Tonight marks the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. The most solemn of the Jewish holidays, its central themes are atonement and repentance. Observant followers will try to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other human beings. The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt. At the end of Yom Kippur, one considers one's self absolved by God.I prefer to take this one step further... Getting out of our busy mode and into our heart, I'm certain that many of us could find at least one moment during our day where we could pause, reflect on a situation, and see something that we can do to make a difference in someone else's life.
The pace of life and work has increased a lot and we don't give as much thought as we could to the circumstances of other people's lives. Sometimes, we're so caught up in our own struggles that we don't think we can even afford to "give" our time, suggestions, talents, to others. And yet, if we do, we are rewarded.
We are oftentimes throughout our lives able to experience richness, synchronicity and reward through small acts of generosity. This isn't even about money, although sometimes the rewards will impact our financial status as well. And yet, we fail too often when we are so self-absorbed or consumed by our own situation, thinking we'd give up too much by helping.
So, this is just a gentle reminder for all of us to pay attention to at least one "little thing" that will make a difference for someone else.
