Soul Canyon Training & Development

Tuning In To Your Heart

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”

       –  Edmund Burke

In 1991 I was on a business trip in China.  I worked for Kodak and we were visiting key customers throughout the country.  During the early part of the trip, when we were in Guangzhou visiting a photolab, I was approached by a small boy who was begging for money.  The boy couldn’t have been older than 5 or 6 — in wet socks, on the busy sidewalk in front of the customer’s business.  I immediately reached in to my pocket to grab some change when the local rep I was with stopped me.  He informed me that these kids are kidnapped from rural China and brought into the cities and used as begging slaves.  By giving money to the child, I would only encourage this behavior.  I looked into the boy’s eyes and shook my head no — and then walked away.  He stayed there for a few seconds with his hand out, and then left.

My own kids — Ashley and Tyler — were 5 and 7 at the time.  I thought about them, safe and warm and going to nice schools back in Tokyo — I thought about the little kid — a little begging slave — full of the same perfect potentional we all have, yet thwarted by horrible people in a horrible world.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  What was I supposed to do?  Could I solve this unbelievable travesty? 

Would I really have been doing the child and everyone else an injustice by giving him some money?  If I had given him money, would it have helped him?  My mind had paralyzed me into inactivity. 

What did my heart have to say?  I wasn’t sure.

A few days later I was in Beijing.  After visiting customers there, then taking a guided trip out to the Great Wall, I had a free evening.  I was warned by our local sales rep about giving the street beggars money — but my heart was telling me to get a couple of pocket fulls of change and to go hand it out until it was gone. 

So I did.

I made a point of looking into the eyes of every person I handed a coin to. After I handed out a couple of coins, I was mobbed — so I just moved in a circle and made sure that I handed out the money to different people until it was gone.  When I was out of coins, I held up my hands to show I had nothing left.  They didn’t believe me at first — and a few followed me for a bit as I walked around, but the excitement finally dissipated and I was left alone.

Had I taken too much of a risk?  Had I made a difference in the Chinese poverty rate?  Had I encouraged begging by my actions? All excellent questions, but my heart, now with a much clearer voice, confirmed to me that I had followed my path.

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.”              

            — Carl Jung

Listen to your heart — then act.  By doing this your path will be illuminated.

Peace to you.

Rob, Mary and Wes

Join us each week as we learn and apply the Laws of Manifestation and Attraction to achieve ANYTHING!!

Intention Circle — Tuesday’s, Noon – 1pm — Heartsong (in Grants Pass, on 6th, between “G” and “H”)  NO CHARGE — Just a tiny donation of $1 to cover the room — bring your lunch!