Be your own size. There are 300 billion stars in our own galaxy and a hundred billion galaxies in the universe. Before you tell everyone not to start the party until you arrive, take in the enormity of that reality and your tiniest part in it. Before you say to someone, \u201cDo you know who I am?\u201d\u009d ask yourself, in light of the scale of the universe and its venerable age, \u201cWho exactly am I?\u201d\u009d Look at the earth, which you share with so many living beings. Many of the tiny ones scurry and multiply in hidden ways that make it possible for you to breathe, heal, digest, and sleep. Realize how you take for granted that the sun will rise tomorrow. If it wasn\u2019t so, what could you do about it? Your life rests in an ecology that you will never live long enough to comprehend, much less thank.<\/p>\n
Be gentle. Remember the physician\u2019s mantra, \u201cFirst, do no harm.\u201d\u009d In the words of William Blake, \u201cWe are put on earth a little space, \/ That we may learn to bear the beams of love.\u201d\u009d There is so much that we\u2019ve never even paused to imagine. When we look to right and left, we see others who know as little as we do. People tend to do the best they can with what they have and what they know. A little compassion, a little generosity of heart helps us look to our fellow creatures with gentleness rather than bitterness, anger, or condemnation. How often have you commented on what another person said or did with horror, fury, or scorn, only to find yourself, ten years or ten minutes later, saying or doing the same thing? Be sparing with your scorn, lest it rebound on you and make you lamentable in your own sight.<\/p>\n
Be a person of praise and blessing.<\/p>\n