The miracle of being

RECENTLY I went to an establishment to buy something. As I approached, I heard the cashier ask the woman at the counter: “And how are you today?” “Tired!” the woman said, in a way that made me glance at her, noticing that she did in fact look worn and somewhat stressed. My first thought was that she was honest. In response to such a question, people (in general) may respond “I’m fine” – even if they are not feeling good. Quite often the person who asked may not really be interested in knowing how the person actually is; asking “How are you?” can sometimes be a socially polite reflex action.

Additionally, does anyone ever see the need to inquire further as to what “fine” means when someone says that is how they are? “Fine” is one of those words like “nice.” I recall, way back in primary school, being told by a teacher that we should never use “nice” to describe something, since it is not “a real word.” To this day, it is a word for which I often pause and seek an alternative whenever I find myself about to use it. When it was time to serve me, the cashier said, “Good morning. How are you?” “I am miraculous!” I replied.

As I did so, I felt as though the tired woman next to me flinched slightly in the way that someone who is grieving or lonely might feel when people around them are “merry” and upbeat at Christmas time.

Sensing what I perceived her reaction to be, as we stood side by side waiting for our orders, I wondered if I should say something to her about miracles.

However (even though I am usually very open about chatting to people on random topics), I remained quiet. I felt that she was in a world of her own and preferred to stay there in that moment of waiting.

I could have been wrong, but to be safe, I decided instead to say internally: “May you experience a miracle,” whilst visualising/feeling something intangible and warm flowing to her.

As I did that, her order arrived. She picked up her keys, which were resting on the counter, and mustered up the effort to bid the cashier a weary goodbye.

As she walked away, I got the feeling that something good would happen to/for her.

As I was leaving a few moments later, an older woman was entering. She was hobbling, using a cane. As I looked at her, I got the fleeting feeling that she could walk well again if she believed that she could and did not subscribe to the concept that something was “wrong” with her body. I told her, “Good morning.” She smiled. “Good morning. And how are you?” “I am miraculous,” I said. She looked at me in a way that indicated she had not expected that answer, then said, “You do indeed look so!” “I wish you a miracle today,” I said.

Once again, she looked momentarily surprised, then smiled and said, “God bless you” as I walked away.

You may wonder why I was telling people I feel miraculous, and why I would think of extending miracles to others.

The evening before, I had chosen the theme of “miracles” for the yoga session I was teaching. After our kriya (physical part of the yoga session), we did a “tapping” routine (EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique) for allowing miracles, followed by a meditation for healing and miracles.

When the session was over, and we were chatting, I suggested to those who had attended: “From now on, whenever anyone asks us how we are, let’s respond with, ‘I am miraculous!’”

Feeling “miraculous” after our session, we agreed that we would do this. So the responses and interactions mentioned at the start of the article were my first forays into using the “I am miraculous” response in public. Doing so created a very pleasant sensation that inspires me to continue using this phrase.

If moved to, why not do it as well? By subscribing to the “I am miraculous” mindset and expressing that state of being, I feel that an energy of positivity and possibility fills us and also ripples out to others.

As stated in the book A Course In Miracles: “A miracle is never lost. It may touch many people you have not even met, and produce undreamed-of changes in situations of which you are not even aware.”