Giving Back

From the Golden Tarot, the Ten of Coins; from the Yantra Deck, Kindness:

At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back. – Denzel Washington

          The abundance of the Ten of Coins reminds me of my little flower garden. Several of the zinnias I planted early in the spring are already going to seed. It seems Nature understands the best way to keep the planet healthy and thriving is to give back, not withhold. Sharon Salzberg taught me that loving-kindness means 'unconditional friendliness.' Rather than following the neurotic paranoia of the ego that insists holding on to everything is necessary for survival, this type of kindness opens the mind and heart fully. It doesn't mean I give away everything I own, or that I sacrifice my health trying to help others, it just means I give what I can when I can. In the words of Tom Brokaw, "It’s easy to make a buck.  It’s a lot tougher to make a difference."