"Do it yourself" Miracles

Believe it or not, you can perform miracles every day and delight yourself in the process.  Here are some of the ways to do it:

1.  Is there someone in your office who nobody including you likes, who everybody thinks, "Oh, God," when that person comes into the room or your section, etc.?  Well, here's how to create a miracle, a real miracle.  The next time that person comes up to you (and you want to say, "Oh, God!") put on a big smile, stand up and extend your hand.  Say something like, "Wow, you're looking great today.  How nice to see you."  Against all natural inclinations (and here is where the miracle starts) do everything you can to make that person think that you really like them and everything about them.   Are you lying?  Yes, of course.  But it is pursuit of a good end result and thinking of it as a lie is only an excuse for not doing what God want's you to do.  The miracle?  Well, you'll see.  You can change that person from what he/she was to a whole new personality.

2.  The next time you're in a restaurant or on a bus or whatever, look for someone of a different "racial" classification than yourself.  See if there is something special in their dress or demeanor or whatever.  Then go up to them and say (something like), "You know, I couldn't help but notice.  The way you dress makes me proud to be an American."  Or, "I really like that hairdo on you.  It's so elegant."  The smile of surprised appreciation on that person's face will please you more than you pleased that person.

3.  The next time, particularly in your office, when people on the break or whatever, start back-biting about someone else (no matter how true or deserved), refuse with silence and don't participate except to say something contrarily good about that person.   It may take more than one occasion to establish your attitude difference (say, more than one occasion with the same group) but after awhile you will notice a difference in the attitude of the others.  

People behave and react in some very predictable ways.  You are no exception.  But notice what happens when you behave differently than expected.  If someone is angry you, you want to get angry back at them.  Don't.  Learn to control yourself.  See what a difference that makes and how productive it is in your favor.  When I was a young boy of nine, a horse I was riding "ran away" with me on him.  My father, who was a cavalry officer (and we were on a cavalry post) rode up along side of me on his horse and yelled over at me, "Show him who's boss.  Reign him in."  Well, at the time, I knew who was the boss and it wasn't me.  But I quickly took the hint and was able to stop the horse with a see-sawing of the bit as instructed.  The lesson here is that you must show yourself who is boss.  Is your body and your ego the boss or is your higher nature the boss?  Learn by practice (and it sakes a lot of practicing to get any results) to dominate your animal nature with your "human" nature.  It is not a fast process and you will fail many times, but the miracle is that one day you will find that you have become that type of person you "acted out."

There is a saying in the Baha'i Faith that, "the reward for doing good is that you become good."  Try it.  You'll like it.