This was sent to me by my mother. She should be an author of this blog! At times she finds more to say than I do!
Rekindle Your Inner Light...
"Sometimes
our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with
another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who
have rekindled this inner light."
Albert Schweitzer
said these words and how very true they are. We've all had times in our
life when we desperately needed a "shot of inspiration" to move forward.
Kate Nowak
has written a beautiful book that truly brings this idea to life. May
You Be Blessed is not about religious beliefs...it's about joy,
appreciation, kindness and love. It is filled with inspiring stories,
beautiful photographs and life-changing insights. We loved it and think
you will to.
Today, we would like to share Kate's introduction, which tells the story behind...May You Be Blessed. Enjoy!
An excerpt from May You Be Blessed by Kate Nowak
It
happened a few days after my father's death, in that mind-numbing
period of adjustment after someone we love leaves us. Having gone
shopping for necessities for my trip back to my own home, I was standing
in an otherwise empty aisle of a large chain store when suddenly I
sneezed, the last vestiges of an allergy attack I'd fought earlier in
the week.
Almost instantly, from the next aisle over I
heard a voice call out, "Bless you," and then another, and another, and
yet another. All in all, in the span of only a few seconds, I counted
eleven different voices coming from every possible direction in the store, some saying "God bless you," others using the word "gezundheit," but all blessing me, all calling good down upon me.
At
first I thought little of it. After all the idea of blessing someone
when they sneeze is rooted in superstition, an archaic belief that in
the act of sneezing the soul is thrown from the body, and a blessing is
needed for spiritual protection.
Today, it is usually
offered as no more than a courtesy, a polite response that has come to
be socially accepted and expected. But on that particular day, in the
first few moments following all those blessings being called out to me, I
began to notice a difference in myself: A slight shift in perception
that left me feeling more connected and empowered than I had in days. It
also left me, for the first time since my father's passing, more
confident that everything would be all right.
Driving
back to my father's house that day, I continued periodic "feelings"
checks, marveling at how much stronger I felt. Later, sitting in my
parent's kitchen for what would be one of the last times, I recounted
the story to my stepmother. "Do you think any of them realized what they
were saying?" she asked. "Or was it just out of habit?"
"Just
habit," I answered with a shrug, thinking about what a shame it was
that people could give such a needed gift as a blessing and not even be
aware of what they had done. "It should be a habit, this business of blessing other," I said a moment later. "But it would be nice if people actually knew they could and were making a difference."
A
seed was planted that day and two years later it sprouted, awakening me
one morning to a gentle soul-whisper that poured forth as the words of a
special blessing. Feeling compelled to take pen and paper from my
nightstand, I prodded myself into full wakefulness and then sat on the
edge of the bed, like a secretary poised for dictation, pen ready to
capture each syllable as the inspired words flowed into my awareness.
Because of the power of the Internet,
those words have since been sent across the planet and read by
millions, and as a result, I have received thousands of letters from
people telling me how May You Be Blessed has impacted their lives. And
in each and every instance I have found myself blessed in return.
I
have often wondered since if my new found work as a dispatcher of
blessings is the result of a serendipitous accident that placed me in a
crowded store on a day when I was both prone to sneeze, and to listen to subtle
nudges from the heart. Or was it, perhaps, that my father's gentle
spirit was present that day, inspiring others to offer blessings so that
I might be lifted up?
Of course, it is a question I
cannot answer, but I do know that since that time my life has changed
remarkably. Each day is now entirely centered on the act of blessing and
I have come to recognize it not only as one of the most
powerful and practical ways we have for reconnecting with each other,
our world and Life itself, but also the most phenomenal way possible to
lead us to happiness and success. It is a discovery I now endeavor daily
to share with all.
A blessing, I have come to realize,
is a sweet release from pain; a sacred reminder that we are made of
love and light and goodness and, as such, part of a greater and most
wondrous whole. It is an ancient key to a successful and fulfilling
life.
Today, whenever I share with others this
phenomenal key, explaining how, as we each develop the habit of blessing
others we are blessing our own lives, as well, I feel as if I have been
given a wonderful gift. I realize once again how truly blessed I am. It
is my hope that as you read this book and allow the words of this
blessing to enter your heart, you will be blessed in return. I could not
ask for anything sweeter to my soul than that.
STAY MOTIVATED!
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