The Gift of Giving‏

In this season of giving, the greatest gift anyone can give is the gift of self. No matter what we have or don't have, each of us has the power to make a difference through one small act. Kindness, compassion and generosity are the most precious gifts we can share.

Every day offers opportunities to do something good - walking past a homeless person, lining up for a cup of coffee, sitting in a cafe, riding in a subway or driving through New York's traffic congested streets. 

We only have to open our eyes and our heart to see the stranger standing next to us. Kindness is a gift not just for those less fortunate. A smile of recognition, an acknowledgment that one is not invisible but seen and felt by another human being is an act of empathy and compassion that connects us to one other, a warm reminder that we are not alone in the world. 

Finding My Way

Antique Map of El Camino Frances

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a spiritual journey that pilgrims have traveled for over a thousand years. The Way of Saint James emerged as the most traveled pilgrimage route because it offered medieval pilgrims a safer passage than the perilous trip to Jerusalem or Rome. 

By the 12th and 13th centuries, half a million pilgrims made their way to and across northern Spain  and back each year. The Kings of Aragon, Navarre and Castile built hospitals, hostels, roads and bridges to accommodate them.

The city of Santiago became the first major thoroughfare of Christian Europe, a meeting place for people from all nations and different faiths, an intersection for spiritual, economic and cultural growth stimulated by millions of pilgrims. 

Empathy and Compassion in Society 2014: Compassion at Work

Here's a short video clip that encapsulates the speakers and talks at the recent 2014 Empathy and Compassion in Society Conference.

http://compassioninsociety.org/?view=featured

The Road to Sarria

The Spanish word camino can mean a trail, a path, a road, or a journey. The Way of Saint James invites us to a way of life, an inner journey. Walking the Camino is a pilgrimage through the landscape of our soul.

In medieval times, this pilgrimage was a sacred journey, an opportunity for transformation. Today, walking on the original pilgrim path connects us to the centuries old spiritual tradition. Walking with other pilgrims bound for the same destination makes the Camino a communal journey, uniting us in a pursuit of the sacred.

A New Year Peregrination: Walking The Camino

A year ago, I embarked on a life-changing journey by walking the ancient Spanish pilgrimage route, The Way of St. James, popularly known as the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. 

The experience of walking in preparation for the 100 km stretch to earn the certificate of a pilgrim (credencial) deepened my awareness of life as an inner journey. Letting go, shedding the baggage of daily tasks to free myself in pursuit of the sacred was a spiritual exercise that opened a window into this inner world.