Among my aging friends, and often in the media, I hear phrases like, "I want give something back to the world." The sentiment usually expands to wishing to help others in some way, often through activities like volunteer work or creating a charitable foundation. And for those who know what they want to do, these sentiments can morph onto genuine acts of generosity and service. But for many who echo these words, finding that "giving back" activity seems difficult or elusive, and they struggle with feelings of guilt or failure. How shall we respond to this angst?
As I increasingly understand and experience the unity of consciousness and being, I see another avenue of response. I believe that we give back all the time in everything we do - raising our children, supporting our families, loving our friends, being kind and considerate to others, tending gardens, playing with our pets. In these and other activities our behavior reverberates through the whole fabric of human consciousness and being, touching everyone and tipping the balance toward peace and goodness. Through the nature of unity - we are all one with the same being! - we contribute in everything we do and think, and even more importantly, we contribute by being who we are. In aging, we discover that we are the gift we give back, so that the more we grow self and soul, the more we learn to share our deepest nature and our truest love, the more care for the whole.
I wrote a song about aging a couple years ago. The refrain goes,
Getting old is not what it seems
It’s a new time of life,
The unfolding of dreams.
Don’t be afraid
Don’t hang your head
Now is the goal
Of the life you have led.
This is the time
To open your heart
To do what you love
To fulfill your part.
So forget your fears
And stand in the light
You are the gift
And everything’s all right.
I still believe this sentiment. Let yourself out, give who you are.
As I increasingly understand and experience the unity of consciousness and being, I see another avenue of response. I believe that we give back all the time in everything we do - raising our children, supporting our families, loving our friends, being kind and considerate to others, tending gardens, playing with our pets. In these and other activities our behavior reverberates through the whole fabric of human consciousness and being, touching everyone and tipping the balance toward peace and goodness. Through the nature of unity - we are all one with the same being! - we contribute in everything we do and think, and even more importantly, we contribute by being who we are. In aging, we discover that we are the gift we give back, so that the more we grow self and soul, the more we learn to share our deepest nature and our truest love, the more care for the whole.
I wrote a song about aging a couple years ago. The refrain goes,
Getting old is not what it seems
It’s a new time of life,
The unfolding of dreams.
Don’t be afraid
Don’t hang your head
Now is the goal
Of the life you have led.
This is the time
To open your heart
To do what you love
To fulfill your part.
So forget your fears
And stand in the light
You are the gift
And everything’s all right.
I still believe this sentiment. Let yourself out, give who you are.