Barbara Biziou

Barbara is a teacher of practical spirituality, as well as an author, motivational speaker and life coach.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Hidden Gems of Wisdom

Many years ago I was leading a Vision workshop in Nantucket. It is one of my favorite workshops because participants have the opportunity to explore their dreams and create a wonderful vision board.

I started by having people introduce themselves and share what their intention for the weekend. As we were going around the room, we came upon a 90-year-old woman who I assumed was just there for the company.

Instead, to my surprise she stated, "I came to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life." After the workshop she told me that she was planning a trip to Europe and then "who knows!" What a gift to have provided for the group. Sheer proof that life is an unfolding journey with endless possibilities!

Life can offer many gifts if you are open to receiving them. Since experience has taught me that anyone can be a voice of spirit, I tend to pay attention to conversations with strangers. A few weeks ago, I was riding in a taxi in NYC. As we were driving, we began to discuss a large accident that had happened the day before. A crane had broken off from a construction site and crashed into a building...destroying the building and killing many people. It seemed as if the whole city went into shock.

To my surprise, my driver told me that he didn't worry about accidents anymore. Intrigued I asked him why. "I was one of twenty survivors of a plane crash that killed over two hundred people" he shared. "I prayed and asked forgiveness for having harmed anyone in my life and after that experience I know that each day is a gift. Why worry about things you cannot control." Of course, that is exactly what I tell the participants in my classes. It doesn't matter if I am teaching in Corporate America or at a yoga retreat: the message is always the same. Focus on what you can control, let go of the rest and be present to what is.

Our conversation then turned to a discussion on aging. I had just returned from Florida and my mother's 90th birthday celebration. Not only does my mother look 10-15 years younger than she is, but she swims, plays bridge, belongs to a theatre group and has a boyfriend. She is always learning something new and has many friends and interests.

The taxi driver proceeded to tell me that his grandfather, who lives in Romania, was 105 years old. I was fascinated and wanted to know everything about how he was being cared for. Well, it seems that his grandfather was very independent and actually living on his own. "My mother stops by and does all his heavy shopping," he said. Of course, my mind started calculating...his grandfather was 105 so that made his mother around 80 and she did all the heavy shopping?

I asked him about the last time he had visited his grandfather. "Oh, he said, I took my grandfather for his physical. The doctor was a bit concerned that my grandfather had high cholesterol. He warned my grandfather to watch the type of food he put in his body. Smiling, my grandfather told him that he did understand that it was important what you feed your body, but "doctor", he said, "I think it is more important how you feed your soul."

What are you doing to feed yours?