Choices and decisions
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Point of view
“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird The word “empathy” gets tossed around a lot these days, usually in reference to insensitive people who seem to lack it. Simply put, people without empathy view everything solely from their own perspective, putting their own needs and desires first. They hear only what they want to hear. They believe their personal opinions and biases are the universal…
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What thrills your soul?
“Dismiss whatever insults your own soul.” ~Walt Whitman Today’s quote got me thinking about everything that “insults my soul” — from unpleasant chores to road rage on the highway. Life presents everyone with all sorts of negative encounters, including filthy bathrooms in public places. And I won’t get started on our current (malodorous) political climate. There are dozens of other toxic behaviors we tolerate and things we cling to, even when they’re long past their expiration dates. We might practice habits that no longer serve us or do more harm than good. We might allow people to mistreat us, or take us for granted, just because that’s the way they…
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Changing with the seasons
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. The past is closed and limited; the future is open and free.” ~Deepak Chopra Change isn’t easy. I was thinking about this yesterday while cleaning and organizing my closets for the fall season. Change is hard for all of us because some of the things we keep (or cling to) aren’t necessarily bad things. And I’m still in favor of saving a few treasures for sentimental reasons. Seasonal closet cleaning is an apt metaphor for all kinds of change. Some of…
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The nature of suffering
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality” ~Seneca Influenced by the work of Plato and Socrates, the Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that everyone should live in the present without feeling anxious about the future. Many emotional difficulties are self-imposed, Seneca suggested. His quote today reminded me that I often worry needlessly about the future — not to mention a list of other things beyond my control. I’m not alone. Everyone has worries that loom larger in their minds than is necessary. And we’ve all met some folks who’ve practically made a career out of physical or emotional suffering. But imagine instead what would happen if we didn’t dwell on…
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Moving in another direction
“Taking a step back to walk away from situations that threaten your peace of mind, values, morals, or self-worth, is almost always a healthy and necessary step forward.” ~Marc and Angel Chernoff Growing up, we were often lectured about the importance of “sticking with it” — even when we suspected it wasn’t right for us. Of course, there’s merit in staying the course and working through difficult times and rough patches, but sometimes it’s better to slow down and reassess what’s really going on, as today’s quote reminds us. We might decide that it’s wiser moving on to something else. Loyalty to anyone or anything isn’t a virtue if it’s seriously messing…
