Five Dollars

"If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way." -- Buddha

I remember a conversation I had a while ago with a friend of mine who also lives in northern New Mexico. We both spent many years living and working in New York City before moving to the "Land of Enchantment," and we agreed that one of the things we missed most about living in New York was seeing homeless people. It's true.

If you walk the streets of Santa Fe you almost never run into people begging for money. In New York you could barely make it half a block without walking past someone in a dirty coat, with blackened fingernails and a vacant, sometimes frightening, look on their face. During holiday time, when store windows would come alive with fantastic and surreal displays of color and drama, and enormous silver snowflakes would be suspended on wires down Fifth Avenue, people massing the streets with shopping bags and boxes and briefcases and umbrellas, the destitute among us would line the streets. It was a painful image that even the gloss of holiday celebration could not shine into invisibility.

There was always the blind man in a trench coat holding forth a metal cup, and singing the blues above a huge reclining Labrador in the center of a busy downtown sidewalk. There were men and people almost unrecognizable as women, crouched like animals along the walls of Grand Central Station.

Thousands of people would file past these desperate souls every day, ignoring them completely. Once in a while you'd see someone drop a quarter in a homeless person's cup as they raced down the stairs to the subway, or drop a dollar in a handicapped musician's guitar case. Invariably, the recipient of this generosity would always say, "God Bless You." What you would almost never hear is a passer-by stopping and saying something, anything, to the individual begging.

My friend and I had discovered a fascinating truth living in New York all those years. That stopping for a moment in front of a destitute person - and offering, not just a dollar or two, but a smile and a nod to go with it – was more rewarding and joyful than any other activity that great, bustling city could offer.

The real reward was to try to say, "God Bless You," as you handed someone your money, before they could say it to you, because, as was evident to us, we were the ones benefiting most from the exchange. By simply having the opportunity to offer something to a hungry soul, God has already blessed you. It feels too much to have these individuals pray for you, too.

Jesus told his disciples as recorded in Matthew 25 that the way to get into heaven is to feed the hungry and thirsty, clothe the naked and visit those imprisoned. What most people miss in the first part of this statement is the subtlety. Feeding the hungry doesn't just mean to give material sustenance to someone who can't afford food, but also – and perhaps more importantly – to provide spiritual sustenance to someone who is hungry for companionship, love and Truth.

The reason you smile at a person begging when you offer them a few dollars, and say, "God Bless You," is to give that human being something they might need even more than money: the sense that they exist. That you have seen them, recognized their situation, and for just one small moment, empathized with their loneliness and pain.

These are sentient beings, thrown away by society and ignored like yesterday's trash. You can become overwhelmed in a big city like New York by the sheer volume of the problem of homelessness and destitution. In fact, a colleague once confessed to me that he felt so overwhelmed by the constant stream of people he would pass with their hands out, or standing in the shadows of quiet doorsteps, that he had stopped giving money entirely. This sentiment is illustrated perfectly in the film The Year of Living Dangerously when the character of the reporter declines to give $5 to a starving man living in the slums of Jakarta. He complains to his guide, "Wouldn't do any good. Five dollars would be just a drop in the ocean." The guide counters by saying, "You do what you can about the misery that's in front of you. Add your light to the sum of light….We must give with love to whomever God has placed in our path."

Instead of feeling so distressed by the amount of suffering in the world it drives you to inertia, just add your light to the sum of light. Help those who cross your path. Give a few dollars to someone you pass who needs it more than you do. Someone once remarked to me that the money would probably be used to buy a bottle of wine at the corner bodega. So what? Who cares what they use it for? If that is what will make this suffering being happy for a few hours, what's the problem? You just gave someone a few hours of happiness. It's not for you to judge the quality or substance of their choices.

Another complaint I heard once was that, if you were to give money to every homeless person you passed on the street, you'd go broke. The solution, "Make more money." Of course, if the person who issued that complaint ever did give his money freely to those in need, he would have been able to come up with that solution himself. Once you have experienced the rewards of giving, not giving is no longer an option.

The one sight that never fails to tear at my heart is that of a disabled veteran holding up a cardboard sign on the side of the road. I have seen a few homeless veterans here in New Mexico and I'm torn apart by them, yet grateful they have crossed my path. Could there be any greater wrong than for a man to risk his life in combat in defense of our country and our freedom, and to somehow end up unable to work or feed himself, begging on the side of a road? I have not yet succeeded in offering all the cash in my pocket to one of these individuals without fighting back tears. This temporary handicap usually allows them to say "God Bless You" to me before I can choke out the words myself. I'm working on it, and looking forward to having more chances to practice.

Surely there is nothing else you could possibly buy for the few dollars you can give away to a person in need that would make you feel as incredibly fortunate, warmed and fulfilled.

This holiday season – and throughout the year – give whatever you can. Offer as much kindness and spare change in your pocket as possible to whomever crosses your path, and truly you will have received the most extraordinary gift the universe can offer.

When you leave the house in the morning, stuff a few $5 bills in your pocket, just in case you run into someone hungry and it turns out to be your lucky day. At the very least, being aware of that money in your pocket and its purpose will give you a different perspective on your day's challenges. Because even if you don't always run into someone to give it to, you will still hold in your mind the outlook of a person who is ready for any opportunity to be blessed by God. And that outlook is, by itself, its own blessing.

