give a gift to everyone we encounter through a smile, a compliment, a flower or a prayer. This will definitely add joy and affluence in our own lives and in the lives of others. How nice it would be if we silently wished everyone the gifts of happiness, joy and laughter! By giving and receiving the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation and love, we will be able to see the change in ourselves as we wish to see it in others. Every day brings the promise of a new beginning and the opportunity to transform every life challenge into a gift. One act of love can make a difference!
Shakespeare makes an observation in Henry VI, Part III:
My crown is in my heart, not on my head;
Not decked with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen. My crown is called content:
A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.

By: Sr. Divya Miranda RJM
St. Bede's College, Shimla