(n): The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
Yesterday I was walking home and happened upon this book on the sidewalk. I quickly snatched it up and checked it out. I couldn't help but think I discovered it for a reason. There are so many other streets I could have walked down to get home, but I was in the right place at the right time. I read the reviews on the front and immediately felt a connection. "No one who is invested in any kind of art can read The Gift and remain unchanged." I truly believe this book came to me at just the right time. I know I am fortunate to not only believe in my talents but have other's faith as well.
After discovering this book, I felt a strong sense of belonging and purpose. It's amazing what someone's simple gesture of anonymously sharing this book can do to another. I definitely feel connected to my community and know, without hesitation, I am where I should be - literally and figuratively.
I am amazed with the amount of trust I have in myself. I don't worry about the things I should and I can brush off fear with a laugh. I am by no means perfect, and I don't follow any specific spiritual path but my own. I am very much a free spirit and genuinely want to know people. For instance, I desperately wish I knew the story of this book's previous owner(s). I wish I knew how this book affected them and made sense to them. Just like when I read a quotation or even a horoscope, I always wonder how those words can be so universal yet so specific.
I plan to finish this book and pass it along as well. While I wish I could hoard it as a reminder - I would feel like a hypocrite. It is a gift, just like it's title suggests. Even in the first chapter, it talks about the origin of an Indian giver. The term has developed a negative connotation over the years from Americans looking at gifts as capital. Our land's prior inhabitants "understood a cardinal property of the gift: whatever we have been given is supposed to be given away, not kept. Or, if it is kept, something of similar value should move on in it's stead." -Hyde
We can send messages in so many ways, now more than ever. I prefer the profound ones. Consider leaving a thoughtful book somewhere for someone. You never know the kind of impact you might make on someone's life! XO