I realize the internet is not a bastion of always correct information and I am not going to actually look this up to see if it is fact. I am just going to post it here. Think what you will.
As a young 21 - 22 year old senior in college, I drove around in my VW Golf, with a sign taped onto the glove box that said "YOU ARE IN CONTROL." Well, my fiance, soon to be husband, used to tease me and tell me that I needed to give birth to a "litter." He was of the view that I had the same Type A personality that a cat has. In his experience, cats mellowed out after they had their first litter. This is not scientific mind you, just anecdotal. I didn't mellow out any time soon, as I am sure the 4 step-children we had custody of within the first 6 months of our marriage can attest to. I didn't mellow out for a long, long time. Too long, in fact. Bless those 4 beautiful children who had to endure my obsession to control them. Not to be misunderstood, there were A LOT of things that we needed to get a handle on and control was the only way to go about it. But I took farther than was necessary or healthy. "Li...
"Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it's important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level." Shakti Gawain I would add to this -- whatever we may think we lack -- and then say this . . . Everyone in the world has more than someone else, and less than someone else. In this context, every person in the world has reason to be grateful. Not everyone has shoes, or three meals a day, or running water. Some people have more food than they can eat, enough shoes they can wear 3 different pairs in a day, and running water in all 6 bathrooms under the roof over their head. Some people have a loving family, a village free from war and disease, and thatch keeping out the elements. Some people have a summer house, a winter house, and a get-away house. Some people have no family, no peace, and no roof. Notwithstanding, everyone can be grateful for what they have, and everybody should make the effort, commit the time...
How do we measure success and failure? Grades A, B, C, D or F? Pass/fail. High scores on video games? The bigger number on a scoreboard at a sporting event? What about college entrance exam scores, admissions to prestigious universities. Am I successful if I have a lot of stuff? A lot of money? The list goes on and on. How is success or failure measured in relationships? Is it as simple as good or bad? Is it based on how much contention, or how little contention? Divorce? Respect? Love? Do positive emotions have to be reciprocal to be considered a success? Does any of this resonate? How do we measure success as a parent? Successful children? What does that look like? Is there a reasonable measurement? Is it the same for everyone? Is there such a thing as religious success or failure? How would I be able to tell? Can someone measure it for me? Can I measure it for you? Can it be measured now, or do I have to wait until I die? Will “judgment day” show my success or failure?...
Comments