Many of us spend our lives gaining, earning, accumulating the objects we think we need to be happy. We make our plans, marry the right people, enter the right professions. We make our money, save, invest, borrow, overextend ourselves, claw our way back to where we were. And the whole time, we tell ourselves we’re […]
It’s easy to convince ourselves that people are trying to hurt us. When the waiter brings the wrong meal, or the nurse is slow to come to our room, or the boss criticizes our work; when the auto mechanic fails to fix the problem; when somebody swerves in front of us in traffic, or steps […]
Move out or grow in any dimension and pain as well as joy will be your reward. – M. Scott Peck, M.D., from The Road Less Traveled I was listening to this book on the way home from work this evening, and this quote leaped out at me. This line captures the essence of […]
A trash can on its side looks a lot like a cornucopia. A cornucopia stood on its point looks a lot like a trash can. I struggle, sometimes, to see the cornucopia–to recognize that, whatever happens, things are probably going to be OK. My kids have plenty to eat; we aren’t wearing somebody else’s castoffs; […]
Joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness comes from outside. It is that feeling we get when the things going on around us make us feel good. A victory, a lover’s touch, a frisky puppy can all make us happy. But a defeat, a lover’s absence, or a puppy ruining our shoes can make […]