Bam another news report comes through, Terrorists this, hijackers that, people are constantly doing bad things, why even bother listening to the news or reading the paper it is just too depressing. In the 21st century we are constantly bombarded by negative thoughts. Statistics show that the average person sees over 10,000 acts of violence by the age of 18 years old on either the news or television. How are we not supposed to be hardened to the fact that things are going wrong in our society right underneath our noses and we are not doing a thing about it. Have you ever had a tear brought to your eye after seeing a animal harmed in a movie, but those bad guys can get shot and it wouldn’t even make us feel a bit of sadness.

Well, you can make a difference. It is a fact that if you put your mind to it you can make an extreme difference. Look at Ghandi, The Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King, The Pope and Mother Theresa. All of these individuals had one thing in common, they were all empathetic and compassionate people that believed they could make a difference.

You may ask, how do I do this. I am very busy. I have a family, I work all day and night as well. I hardly spend time with my family as it is. I am also barely able to open my eyes in the morning already. So I can’t possibly fit in one more thing.

Some of the things you can do won’t even take time out of your busy schedule or make you tired. How about recycling bottles or using paper front and back before you recycle it. How about picking up a piece of paper that someone else threw on the floor. How about holding a door for someone in the shopping center. How about paying for the person behind you in a tollbooth. Tell a person you don’t know that they have beautiful smile. Tell your secretary or boss that they are a great person.

Being a spiritual person in my eyes has nothing to do with religion. It is only about the development of the inner spirit love and compassion. Each person may feel differently about this but being a spiritual person is not about how your pray or who you pray to it is about kindness and empathy.

Here is an exercise that you may want to practice. Take a bowl of marbles or even a pad and a pen. For every negative thought you have take out a black marble or put a check in the negative column. For every good thought put a white marble in the jar or check the positive column at the end of the day tally up and determine if you have been as empathetic and a compassionate individual as you think you should. This may take some practice and time. Don’t worry the lesson is the practice. Practice everyday to be a better person. Develop your spiritual side and live life with love and compassion.

Allie Alberigo is a 6th Degree Black Belt in the art of Ninpo/Ninjutsu and Jujutsu and has been training in the martial arts for over 39 years, as well as being a martial arts school owner, self-defense expert, public speaker and business owner. Allie is the owner of the L.I. Ninjutsu Centers, which has locations in East Islip, West Islip, Port Jefferson, Lindenhurst, and Bermuda. In 2000 Allie his first book “The Beginners Guide to Ninpo” and has also released his first video “The Warrior Spirit” (39 minutes). If you have any questions do not hesitate to call 631-321-5432, email him at renshilininja@aol.com, or check them out online at Lininja.com. He loves to hear from you.