This year my Christmas Eve was filled with more adventure than I ever expected. Infact, this is my 4th year spending Christmas Eve on the streets and it has always been the greatest life lessons but never have I faced such adventures.
My last great awareness experience taught me the valuable lesson of respect in our lives.
Once again, this Christmas Eve I dressed up like I was a homeless person and spent this beautiful night of giving and sharing on the streets with strangers.
It all started with my long johns, a full belly and a warm coffee. I was already blessed with so much more than everyone else I was going to spend this magical evening with.
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I was making my way down the Vancouver streets through the nicer part of downtown and already I could feel peoples eyes all over me due to the way I was dressed, like I did not belong on their side of the tracks.
Most of these people gave such slight quick looks that the only reason it impacted me was because it was directed towards me. We need to ask ourselves, do we at times judge with our looks and actions without realizing we do them? Most of the times I do not believe these people even knew they were giving me such judgmental looks.
The greatest impact we leave behind with others in our lives are the little things that we do. These leave behind emotions that last a life time.
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When I got to the location where all the homeless lived, it was one of the most overwhelming experiences than any other city I have done this. It felt like I was in an entirely different world.
There were people selling drugs, people using needles, others just lost in their own world of loneliness, some scary enough that I would not want to walk by their path and some just talking aloud to no one in particular as they wandered aimlessly.
There I was surrounded by people filled with their own individual stories with one commonality – bringing them all to this one location on this special night.
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And so the adventure started. It was one of those moments that you can see unfolding before it begins. I knew he was heading straight to my direction with an unknown intent to me. He walked right over to me and the first words that came out of his mouth was, “Who the F^*((^ are you and what the F*(&^%&%^& are you doing here?” Well long story short I was standing at his drug selling territory. After chatting for a while even he had a Christmas Spirit of forgiveness. 
Once again I had the opportunity to listen to some phenomenal life stories from people in this world that we so often walk right by and only notice with judgment.
Life lessons revolve around us on a daily basis,
are we open to receiving them?
In the last 4 years of doing this I have never met an individual like Mr. Maca.
Mr. Maca has been living on the streets for 6 years now. He has a family he has not seen or heard from for 9 years. He is a man of high education, a Doctorate in philosophy.
He had such a calm relaxing demeanor about him and he just seemed so at peace with himself. All logic makes me question his self-peace but it was not for me to judge but to just accept.
We ended up sitting on the sidewalk against a building for a little over an hour. My only regret was I wish I could have pulled out a pen and paper to write down all the insight this man has.
He made me aware of the most critical lesson I learned that night. We are always looking for the right answers or at times just answers to give us guidance, answers to fix and heal different aspects of our lives.
Mr. Maca, reminded me the main reason why we never seem to find the answers we are looking for is because we never ask ourselves the right questions.
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If we do not understand how to ask ourselves the right questions
than we will ever find the right answers.
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Take the time to become aware of the kind of questions we ask ourselves, our children, partners and spouses, friends and strangers that cross our path.
When we start focusing more on the questions themselves it is amazing how the answers will reveal themselves.
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During your interactions and communication always ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I asking the right questions to myself?
2. Am I asking the right questions to others?
3. Am I aware of the little things that I do that affects people?
4. What emotions do I leave behind with my daily small actions and behaviors?
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2010 will be a phenomenal year. Lets together make it a year of personal growth, a year full of love and compassion, a year of kindness, a year of intent, a year of calmness in our minds and souls.
A year where we as individuals make a difference.
Make this your year.
Wishing you all the best for 2010.
Fred Sarkari
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Fred, You are amazing. I love the way you think and I admire your Zen ways. Your book is an inspiration as well. I hope to see you sometime soon.
Ivan, thanks for the great comments. It’s people like yourself that reminds me what I try to do makes a difference in the world.
For that I thank you.
All the best for 2010
Awesome post Fred. I didn’t realize that you did this.
Absolutely amazing.
Nice work Fred. Way to give yourself up for others and great insight to a life experienced by way too many people in this world. Happy New Year to you as well.
