sky to heaven - the invisible life.

I have a friend who never gets angry or loses his temper. He has the gift of patience. He is very peaceful to be around.
I have a friend who can understand how you feel. She has the gift of empathy. She is very comforting to be around.
I have a friend who can make people laugh. He has the gift of humor. He is very fun to be around.
I have a friend who is nice to everybody. She has the gift of a kind heart. She is very safe to be around.
I have a friend who never talks about other people. He has the gift of trustworthiness. He is very easy to be around.
I have a friend who is not afraid to do what he thinks is right. He has the gift of courage. He is very inspiring to be around.
I have a friend who always gives good advice. She has the gift of wisdom. She is very helpful to be around.

Each of my friends shines because of their gifts. Some of these gifts make my friends seem very attractive. Other gifts make my friends very popular. Still other gifts make my friends respected by others. And I admire my friends for these gifts they have.

You may think these gifts are not very important, and that they have no practical value. That these gifts are inferior to money, love, or health. But I believe otherwise. Those who are wise can make money. Those who have humor, empathy, or courage will find love. Those who possess kindness and peace of mind are healthier than those who do not.

Now, can you imagine if a person had a great number of these gifts? A person who possesses a variety of these gifts in abundance is truly rich – and probably healthier and happier, too. A person who is full of these things can not be NOT happy. And so this is why I have come to believe that the most important things in life are invisible.

For I look at my friends and I see their gifts, but I cannot touch these gifts. I can see them, but I cannot take them, buy them, borrow them, or steal them – I can only observe them as they live these gifts and ARE these gifts, and learn from them. They are real, but they are invisible. These gifts live inside a person’s mind, heart, and spirit. But they come alive and are visible by the way a person talks, acts, lives, and is. You know this is true because you have seen these invisible gifts in other people.

Every human being I have ever met possesses at least one or more of these gifts. I am sure that each of your friends has at least one of them, if not two or three – and perhaps it is their gifts that have drawn you to them, just as it may be your gifts that have drawn them to you. And just as each of your friends possesses a gift, so I believe that each of your enemies does also – only it is not as visible, since you see that person as your enemy, and not as your friend.

The more you look for these gifts, the more you will see their presence or absence in others. And you have the ability to see these gifts in other people because you have the seed of all these invisible gifts inside you. You can see them because the potential for them is inside you. And you already do have some of these gifts inside you. Some people might be born with many of these gifts, and others are born with only a few. And while almost none are born with all, I believe all are born talented with at least one. But all people have the potential for all gifts. And your life and happiness are not so much determined by what you have been born with, but what you choose to do and be with what you are born with - and what gifts you choose to grow in your life.

For your human life is built on invisible gifts. You would not do business with someone who is completely lacking in trust. You would not be friends with someone who is completely lacking in honesty and only told lies. You would not go to war with someone who is completely lacking in courage. You would not marry someone who was completely lacking in loyalty. You would not confide in anyone who has little empathy. You would not seek guidance from anyone who possessed no wisdom. Half of your success in life lies in being able to correctly identify people who are using these gifts or not using these gifts. Learning how to tell the difference between people who are using you, and those who are truly sharing with you.

And the other half of your success lies in whether you are using these gifts or not. All of our relationships in life, whether they are business, social, political, religious, or personal, are based upon what we receive from others – and what others receive from us. Human life as we know it depends upon these invisible gifts being present in other people and ourselves. And many of life’s disappointments and sorrows arise because we discovered they were mostly absent in others - or absent in ourselves.

So if you find your life or your relationships lacking, it may be that your invisible gifts are lacking a more significant presence in your life. If you have closed yourself off to your invisible gifts, perhaps it may be well for you to open them. If you have ignored them, take care of them. If they are weak, grow them. And if you would grow them, then think with them in mind, and act with them in body. Desiring patience, think and act with patience. Thinking and acting with empathy, you will become empathetic. For as you think and act a way, so shall you eventually become and be that way. And as you possess more and more of these invisible gifts, so shall you become a greater gift to all those in your life - and your life will be as a gift to you.