Tomorrow is my birthday, I'm 66! In the UK that is currently retirement age, so I recently gave up the day job, but retiring is not for me. I have so much more to do before I leave this world! I have already outlived many of my contemporaries, people who were my closest friends, some days I feel like the "last man standing". I know that's not true for I still have close friends I have known for many years who are still around.

Being my birthday, I'm going to be audacious and ask you for a gift. The gift is not something for me, but for the whole world; well to be more precise - your whole world! For my birthday this year I'd like you to reach out and meet someone you know at the point of their real needs. To do this won't be easy, you'll have to first get close enough, interested enough and dig deep enough to find the need and do what is necessary to help.

This isn't one of those occasions in traffic when you hold everyone else up behind you to let someone else out of a side street, to prove to yourself what a kind person you are. This is going to be costly in time, effort and maybe money to show another human being you are in their corner. I believe when you've done this act of exemplary kindness (and not told anyone) you will feel so good inside that you'll want to do it again.

We watch, listen or read the news and find out every day about man's inhumanity to man, and if we have a caring bone in our bodies, we are appalled and wish the world wasn't like that. Edmund Burke said: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing!” I am suggesting that you might use the occasion of my birthday, to be the person who does something for someone else close to you.

Sadly, there is nothing the majority of us can do on a global scale, and it seems that those who have the power to effect good outcome at that level choose, in the main part, to do the opposite. John Lennon said: “Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.”

Nevertheless as the Sunday School chorus says we can shine our light, both clearly and brightly "You in your small corner, and I in mine!" To be of the opinion that there is nothing you can do on a global scale and then give up from doing what can be done, is to allow evil to win. If, all of my 4,700 Facebook friends, my 7,000+ followers and the 15,000+ "Be Inspired!" group members were all to answer the call, the world would change.

Even if only 1% of that number acted on my birthday request that would still be 267 lives changed forever for the better because I asked. In fact I will be delighted if only one person answers the call, if that person is you, dear reader!  So please, reach out and meet someone you know at the point of their need. As I said doing this won't be easy, you'll have to get close, interested, and dig deep enough to do what is necessary to help.

To change the world for the better, we have to get involved, get our hands dirty, walk the extra mile and be there for someone at the point of their need. To do this is to be a personification of love; to be the ears, eyes and hands of the divine to meet our fellow travellers at the point of their need. Then when they ask you what they can do for you, just tell them to pass the act of kindness on at the next possible opportunity as it arrives.

I pray my birthday may be a blessing for many people. Please reach out and help someone at the point of their need tomorrow. In fact, why stop at tomorrow why not carry it on until it becomes a habit. 365 people a year times 26,700 I'm sure that would make this planet a much kinder world for us all to live in. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." John Lennon said: "War is over (if you want it)!

Written 1st November 2023 by Barnabas England