Boo Ya!

Halloween is near, and so is the spooky reminder, "You are not alone! Mwah ha ha haaa!"

Of course, I'm not alone. Even when I'm alone, I'm not alone.

And that's a good thing. Why? Because I want connection.

• I want to be seen; not just for who I am, but for who I can become. 
• I want to be heard; not just for the things I'm sure of, but for the thoughts in my heart trying to find expression. 
• I want to be understood; not just when I give clear reasons for the hope that is within me, but also in the times I'm not even sure what I mean. 
• I want to be known; not just that I exist, but for my purpose in life, why I exist at all.
• I want to be loved; not as the world loves, but for the nurturing of my spiritual growth.

Gee! Sounds like an awful lot of "I wants," doesn't it? Actually, there's nothing wrong with that, even if it does seem selfish. These are basic human needs. I want my needs met. Sound better that way?

However, life is ironic. I learned that going through life seeking to get those needs met is exactly the way to make sure they don't. Not only is it better to give than to receive, in this case, it's critical. 

In other words, to get what I want, I must want to graciously give and genuinely follow through.

• If I want to be seen, see others for their potential and be encouraging to them.
• If I want to be heard, listen with my heart to what others are really trying to express.
• If I want to be understood, seek first to fully understand and be sincerely interested.
• If I want to be known, discover what others highly value and hold dear to their hearts.
• If I want to be loved, be motivated by love to extend myself for the purpose of nurturing someone's else's spiritual growth.

Gee! Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Actually, there is everything right about this list. These are not selfish at all. Connection is a basic human need. Connection is something I can only get by giving. 

So, I give you my happy thoughts at this spooky time of year to spread the joy, not of Halloween, but weaning off the feeling of being hollow. Feeling hollow and needy were one and the same for me.

My desire is to inspire. I'm putting a 180-degree spin on my own attitude in life and finding a key ingredient to living. So, when a costumed character eerily whispers low, "You are not alone," I will smile and respond, "You got that right!" I'm even here with you now as you read this. So, smile!