Do not think that your life is not worth something unless you do something that makes you famous.

Do not think that the value of a life is measured by the number of people who adore or fear you for anything you have said or done or role you have fulfilled.

Instead, concentrate on each person you are with, by choice OR by chance. Listen to them at the level they are outright sharing with you by word, deed or attitude and respect the boundaries they communicate in these ways. Consider the sharing as a precious gift, always, for it may require their last bit of humanity or physical strength, no matter how trivial it might seem to you at the moment – even a slight smile or nod or holding open a door or a place in a line. Yet, also recognize it may indeed be trivial to them and forgotten as soon as it has been given. These are not gifts that you should judge as more worthy or less worthy of gratitude. Rather as slight but significant gifts not unlike slight but precious bits of spice that make up a tasty dish. Life is made gentler, sweeter or more interesting by your awareness of them. And, especially, I think, because they are mostly unasked for and you did nothing to earn them. Bits of grace. Generously shared with what may be a last bit of precious personal energy, or not, yet shared in spite of, because of, or simply out of politeness or habit, still, given and received.

Try not to make too much out of such small gifts or similarly, of minor slights or rudenesses. They too add a kind of spice and counterbalance to being alive. And they also are more communications from and about the person who projects them than they are about you. Also though, do not ignore or minimize them as they may inform or warn of unwanted behavior on your part. Again, respect boundaries they may, no matter how clumsily, project. Also, do not be blinded by taking too much offense or insult, seek to learn when such behaviors are a cry for understanding or help and discern if you have a role either causing it or helping, or can or should or if you are welcome at all.

We can each of us only seek to live our lives with as much generosity of spirit as we naturally have and can develop. In the end that is really how we fulfill our greatest purpose in this life. Living in such a way is like the ripples created by a pebble thrown into a pond. The more pebbles the more ripples run into each other. Each time we individually give to another from our own reservoirs of love and generosity more ripples spread throughout humanity.

It was never about one person, whether spiritual or political leader, performer, philosopher, artist, teacher, scientist or writer or any one single person down through history, famous or infamous – it’s always been about individuals in their own circle of influence doing what they can and growing and sharing their own innate gifts. Famous persons do inspire and guide, it’s true. But the real power for good lies in what each individual does. Pebbles in the ponds.