LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Hello my dear friends.Here's hoping that your day or evening is sure going in the right direction you are steering toward and that you are filled with much love, peace, and joy, in your heart.M y regular
 readers of this blog know that I am a very big believer in doing something nice for others every chance that I get.And thankfully, I do seem to get a lot of chances.Most of us, myself included a few years back, just do not realize the opportunities that arise every moment for us to do a "good deed" for someone. I've had to train myself to just be on the lookout for those precious moments.And thankfully after several years of training it has gotten fairly easy for me to be aware of the opportunities to be a part of the solution instead being a part of the problem.At first I thought that in order to really do something good for the world and the people in it, I would have to write a book, hold seminars, print cds or whatever else to get out my message of "love" for others.Looking back to those days I knew I wanted to do something "big" and try in my own way to improve this world for all of us.Well, let me tell you something. I was in for quite a big surprise as to how things were gonna work out in the end.I started out by writing short stories of my own personal life that told of my experiences that helped shape me into being a "giver" instead of being a "taker"., the events that had convinced me that I could and should share my stories with the world so I could at least give back a little of the "gifts" that life had afforded me in my search for wisdom and understanding. As luck(if one believes in luck) would have it the very first story I wrote down and sent in to a magazine was accepted for publication by the Science of Mind magazine.(I am still today an avid reader of the SOM and would suggest that maybe you give it a look see and see if it may be something to help you). Hey, they even paid me 25.00 and sent me 10 extra issues with my story included. I thought, man, that was easy. So to make a long story short I had around 8 stories published by the magazine over the years and while this was going on I decided to write even more.I have to admit that I was still more into my ego self that I would have liked. And that being the case led me to believe I could and should write a book and further my career as a writer.So I penned the book in no time it seemed, and thought well, here I go . Now just to find a publisher and Id be on my way. I couyld see myself on the tv talk shows taking questions about my books and really be a author who was helping others find a better way.And of course Id have lots of money and fame etc, just padding the old ego self.Well right then was when I found out just how difficult it is to get a book published unless you did it yourself.I purchased a Writers Handbook and proceeded to send out solicitations for my book to many many editors of high esteem as well as editors that were not as well known.Every day from that first inquiry to an editor it seemed my mailbox was filled with rejection.Why, I couldnt even get an editor to read my manuscript because I didn't have an agent.An agent, hey I didnt have much money then(or now) so how was I gonna afford an agent. And why should I have to share my money form the book with an agent? I didn't get it at first but slowly it all sinked in to  my brain. It came down to being all about money.The editors did not ant to take a chance on unknown writers cause it cost lots of money to print books. And they only wanted Published authors that they knew would sell no matter what the contents were. So there I was, all this stuff I wanted to share with others but unable to do so simply because I didnt have enough  money. So I did what most anybody would do. I quit! I quit trying to get my book published ( I still have it stored away somewhere I thi nk along with some other essays and poems and personal writings,and who knows maybe one day Ill giv e it a try again, but I seriously doubt it). I decided to just quit knocking my head against the wall and just things be.Funny now as I look back, but running into all those snags and receiving all those rejections, and facing failure more times than not actually helped me to get past the stage of allowing my Ego self to be the ruler.I have to admit now that if my book had been quickly published, and I had attained the fame I then desired and made all that big money, that really would have been the worse thing that could of ever happened to me. I know that may sould a little crazy but it is true.Because now, I can usually keep my Ego self in control(not always but most of the time) and I can operate by allowing Divine Mind to take me wherever Im supposed to be and doing what Im supposed to be doing.And along the way I have found that if I just get myself out of the way and let my Inner Light shine then I feel fulfilled and at peace knowing that I can still do nice things for others and dont even have to have any money to do it!That was really liberating when I discovered that one doesnt have to have a dime to do something nice for others.I still dont have lots of money and you know what-I have no problems with that at all! I wish I did have more at times but then again I truly believe that I will always have enough to get by on and still have a little extra to donate to those less fortunate.During these years I have seen have simple it is to be nice to others. I can hold a door open for someone, I can gi ve someone a big ol smile and and say a warm hello, I can call an old friend I haven't heard from in a while, I can offer encouragement to someone who is feeling a little "lost", I can tell my beautiful wife just how damned beautiful she really is,I can run an errand for someone who is ailing,why heck, I can even just sit quietly alone in the beautiful silence and send out loving, peaceful, thoughts and vibrations to the world at large.I can do so much good stuff for this world and it doesn't cost me one single red cent!How wonderful is that!! I thank all of you wonderful folks for bearing with me and for being a part of my own earthly experience.My hope is that you too , my friend will join me in doing whatever we can to make this earth a more wonderful place than it is now. Forgive me for not checking this entry for typos cause I'm either tired or just too lazy. If you can right now in this one Eternal Moment reach out your hand and make a friend if you can(a thank you to the Staple Singers for that line) and together we will be on a journey that not only helps bring others together, but also makes us a better person.I leave all of you with hopes for a larger love, greater peace, and more abundant joy. And I'd also love to hear from any of you as to what you do every day to be nice to others. I love you all. Bless you my friends