Whitney Houston died on Saturday.

Sunday I offered the first session of the Contribution course (the Tuesday sessions begin tomorrow). 

The singer's death brought a sobering truth to the understanding of contribution: You can make your contribution and not be happy or healthy, physically, emotionally or spiritually.

When Whitney Houston was on stage and singing she was fulfilling her destiny as a contributor.  She was also doing her job, earning her living and meeting her responsibilities.

Yet, Whitney wasn't happy and she wasn't healthy.  Even when life was hell, she could get up on stage, fake it until the moments came when she was the song, she was her contribution, she was free and she was love. These moments radiated with her inner divinity and all her messy suffering disappeared.

But most of her life was she was not the song, she was the on-stage performer and the off-stage addict who could never get enough to feel whole and real and happy. She was swallowed up by her talents, her story, her neurochemistry, and very distant from her destiny.

We are grateful for her contribution. We have compassion for her life.

Whitney Houston had a talent that was very visible even as a very young child. Her talent was recognized, developed, supported and expressed fully.

When your gift is not so visible... when you do not see it and cannot name it, even though you feel it...  when you fantasize how good life would be if you could just be your song... remember the dramatic polarities of Whitney Houston.

From a spiritual perspective, knowing and fulfilling your contribution is not about you and your happiness. It is about the contribution itself. Your contribution is about unselfish love. There is no agenda  or attachment in you and your will to contribute, for recognition, reciprocity or reward.

Whitney sang about this in her heart-wrenching "I Will Always Love You."

I hope life treats you kind
And I hope
you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish you joy
and happiness
But above all this
I wish you love