Write to Empower Archives - Tis the Season

‘Tis the Season of Loving

Eleanor Roosevelt had it right, “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”  For most people, the Holidays mark a season of giving, sharing love and joy with family and friends. When we focus on the buying of gifts, and the party’s to attend we forget that this is a time of sharing love. When we share our love with another we truly make a difference in the world. One truth of life is that each of us can influence and affect the world around us. We can change the whole world; one step, one person’s life at a time. When we live a life that embraces people, life embraces us. We find deep-seated satisfaction and contentment stem from a life lived with a heart and a hand stretched out to others.

One of my personal missions in life is to help people see their beauty, feel that they are worthwhile, and can make a contribution. Yesterday I had someone hack my Facebook account and all my email addresses. They told all my friends and business contacts that I was stranded in Africa and needed money sent to me immediately. My concerned contacts showed me their love through a half-dozen calls on my business line, that many text messages, dozens of emails, and at least a dozen calls on my cell phone. At first I was really freaked and did not know what to do. For a moment I went to the “Why me?” place and whined. However I quickly got to looking for the solution. First I put a new message on my answering machine saying, “Thank you for your concern. I am okay, and aware that I have been hacked.” When the Yahoo tech person was very calm and I could mirror that calm. With their help I changed my password and could report to Facebook that my account was being held for ransom. Literally, the hacker demanded I send them $900 and then they would release my face book account.

Today I pray that nothing worse will happen to my emails, my identity or to my contacts, and also see the humor in the situation. The humor was that I had been on Facebook all day talking about the more than 2 feet of snow keeping me trapped indoors, and appreciative of the power of nature. Suddenly I am stranded in Africa? Do these hackers even check on who they are hacking? When they were saying “Let’s Deal, money or your Facebook account” I was able to say, “I don’t give money to blackmailers, and you have been reported to authorities,” without becoming irate and irrational. And today, I can thank this con artist for making me more aware of security issues online and walking in the world with my eyes more open. While I am still practicing to say, “Even cyber-criminals deserve love”, I can at least feel neutral towards them.

Do we want to be part of the change, share love instead of fear? I was inspired to write this week’s column by a global rendition of “One Love”, by Bob Marley. Enjoy the video this Holiday and share the love. http://vimeo.com/3097281 

This week’s exercise is to make plans to enrich your own life by enriching the lives of others. What will you do to show love and caring to a stranger, or acquaintance? Will you shovel a neighbor’s walk, or bring food to a family, help out at the women’s shelter? After you have spent time with someone write about how it made you feel. The joy of giving is a gift you can carry with you into the New Year.

Comments of Feedback? You can still find me on Facebook, Twitter @selbyink and www.selbyink.com