When have you stopped and done something without a means to an end? When have you stopped to pick a snail up off the ground so that it might have a chance not to be stepped on? When have you stopped and spoke with a neighborhood cat who was left homeless by its owners? When have you stopped and looked in the mirror of the words “love”, “hate”, “desire”, “greed”, “truth”, “faith”, and “joy”?

Each day we are blessed with the opportunity to bring heaven on earth to hundreds of beings; plant, animal, and person. We are given the miraculous chance to look into the eyes of another human and say hello. We are given the miraculous opportunity to stop and smell a rose. And not just smell it, but become the rose. To feel its joy that someone has recognized it. To feel when it is cold or too hot or when it is thirsty. Each day we have the choice to offer the world hell or heaven.

When we “love” do we do it with a means to an end? Do we look at the word “love” as a mirror to our souls? Do you ask yourself, am I saying hello to someone because I want them to recognize me and do the same or am I initiating a salutation based on my sheer desire to offer someone else a blessing?

Do you view your life through the lens of an observer? Step outside of yourself for a moment and see how the world reacts to your presence. Are people filled with ecstasy when you are near or do they cringe inside because they know they must suffer you or loose their job? When we mirror ourselves against the vastness of the universe are we big enough inside to give everything of ourselves or are we so small that not even air can penetrate our walls of defense?

When we act as our own temperature gauge can we feel “heaven” or do we really live in “hell”?