I’ve made my share of mistakes during my lifetime. Some days I think that’s all I’m making. It’s okay, it tells me I’m not perfect and that suits me just fine. I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes, but, at times, I’m a slow learner as I’ll repeat the same mistake until it dawns on me to do something different. Making mistakes is a human thing we all share. Mistakes keep us humble. Mistakes let us know we’re not better than anyone else (perhaps luckier if no one witnesses our mistakes). When we learn from our mistakes we keep our ego in check. We know that each mistake isn’t a setback, it’s a setup to learn even more.
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Something to Think About
I have friends who are extremely liberal. I have friends who are extremely conservative. They won’t discuss politics with each other because they know those that don’t believe like them are wrong (or nuts). I think discussing hot topics is a good thing when those discussing them can set aside their biases and discuss the hot topics intelligently without rancor. Discussion of hot topics is central to growth and understanding. It is possible to enter into a civilized conversation about a hot topic and keep one’s integrity in check.
Something to Think About
I am here in this space working on a blog post at this moment. It is the medium I am using to create the kind of moment I desire. When we view each moment as an opportunity for creating the meaning to our lives, every moment takes on special meaning. Each moment is unique. A moment may be spent with a significant other. Another moment with children, another moment with colleagues. There are an infinite number ways we may experience a moment. Within each of the moments we experience we have the capacity to create the quality of that moment. What are you creating with your moments?
Something to Think About
The less one needs, the freer one is. It takes lots of introspection and reflection to make choices about what one really needs. Once one determines what one really needs, life changes. In contrast, the chase to accumulate wants only leads to more wants in an never ending spiraling circle. Make a list of what you really need. Put it all down. Keep the list in a place where you can review it daily. Over the next two weeks see if you can whittle it down to no more than a half dozen needs. You’ll discover what is important to you.
Something to Think About
News media and politicians often demonize the opposition. They try to control our emotions and generate our anger toward a perceived enemy. They make the case that the enemy’s goal is to harm us, take away our long held freedoms and values. What if we didn’t listen to the news media and politicians? What if we chose to see those with different views as not much different from ourselves? What if we sought to engage those different from us in honest dialogue seeking areas of common agreement? Different opinions will not go away. They exist for a purpose. They exist to challenge us to think more deeply and seek underlying truths.
Something to Think About
Life offers opportunity after opportunity to discover our life’s meaning. When life offers an opportunity to find our life’s meaning, it is almost always connected to other people. We find meaning through our interactions and connections to other people We are part of a human community. Our human community may be our family, the neighbors on our street or in our building. Each of our interactions and connections links us to others.The more we reach out to others, the more we learn about ourselves. If we run away from interactions and connections we may be running away from ourselves. Out of these interactions and connections our life’s meaning emerges. If we’re awake, we’ll see it and know it is designed uniquely for us.
Something to Think About
If you’re following the crowd do you know where you are going? Does anyone in the crowd know where he/she is going? If you want to know where you’re going, choose your destination, plan your trip, and set out. You may get lost., You may be criticized for not being like others. Big deal. It is your journey. You designed it. You took the chances. You learned more by the ups and downs of your journey than you’d have learned by following the crowd.
Something to Think About
Don’t think about the advantages others have over you. That’s part of life. Focus on what you can do. Do it well. Do it better than anyone else, and work your butt off. Before you know it, you’ll be passing all those who had a head start on you. You’ll see them in your rearview mirror. Keep grinding. Never quit.
Something to Think About
Do you believe good things are coming your way? If not, why not? You deserve the best life can offer you. You may not get what you want, but with a grateful and open heart you’ll get everything you need. You were born to dance and sing and enjoy life and its blessings.
Something to Think About
Who I am and who I want to be may be two different entities. It may be better to embrace the who I am, let go of the who I want to be, and let the who I am gently evolve into what it is destined to become.
