The Inter-World is full of beautiful people and many rabbit holes to get lost in.
Since I have made a decision to make writing my full-time job, I have needed to learn…a lot!
The best thing about that is the multitude of wonderful, helpful, spiritual, loving people I have met.
Some of them don’t even know that I’ have met them, or that I think that they are wonderful, helpful, spiritual, loving peoples.
And that’s okay.
Kindness of Others
One of the most profound teachings I have ever got was the ‘kindness of others’.
You see, I knew my Mum and sisters were kind to me (even though I might not have shown gratitude at the time).
My Dad was very kind to me if he was being mindful, and was sometimes just too busy or too drunk to be mindful. He was doing his best.
My friends vacillated between very kind and extreme self-interest in my humble opinion. I couldn’t believe she hurt my feelings!!!! (know what I mean?)
Other People are Nasty
But other people were simply disinterested in me or plain nasty. Politicians, Businesspeople, Teachers, Civil Servants…all rude and ignorant of my importance.
Then Kelsang Tsalden, my teacher, introduced me to the enormous kindness of others and my life has been different ever since.
What was earth-shattering for me was the rudeness and ignorance in ME that this theory exposed.
Here I was, two and a half weeks sober and hearing as if for the first time that I was not the centre of the known Universe.
Furthermore, for my sorry arse to traverse the known Universe I relied minute by minute on the kindness of others and had been oblivious to this fact for 45 fuckin’ years!
Whoa!
Here’s How It Works
Anywho, y’all probably know the story better than Moi.
From the time I wake up have breakfast that someone grew in the field and harvested, sent to a factory and packaged for transport to my grocer who worked hard all day to supply me with things I might need, to beddy-byes, I’m reliant on the kindness of others.
The greatest gift this lesson has granted me is patience at roadworks. To know those guys and gals are busting their collective buns to make my transport system safe and efficient makes me smile ‘Big Time’.
But I didn’t know this Shit!
Now I do, and I’m not that good at being grateful still, but I’m betterer.
Shout Outs
So, here’s a big shout out to Iva Ursano, and George Haas, and Dan Harris. These are three beautiful people who I’ve met and gotten to know a little better today.
There are so many Beautiful people in this Interweb thing and so many Rabbit Holes to avoid before you get to meet them, but it’s worth it.
love alwaz
mike
p.s. I have opened up a new place for Sober & Happy, or Happy, or Sober or Anyone really. It’s called Dharmaholics ‘Happy Campus’.
Go there now and BE HAPPY!
Please Share!
Kindness Blog 
Good for you, Mike! As an individual who has been a civil servant, I apologize for all the civil servants who treated you rudely in the past. Nonetheless, it is important to know that not all government employees, or people in general regardless their lot in life, are rude. Something that I have learned as a front desk person in government agencies…everyone thinks the system is out to get them and the receptionist is responsible. Do you know how many times I’ve been attacked, verbally, by strangers who don’t even know me on a personal level? While I understand that most psople are going through their issues (tell me who isn’t?), I learned quickly not to take those attacks personally. I just had to be me and react in a thoughtful kind manner. After all, we all want someone to listen to us, don’t we? When an individual doesn’t feel heard, a long list of emotions and thoughts come into play. Yet when we stop to think about the person that is standing there waiting to help you might quite possibly be going through their issues, we tend to control the words that sometimes spew out of our mouths. To see life through the eyes of sobriety is a great accoplishment and I definitely congratulate you on the progress you’ve made for yourself! It does change one’s perspective in so many areas! I wish you the best as a writer and your continued success in sobriety. Perhaps I will also write again soon. Thank you for your inspiration.
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I like who I am and I choose to be happy and yes happiness can be a choice
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