Heaven Hi!

Let’s get this straight, I am hooked on American Idol. So when they did Idol Gives Back, I was moved and grabbed the phone and gave, like millions of others. Then it hit me why was I moved? Was it the pictures of the poor, sick kids or was it the celebrities asking for me to give? I am sure that had something to do with it, what it was for me was a emotional feeling that I cared about making a difference. When I stopped and asked myself “what is this?” and “why?” after the realization that I cared, I was so moved and energized. Then it dawned on me, when we started out on our journey of life, we CARED about life, love, making a difference in the world. We were so full of caring, and then it started to wane – we didn’t care as much about helping others or even ourselves. We stopped caring about the big things first, the planet, our work, voting, education and our health. Then we have stopped caring about our neighbors, next door and globally. Let me ask you: do you know your neighbors by their first names? If you cared you would. It is a part of our DNA to care. How many times do you hear about acts of heroism, or someone giving back, and when asked “why?” they simply say “I cared.”

To me, the will to live isn’t measured by the number of breaths you take, but by caring to help others breathe better.

In the past week I have put breath back in my being by caring about:

• my wife, Nancy, when I lay down by her for the night.
• Hearing my three sons’ laughter when we reminisce about the past, and knowing I care about their future.

Each time you act on caring, whether it be Idol Gives Back, love, or saying “hi” to a neighbor, breath is being put back in to the universe and you are born again into that moment – and by taking the time to care you are rekindling the passion to breathe. You get to relive those moments whenever you choose.

To put this into practice, make a list of all the things you can think of that you care about. What jacks you up in the morning? From the sound of the birds chirping, to your loved ones, to the taste of your favorite food. Carry the list with you and add to it whenever you can.

Whenever you are feeling a bit down and in need of a pick me up, take a couple of deep breaths. Read through your list until you begin to feel an inner smile. Let that caring breath flow through your whole body until you have once again stoked that passion to CARE.

Be Bop!

Take CARE of your friends by emailing this to them.

Thom