What does it take to be inspired today, when stress is all around us due to the economy, environment, war and more? To me, it is about being truly grateful on a daily basis and, sometimes a minute-by-minute basis, on those days when you feel you just can’t take one more step. Everywhere we turn, there is continued devastation. Every minute, there is a child raped, a person murdered, a rainforest dying, an iceberg melting.
But what if we looked at everything, good, bad, or indifferent, and saw the magic? What if we saw things from a different perspective and knew that every experience was a gift to help us reach nirvana in our lifetime? What if we were able to see that, through the dark, we see the light?
I know that most of us already live by these principles, but what about when life is so overwhelming that we accidentally slip back into old, negative ways of thinking and doing. It causes me to pause and remember what we have in this precious life, is to usher in the light, come together as a community, lift each other up and simply love one another as unconditionally as humanly possible; so that we can share the essence of our enlightenment.
To see at the end of a flood that devastates a water-front town, there is a droplet of water on a leaf that sparkles in the sun and a whole new universe is opened. Or at the end of a fire that destroys a forest, there is a chance for a new forest to grow. Or, when Mother Earth shakes so hard that a village crumbles to ground, it gives us the opportunity to come together for those who have survived.
We all know on some level what is in store in the coming days and years, surrounded by much more devastation. It is a time when history is writing itself. However, we have the power to change those pages in life. We get to say LIFE GOES ON when we lose a loved one and have no other choice but to feel them in that intangible place in our hearts. We get to learn that LIFE GOES ON when we see our bank accounts drained, not knowing how we’re going to feed our families. We get to feel that LIFE GOES ON even when the darkest night is all around us. We get to feel our power in faith and know there is a gift to give and receive with every encounter.
So I remind myself and invite all of us to BREATHE and to remain as calm and centered as possible during this transition time, so that we are beacons of light to ourselves, and, therefore, for each other.
Each of us are a blast of light, so that when we put ourselves together, we cause a magical light storm so powerfully blinding, filled with faith, hope, compassion and above all love, that we only have the choice to live as one… which to me, is the true meaning of life!
Tess Cacciatore brings over 25 years of expertise to the global stage, to facilitate her mission to empower youth. As a visionary and modern day renaissance woman, Tess's career spans but is not limited to an award-winning multi-media producer, children's book author, international transformational speaker, program designer to empower youth and her love of capturing the human spirit on film has garnered her the title of the world-traveling, "photographer of light" - photographing children and people from all cultures as well as iconic world leaders such as: Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dali Lama and more.
Tess has spoken at the United Nations on several occasions (Geneva Switzerland and New York) and in 2003 she was proudly presented with the Medaille d' Excellence for her work, alongside the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in the area of Edu-tainment.
Her cutting-edge approach and technology expertise has given her the opportunity to produce events that have bridged the gap of communication for indigenous leaders of North and South America in Geneva, Switzerland and Ottawa, Canada, as well as the follow up conferences on the global stage of the World Conference Against Racism, World Summit on Sustainability in South Africa and the "Quest for Global Peace" in Bali with amazing leaders such as Bishop Desmond Tutu.
As a multi-media producer, Tess has had the vision to bring cultures together through the internet since the mid-nineties. After visiting Africa and falling in love with the people and the culture, Tess sought to find other places in the world to help through her work as the Founder of the World Trust Foundation (since 1994) where the umbrella of the foundation gives Tess a base to explore the world to learn about the cultures and to bring this knowledge to the children of the world, so that they can learn that "we all have as similar pulse and meet on a common ground."
The World Trust Foundation has accomplished many wonderful feats over the years with the power of collaboration. It is one of Tess's missions to "break the paradigm in the nonprofit arena and to create a place of collaboration instead of competition." Through the collaboration model, WTF was been able to quickly and efficiently build 38 homes in Sri Lanka in answer to the tsunami, plant trees in Guatemala to help indigenous farmers, educate youth in Los Angeles on the environment for Earth Day, bring sewing machines to El Salvador to begin a vocational school for women. WTF has also helped children in orphanages in South Africa, Cambodia, Thailand and more.
There is nothing that will stop Tess in completing her vision of bridging cultures and empowering youth, as it is her mission in life to see a place where future generations have a safe place to live and for her to leave a legacy that represents her love for children.
Gratitude,gratitude,gratitude is the key! Every morning when I wake,every evening before I shut my eyes.I practice gratitude.In one short year,gratitude has been the major factor that has shifted my daily outlook from negative to the positive.Life is precious and oh so sweet. Tom
So very true. I start every morning before my feet hit the ground, with expressing my gratitude, beginning with I am grateful for this day and all that it will bring! It has made a difference in how I approach my day and all that I encounter throughout my day. I follow it up with a quiet ride to work (no radio) and take that time to reiterate my blessings, state my positive affirmations and have that quiet time to reflect and ask for guidance to direct my day/my life.
Tess, thank you for the beautiful things you are doing for a better world. With love and transformation, Jocelyne, http://www.womenbeempowered.com
That is a great inspiration Tess. I know that im a light in the darkness of life. For awhile now, I have been living in love for humanity. Thankyou Tess. I love you, and see your light.
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Hi Tess Cacciatore, it’s a really excellent post to drive the motivational energy in everyone. We all know that we are living in a world with a lot of negative things around us. But there are a lot of positive things around us. Many of us has the tendency to move towards negative things. But i’m sure that this good post above is really for those people who move towards negativity. It enables them to convert their negativity into positive thoughts which helps them to enjoy precious life. Thank you Tess , for sharing this valuable information.
Thank you for your beautiful message. My family and friends are also wonderful reminders of your advice as I deal with the loss of my husband. His memory will always make us smile as he shone brighter than most and embraced every day with gratitude, compassion and love. Gerry always saw the magic! It was a long and often exhausting battle with cancer for both of us but more important to us was how fortunate we were to find true love at 52 years old and have the opportunity to marry and share our love with each other, our family and our friends.
I am so grateful to read this message tonight, to feel the connection with others seeing this way. I am really grateful for Inspire Me Today daily messages.
Thank you Tess and Gayle for your gifts of vision and bringing like minds together- and opening minds. You’re really awesome women!
Having read this I thought it was very enlightening.
I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this
content together. I once again find myself spending a significant
amount of time both reading and posting comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!
I am that I was found, saved,etc..A tremendous growth at an Integral Altar has served me throughout 10 or so of these states. I am building a mentality, soul, and 12 others. Shortly ago, I mapped Enlightenment to a much more intelligence and Real level. As my power has become powerful over everything from emotion up, I am vivid, productive with a wage. I am happy and significantly improving, etc. In those ways that I immediately enjoy we are on similar power and common ground.
I feel this synchronicity is more meaningful that I can present. I would like it it be serendipity as I feel that ours is common light for mind, soul, … (which is part of a small booklet I just wrote.) Having recently left a volunteer position at Restore, I feel the the soul of our entitlement with dwelling governing can be our special habitat. And I think that your submission tells me this. My recent expository work is merely the previous stoop.
I theorize that your entitlement is similar, like your statement here. I am so glad. Christ and Christen, a coworker at Yorktown Naval Weapns Station who told me to remember her name. Thank You. . . . .