"Do Right"

Photo Credit:AP

Last night I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Maya Angelou who was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network. As she spoke about her life, she repeated a phrase which her grandmother reinforced in her. "Do right". This phrase stuck with me. So simple, yet so very powerful. We spend so much time competing with each other, envying another's success, poking fun at the expense of  others. We even wish ill upon some. Why? Is it boredom or jealousy? Is it misery seeking company? Whatever the reason, it cannot be justified. We get one chance at this life and we should practice to 'do right'.

We complicate our life.  We get caught up in the titles, the labels and the need to feel important and recognized. At the end of our days, does that really matter? Would others say, "she was a kind and loving person."  or "she cared only about herself and her possessions."  Social media has taken us so far away from reality that sometimes as we live our lives in cyberspace, we neglect the ones who are close by. We spend hours per week impressing our thousand 'friends' when it would take 10 mins to call a real friend to say 'hello'. It's time for us to do a reality check and 'do right'.

While we're seeking our life's purpose; we're missing the foundation upon which our lives were built....love. Let's take a moment to evaluate ourselves. Practice seeing the good in others. Encourage your sisters and brothers in their time of difficulty. If you are having a difficult time, be prayerful and thankful.  Seek out the 'rainbow in your cloud'.  Be a comfort to others. Choose words that build not those that destroy. Practice thinking positively, have a forgiving spirit and 'do right'.

As we continue our life's journey, it is my hope that we keep Dr. Angelou's words, 'do right', in the forefront of our minds. Let us attempt to enjoy the simplicity of life. "...Love your neighbor as yourself" Matthew 22:39(NIV).  Be kind, be balanced and embrace your journey.