In the chaos, devastation and suffering that has arisen from a massively destructive earthquake...Haiti offers every community,every nation and each individual an opportunity to stand for something greater than themselves.
People and countries will either tap into the goodness within and rise to their greatness or succumb to their limited, petty beliefs falling to their weakness!
The decision to offer assistance or not, the reasons why you would do either are irrelevant. What is relevant is that human life has been destroyed, suffering, hardship and pain still remains,and is everyone 's responsibility!
This is one of those defining moments when we get to ask ourselves individually and collectively...who are we? What are we made of?
Can the poor country of Haiti be a catalyst for unity, peace and oneness?
Can Haiti teach us finally what is important?
Can we transcend politics, cultures, boundaries, religions, languages,prejudices and fears to care for one another?
Can we look beyond all the possible reasons not to act, not to donate money, not to volunteer, and focus on the one reason to do those things?
Simply for the love of another human being!
The jury is still out. Haiti will be a long process, but I am hopeful.
A few days after the earthquake destroyed Port Au Prince an estimated 150,000 were dead. I asked a patient how her morning had been. She responded it's just an ordinary day, thankfully. I agreed. I said sometimes an uneventful day IS a great day.
She said, "Yes, I have nothing to complain about. Look at those poor people in Haiti. I can't sleep. They're on my mind constantly." She said, "Just can't send enough money to them. I wish I could do more."
This event touched her soul--the connection between her and other spiritual/human beings.
I would say you would have to have a very hard heart, be a sick or a destructive person not to be touched by this tragedy.
Most of us feel compelled to lend assistance in whatever way we can. You could almost hear the collective gasps as we all learned the news. Something ripped at our hearts, our guts and we felt a tear in our connection to human life on this
planet.
We can imagine, all too easily, ourselves, friends or loved ones in that same situation. Devastated, hungry, homeless, filthy and perhaps buried under rubble gasping for air, desperately struggling for life.
For those that survive, the struggle for ordinary will be a long process.
I would not want to be in their shoes, but if I were, I would hope and pray that my brothers and sisters throughout the world would come to my aid.
This earthquake in Haiti is just another reminder that we are all susceptible to disaster and potentially in need of assistance from others.
Hardship Plays No Favorites is the title of chapter two in our book, Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life's Rewards. (Available at www.givetolivebook.com)
In it, I wrote the following...
"Homelessness, economic disaster, war torn countries, terrorism,class systems, slavery,genocide, prejudice, hate, water and food supply shortages, poverty, droughts, famine,disease, a world in turmoil; symptoms of a world, in many ways precariously close to extreme devastation."
"Many of us, including you and me, are teetering on the brink of personal disaster and yet walk through our days unaware. A life, a career, a business can be dramatically changed in the time it takes for a tsunami to roll onto shore, a government to topple, a war to erupt, a tornado to come through your town, a fire to ravage your home or a senseless act of terrorism to invade your life."
Haiti is giving us all an opportunity to show not only others, but ourselves, what we are made of. To remind us...it could just as easily be you or I.
An opportunity to reach within ourselves and share all the love,goodness and light we are endowed with. An opportunity to grow in our humanity and our spirituality.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
My personal Affirmation of Service is as follows:
I choose to carry out my day as if it is my last.
I will give freely and unconditionally that
which I can. I will provide service to one or
more persons with or without their knowledge.
Thought coupled with action equals change,
therefore, as I think and act I can and will
create the positive changes in my
community and world. I am grateful for the
opportunity to serve humanity today.
Perhaps this resonates with you. If so...use it.
When opportunity presents itself to help another, it is also an opportunity for us to grow and be the recipient of great reward.
Do what you can, when you can, however your conscious dictates.
Serving You,
Dr. Rick Barrett
