It's often spoken that the purpose of life is to be useful and happy. And just as often it's said that one cannot feel truly happy without feeling grateful. Well, if the purpose of life is to be useful and happy, and we cannot be truly happy without being grateful, then there's no way to make sense of our lives if we don't join the dance and make our thanksgiving perpetual.
So, how do we get into the rhythm and flow of life by being not only thankful, but also useful? What might we need to understand that we don't understand?
Is there a ray of sunlight, a drop of rainwater, a wisp of wind, a bumblebee or berry-bearing bush that's not contributing to life? Is not everything in the world, from the ant to the acorn not working to serve you in myriad mysterious ways? Can you possibly count the peregrine falcons that fly high in the sky, the leaves on an oak tree, or the dolphins in the deep blue sea that join in harmony to dance with thee? Is not the flower in as much service to the bee as is the bee in service to the flower? And are they not both in service to you?
You are in an exquisite dance, not only with all that exists on the outer shell of the planet upon which you dwell, but with the myriad convections of heat radiating from the lava within the deep. If you plunge right to the center of the planet, is not the whole of all of its energy moving with exquisite harmony to serve you?
And what of the sun, the moon and the seven other planets of the solar system, are they not continually in a dance with, and contributing toward the health and welfare of mother earth? Let's not forget the spheres in the sky twinkling up high beyond what the Hubble telescopes can view. The Milky Way Galaxy and the entire unfolding cosmos, all are dancing and turning with our solar system, all contributing to the gravitational and electrical field of energy, which is the foundation of your existence right down to the subatomic particles that give energy to the atoms that give life to your cells.
Wow, it seems, indeed, that you are the king of kings out there on the dance floor. You have so much to be grateful for. Everything exists to contribute to your unique gait.
Now let's look at step two of your exquisite dance with life -- being useful. That's the act of having your own positive impact. It's participating in the fine art of being in service and considering it as precious as being served.
If you are to hold the highly esteemed position of having everything move in flow with where you want to go, then you must engage in step two - you must think and act with the aim of making your value an actual fact. For, when your action is thoughtful and gainful, it not only makes your heart blossom, but it also adds to the enhancement of the ever-expanding cosmos.
We intuitively know that we're living rightly when we perfect the delicate balance of being in service to all that serves us. Indeed, then we begin to understand that the Uni-Verse is but One Verse, and we are vital notes in its unfolding orchestration. No one can receive the marvelous benefits of the song of life without generously offering her or his voice.
If you are to be the kings of kings, in a glorious kingdom of beauty, then you must take command of your kingdom by being joyfully productive while respecting the atmosphere you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, and everyone you touch. Your deeds are always demonstrating whether you are a celebration or denigration of life.
A true king of kings is a mother of mothers, a sister of sisters, a brother of brothers. He or she sees everything and everyone from the heart of equality. The homeless person is as valuable as the bountiful millionaire. There are no skin colors, no races, not two sexes in the eyes of the truly loving king, for all are held in the highest of esteem.
When man stabs another man, does not all of humanity bleed? Does not the entire cosmos feel the ache? Loving and supportive is the wondrous cosmos. Is humanity falling out of rhythm with that creative life-force?
Like an incredible rose bud, you have the potential to grow and contribute your beautiful scent in fabulous ways that go far beyond what you can imagine. As a child you naturally sprouted and grew toward the unknown with joyful luminosity. Be that child once again - get back out there and start dancing. Might I offer you a few tips on how to step to your own joyous gait?
The entire universe is a synergetic experience where the servant is ever becoming the recipient and the recipient is ever becoming the servant. If you're to participate in that synergy, you must drop your defenses and pretenses and take a poetic approach where there's no separation when saying "Thank you" and "You're welcome."
It's only when you feel the delightful privilege of being one who is served and one who is in service, that you can feel true intimacy with humanity, with mother earth and all of her children, with the rain, the sunshine, and the celestial heavens. And with that intimacy comes the profound experience of being useful and happy.
International Bestselling book author, Rob White, offers other inspiring short stories that reveal ordinary gurus who come to you to prove there's no such thing as a final failure unless you say so in his book And Then I Met Margaret.