THINK, THEN DO
Tuesday Mar. 27, 2018
I love life – and realize I cannot make it longer simply by wishing it so. Yet I can make it deeper, make it richer, by wishing it so. We all can.
Pick someone you like a little. Start liking them more.
Pick someone you dislike; start disliking them less.
Not ‘as simple as that’, but maybe it should be.
I’m convinced things can be better and I’m not convinced that everything will inevitably be worse. I dream of that at night, and when I’m awake all day. I want something. Isn’t about things or money or power or influence – it’s about worth and value, about feeling strong when there is no reason to be, about feeling whole when life feels like Swiss cheese, about being alone (or not) but never feeling alone. About never feeling lonely no matter how long I am alone.
We save best praises for friends, heroes, lovers, children and nameless strangers – they’ve done something admirable. I’m a fan of some, cheerleader of some, critic of some. I deride few people aloud, but still deride some quietly inside my head. I may threaten to let air out of someone’s tires – but haven’t. Not yet. Thought is sufficient mischief to feel satisfaction. I gossip sparingly. I’d like to reduce that to zero – and I will once those idiots stop being idiots.
Sometimes a harsh self-critic, tending to keep it to myself – sometimes not nearly as harsh when I look in the mirror. It’s easy to challenge or disdain someone else for not living up to some imaginary standard - not so easy when we challenge ourselves over similar things …
Reader feedback:
USEFUL LIFE
I loved the article Mark! Thank you for putting this together. It's like we share the exact belief ;) Have a Happy Easter weekend!, IB, Kelowna, BC