Nicole Grace
December 2006

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." -– Matthew 25:40

Satori Sciences is pleased to offer a new, extraordinary workshop that can increase productivity, improve work quality and contribute to a significant decrease in stress.

"When I was working on Wall Street, I would often head over to Trinity Church at lunchtime and, after munching a quick bite on the way there, would spend 30 - 45 minutes sitting quietly in one of the small wooden chairs of their tiny meditation room. This tranquil time, however brief, gave me a tremendous respite from the intensity of my day. Leaving the darkened, hushed interior of the church, I would make my way back to the office, replenished and ready to take on the challenges of the office with a renewed energy, balance and enthusiasm. I know many others that have found unique ways to renew their energy during their lunch break, some who found a quiet place to visit, as I did. With layoffs, threat warnings and increased pressure to break productivity records, it is an appropriate time for us to offer this very special new training for corporations and individuals: Peace Meal." - Nicole Grace

Peace Meal is a 45 minute-long meditation seminar, designed to accommodate busy workers on a tight schedule! During the workshop period, one of our exceptional master instructors, each with over 12 years experience of enthusiastic discipline, will teach participants stress-release exercises and non-denominational meditation techniques, as well as provide one or two guided meditation sessions. Held in your corporate offices, or in an outside location provided by Satori Sciences, the workshops will begin promptly at 12:10 p.m. or 1:10 p.m. and will conclude promptly at five minutes before the hour, ensuring attendees have time to return to their offices after their lunch hour has ended.

The only limit on participation is the size of the room provided. We recommend scheduling a series of four consecutive, weekly meetings at minimum to ensure that the participants have time to practice the techniques on their own, while learning how to integrate the material into their daily lives.

For more information about these sessions, or to schedule a meeting at your location, please contact our sales headquarters: info@satorisciences.com or 800-384-8815.

This unique half-day workshop provides attendees with a powerful introduction to meditation and mindfulness, taught by instructors with a minimum of 12 years of training and discipline in this art. The regular practice of quieting the mind has been proven to significantly reduce stress and feelings of negativity, as well as increase intellectual capacity and problem-solving abilities. The Art of Meditation offers a practical, non-denominational approach. (The Art of Meditation can also be combined with our Three-Fold Path to Mastery seminar for a transformational 1 1/2 day experience.)

During the powerful 4-hour session, attendees will learn:

• Several extremely effective techniques for quieting the mind
• Mindfulness
• Avoiding The Passion Reaction
• How to incorporate meditative practice into each day

*BREAKING NEWS*
Mastery At Work: 18 Keys For Achieving Success, Fulfillment And Joy In Any Profession has been declared the winner in the Best Books 2006 Book Awards in the category of Business/Motivation, by USA Book News.

From USABookNews.com:
"Mastery At Work is a rich and unique read. Combining Buddhist and Eastern traditions with modern day know-how, Nicole Grace offers readers an extremely satisfying well-written book sure to challenge and inspire you!"

Read more press and reviews about Mastery At Work:

New Connexions Magazine - "Editor's Picks"
"Combining spiritual techniques with business practices, Nicole Grace recognizes that leading an impeccable working life helps us to achieve personal growth. Her secret key to success—work as a spiritual practice and spiritual practice as work. Whether you work on Wall Street or as a street vendor, Grace’s techniques of 'acting as if,' detachment, and focusing like a warrior will help you to create a fulfilling work and personal life."

USA Book News
Mastery At Work is an enlightening and informative new book that is transforming the way people think about life and work. Drawn from proven business strategies and ancient spiritual teachings, Mastery At Work presents practical techniques anyone can embrace and use to work more productively and with greater skill, as well as to lead an uncommonly joyful life, regardless of daily circumstances. Based on The Three-Fold Path to Mastery philosophy created by the author, Mastery At Work describes the pathways that can lead to a life of success, expertise, balance and fulfillment. ["USA Book News covers unique books from both the mainstream and independent press. We look beyond the best-seller lists to find fantastic books that are worthy of attention."]

Balanced Living Magazine
Nicole Grace is one extraordinary woman: a former Wall Street executive and an ordained Buddhist monk and a black belt in karate and a former symphony orchestra violinist! More important, however, is the fact that her accomplishments are demonstrations of the program she proffers in her first book, Mastery At Work. Drawn from her experience in multiple spiritual disciplines, including martial arts, Grace distills her impressive 18 Keys into a Three-Fold Path (Soft Skills, Professional Skills and Continuous Improvement). Taken together, they comprise a powerful life-way, as appropriate for the longtime seeker as it is for the spiritual novice.

Almost all of us work, and work (especially nowadays) can be fraught with difficulties: lack of meaning, lack of security and frustrating relationships, to name a few. Grace, through this prism of work, is providing the public at large a process into deeper experience and understanding. This is a book you can give to anyone as an ultimate, self-guided, personal-growth method, whether or not they’ve ever uttered the word spirituality. To the degree that they embody and express the 18 Keys, they will open inner doors, and what they learn and experience will find its outer reflection. Mastery At Work is a book about mastery of life. It belongs on every bookshelf.
- David Langer

For more information about our life-changing, career-inspiring seminars, click here: http://www.satorisciences.com/seminars/index.html