PASSION

Giving your Gifts and Inflating your Ego

     It is important for each child to know that they have special gifts and that they are here for an important mission while on earth. Each child's gifts are unique and each child's mission is special. Children need to hear this mantra from very early ages.

     Children can grow into adulthood doing many different things, become very busy with their lives, accomplish many good things, but not accomplish their mission and not discover how to use their gifts to help others. In western culture there is such a priority on achievement via competition. The heroes are those who have money, power, and influence. This would include those talents in professional sports, music, theater, television, radio, motion pictures, dance, entertainment, and technology. The heroes of the family, church, and politics are far less influential in the west than in the east. The growth of the electronic industry via radio, television, motion pictures, internet, and video have created a new and immediate network where information is flowing in large volumes worldwide from second to second. Those being seen and heard via these mediums are the heroes.

     A child's self-image needs to be positive. A good self-image is the foundation for a child's success. It is natural for every child to have success and achieve their goals. However, success can be measured in many different ways. There is more depth to success than purchasing more things; however, the ego drives in western culture are nurtured from generation to generation. The constant craving for success at any cost is a disease in many communities that often times has very negative consequences. These consequences result from children not being able to achieve the high performance expectations of their family.

     Success, happiness and that feel good feeling is a natural part of being human. We all want success in life and we want to enjoy success everyday. However, there are many who are striving so hard to achieve those goals that they exhaust themselves trying to be someone they are not or trying to accomplish a challenge that is far beyond their ability. One writer said “surely the best definition of insanity is trying to be someone that you are not.” Another writer said, “I was striving to be somebody, but when I became that somebody it was not me.”

     Surely the highest calling in life is helping other people achieve their mission in life. However, helping others in hopes of receiving a reward or a monetary payback is shallow and superficial. There are so many distractions in life that can drive a well-intended individual to run off course into a life of power, money, greed and worse. So much of Hollywood and television repeat those daily messages of fame, fortune, good looks, and power. As a result, everyone believes that they should have a “piece of the rock.” In reality, the power is in the humility, giving, caring, loving and forgiving which connects very deeply to others, and is a source of spiritual power rather than human power. It is interest to observe children of all ages and see those who are “old souls” and those who are “young souls.” The “old souls” “get it” and the “young souls" are constantly striving, grasping, and struggling to control life's consequences. There are students who look at you from their soul with the message, “we are connecting soul to soul and everything is all right.” Other students never make eye contact. It is the eye contact that connects the souls. The physical part of life is not the story. It is all about the spiritual part of life which begins with one's ability to show empathy, compassion, caring and forgiveness towards others as the major priority.

     The greatest gift is love. The greatest disappointment is one's ego and the constant craving for all the things you want but do not need. It is important for the adults of each generation to teach principles of life to the children of the next generation of life. These basic principles have been the soul that has sustained all generations in all cultures. These fundamental principles of right and wrong have never changed with the current fads of dress, music, food, and culture mores. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the New Testament summary of the “Ten Commandments” of the Old Testament. When you have the gift of love and share it, you reach the highest level of spiritual enlightenment. May we all experience this enlightenment throughout our lifetime as we all look to the generations of the future.

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