“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Gautama Buddha
On Gifts: Seven Made Just For You... You Win!
All of us—even the darkest and unluckiest of us—get seven particular moments, those brief, unexpected times when the stars do more than align; they communally redirect their light expressly to illuminate the value of our wee, earthly existence. Leigh Newman
Today, I was reading an article on Oprah.com that was so inspiring I had to share it with you. The piece, The 7 Gifts from the Universe That Everybody Gets, is written by Leigh Newman and shares a remarkable insight, that, sooner or later, each of us gets to enjoy seven moments of glory we all get—no matter what, no matter who. We don’t experience them all at once, just randomly. As I reviewed each one, I could think of examples in my life that fit them exactly. The more I considered each gift, the more extraordinary and appreciative the experience became. I share the seven gifts with you below. For a moment, withhold all judgment, think back to key episodes in your life that, by sheer serendipity, fit each gift below, and that taught you life long lessons.
1. You (senselessly) win. Many of us go around claiming we are unlucky at special drawings or random pickings. But one day, we win/will win something; tickets, a fruit basket, the office pool; what Leigh calls “a windfall without effort.”
2. You’re seen. In our youth, we get a lot of attention for our beauty and exuberance; something we might miss as we age. However, there are those magical moments when we connect with somebody out there; at an event, a show or a meeting. We meet someone who gets us; they zero in on our full and unique sensibility; accepting and applauding us as we are – You being you.
3. You get the opportunity to learn about something bigger than yourself. A sign of maturity is our ability to empathize with another person’s pain; what Leigh calls “the awakening of grace.” Sooner or later, we get to be a source of comfort to another; we hold their hands and connect with them at the very time they feel most alone.
4. You’re spared. Yesterday, I shared a snippet of how I was spared… We all have stories in our treasure chest of when/how/why we were spared a close call. We lived. We didn’t die. We were given the chance to live.
More below. 