Steve, all the best to you and your family or 2010. The insight was amazing as always.
Fred, You know it well.
Give unselfishly, ask for nothing in return and you will get more rewards and blessings than you ever expected.
I truly believe in that. What a great way to live. When you give without expectations of return than that giving alone is so rewarding. The unlimited rewards that come your way due to it is all gravy. I must add, some good tasting gravy.
Fred,
Good for you. Few people ever take the time to see the world from the eyes and perspective of others – especially those that make us uncomfortable.
You know that you don’t have to wait for Christmas Eve to meet people face to face who deal with homelessness. And, unfortunately, you don’t have to leave town either.
You have my personal invitation to come down to Kelowna’s Gospel Mission and hear some amazing stories and meet equally incredible people. Come serve lunch and then join with those who we serve everyday through what we call “sit, sip and socialize”. The soup at lunch is always hot and tasty, the coffee always ready and the door is always open.
God bless you for who you are and what you do. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
-Eric Frans
Eric, happy New Year to you and all the best for 2010.
I will take your invitation and join you. It is amazing what you do everyday. Thanks for making a difference in this world.
Hi Fred,
You’re an amazing person, from the first time of our encounter during one of your amazing inspirational public speaking sessions at BMO, it was breath taking….
It takes a great person with a big heart to do what you did this Christmas Eve, I truly believe that God has a special call on your life and that you should continue to walk in this path that you have chozen…Your experiences and inspirational sessions are priceless…Keep up the great work, I really do hope that we can have you back again at the church sometime soon and even to share what you did at Christmas Eve, and for another one of those amazing sessions….much Blessings and prosperity for the new year.
Caroline, thank you for the kind words. They mean a lot to me.
It would be my pleasure to come back and speak for your group again.
All the best to you and your family fro 2010
Fred,
Thanks for sharing your profound experience over Christmas. You should feel proud of yourself. Proud of how you actively seek out new questions. And proud of how open to the answers you are. Thank you for sharing my friend!
May 2010 fill you with the sense of calm urgency for your most important goals!
Rhonda
Rhonda, that is a very nice comment. Thank you. for one to be able to write what you wrote one also has to be open to searching for questions and open to receiving answers.
All the best to you for 2010
Fred, you’re doing amazing work! Such an inspiration!
Keep it up! We need more people like you in the world
Aaryn, thank you so much for the kind words. They mean a lot.
All the best to you for 2010
Dear Fred: The Best of 2010. Yr. article is very englightening for sure.It indeed takes courage and patience to do what you did. You are right, we are all so busy with our day to day routines that somewhere down the road, we have either forgotten or as you say, pretend not to notice, people around us. Fred, my new year’s resolution is to have time to lend a hand to people around me who need it and try not to be judjemental of anything or anyone. Keep up the good work. I am so very proud of you. You are sure spreading the rays of sunshine all around you. God Bless
Hi Fred,
Your story reminds me of one of the many friends I had the pleasure to meet. He is a Thai man and a Singapore Airlines pilot in Singapore. Every year, he takes two weeks off his annual vacation to do what I am simply calling, the “monkhood practice”. He shaves his head, dorn a yellow robe, carries a bowl and walks the street of a town begging for food. At night he sleeps at a temple or any abode offered to him. He does not carry any money. His livelihood for these two weeks depends on the kindness and generousity of the people he meets. Talking about being totally vulnerable!
He told me that many of his friends practice this tradition/practice.
What I experience in him is peace, kindness and generosity. He was our neighbour when we were living in Singapore and we have been invited many times over for scrumptions dinners. Telling you this story reminds me of the wonderful evenings we spent with Cholsist.
Zu, that is an amazing story. Pure faith in mankind. There are so many amazing people all around us They pass by us on a daily basis. The question I ask is how often do we take the time to really get to know the people around us?
Keep well Zu, you are an amazing woman.
One can imagine I read it twice. While I am not as skilled on this topic, I tally with your conclusions because they create sense. Thanks and goodluck to you.