In the fast-paced world we inhabit, it is easy to forget the power of a simple act of wishing good things to happen in the lives of others. Imagine a world where we pause and imagine happiness and well-being for everyone in our thoughts and express these in words and actions. This good habit would uplift and transform us and those around us. We will experience immense happiness and boundless freedom flowing into our own life. So the art of blessing is reciprocal — a cycle of positive energy that returns to enrich our own existence.

Make it a habit in your life in the days to come. Start with a simple practice: consciously wish all the people you encounter in your daily life to have a happy and successful day. Be grateful to those who have shown you kindness and love. Similarly, wish good things for those who may not have treated you well in the past. Understand that everyone is on their journey, and your good feelings and wishes would serve as source of power and positive energy in them. You, too, will experience abundant inner peace and joy.

Expand this habit to those who accompany you in your daily life — wish maximum good for the driver, the commuters, and the conductors. Extend this towards those who work tirelessly to ensure the smooth functioning of our society — the policeman, the postman, the watchman, washerman, milkman, and the cleaners. Bless your school, college, hospital, your town, your governing bodies, and the business centres. Recognize the interconnectedness of all lives, and let your blessings create ripples of positive energy and goodness around you in this New Year!

As you step into the New Year, carry the awareness that you are a source of divine blessings. Let your thoughts, words, and feelings be imbued with the spirit of goodwill towards all creation. We have dedicated this issue of the TTT with articles to help you on this positive path that you can choose. Wish you all a year filled with abundant blessings and the transformative power of goodwill.

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The vet shakes his head as he looks at my old Jeff. “He’s on his last legs!” he says, and it is painful for me to hear that.

“What can we do to make him comfortable?” whispers my wife, and is told of a waterbed, to look after his aching joints, and painkillers to relieve his pain, “and plenty of love and care!” We all smiled despite the sadness, because that is something we can overdose him with!

“Why are you keeping your dog alive?” asked a neighbour later.

“This is the time for him to know how thankful we are for his life.” I said, “He’s guarded our home relentlessly night and day, waited for us to come home when the children were studying abroad, and the only sign of welcome in an otherwise empty home was his wagging tail and whines of joy.”

Now it was our turn.

Forgive me, all you who are not fond of dogs or pets, for bringing them into my stories, and here let’s make a quick exit, and into the world of humans.

What an opportunity old age is, to tell those who have loved and cared for us that this is the time we will do the same in return.

So what if you mess the bed or the table. So what if you have to be fed; didn’t you do the same for us? Now sit back or lie down and enjoy being looked after.

It might be a bit of trouble, but wasn’t that the same trouble when I was a toddler?

“Bob!” says an old lady, “I don’t want to be a burden to my children!”

Burden?

Is that how we look at our parents? As a burden? How sad. Here’s a wonderful opportunity to make them feel loved, that even as they are helpless, they marvel in your helpfulness! Even as they forget, they are grateful for the memories you bring up ever so often to make their days delightful!

And delightful they should be.

Smiles should light their faces as they get up each morning to face a whole day of love. Smiles, because they don’t see their age or helplessness, but you with a headlight of dazzling love!

And one day you’ll come home and find them lifeless, and even as you grieve for them, you’ll hear a still voice speaking from the great beyond saying, “God bless my child, as he or she journeys without me…”

And those blessings remain forever!

I come back to my old Jeff, and gently pet his still huge head, and is that a chuckle I hear from his throat as he growls, “Master, looks like you’re guarding me in my old age!”

And we both laugh together!

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At the end of the test, the professor read out their answers. All, without exception, had described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc.

The professor explained: “I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot — and the same happens in our lives. Our lives are a gift from God, and we always have reasons to celebrate — our friends and family, good health, the job that provides our livelihood… But, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots — lack of money, a complicated relationship, disappointment with a friend, etc. The dark spots are very small compared to everything else we have in our lives.”

Stop focusing on the black spots in your life. Enjoy each of your blessings, each moment that life gives you.

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Having someone to love is family.
Having somewhere to go is home.
Having both is a blessing.

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