“The important thing is not to think much, but to love much, and so do that which best stirs you to love.” Mother Teresa. There is so much one could say about this woman. Her actions, her beliefs, her humility, her braveness, her impact, her legacy and so much more but in the end, she has made one thing very clear to me over the years. It’s not how many lives we touch positively as we move through life it’s just the ones that we do and how. We all don’t need to be missionaries in some far-off country sacrificing our lives for others. Maybe all we need to do is recognize the needs of a few people close to us whether family, friends, or even a few total strangers. There is an old Native American legend that states, “You will only get into Heaven leaning on the shoulders of someone you helped while you are here.” So, it is not the number of people but the ones you can help when given the chance. How are you doing in this area?
“Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.” Phillips Brooks. Prayer is an interesting process when you think about it. There are so many things we can pray about. What we want, what we need, what we have, who we can become, what our life could be like in the future and this is just the beginning. There are also a variety of opinions about the purpose of prayer, the value of prayer, the results of prayer, and the type of prayer. I will not dig into the weeds of these but just ask you; if you believe in prayer what is your purpose, agenda, value, and approach to it, and are these working for you?
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.” e.e. cummings. We live in a different world over the past few years and in many ways, it may become the new normal if we are not vigilant. Everyone is unique. Everyone has opinions. Everyone can be wiser and everyone can be so much more but who we become is up to each of us not the world around us. I have had many people in my life who have tried to shape me into something they believed was a better me but in the end, maybe they should have looked in the mirror at their behavior before they tried to change mine. According to M. Ruiz in his book “The Four Agreements” we are all perfect but let me define what I believe he means by perfect. We all can be smarter, better, nicer, and so much more as this list of traits is endless but does that mean that if we don’t get better in some way we are flawed or bad humans? As you are well aware I spend a lot of time on the meaning and definition of words that we all use to define life, others, etc. So, what is flawed? Is it bad, imperfect, weak, or one of many other traits? I believe we all are both perfect and imperfect at the same time meaning that yes, we can get better in some way but if we don’t this doesn’t imply that we are bad in some way. No matter how much you learn and grow you can always be more but do you spend time, energy, and whatever fretting over what or who you are not?