I’ve tried out a few models for life in my 57 years. Some dictated by tradition, some by religion, some by the preferences and opinions of stronger personalities in my life who I looked up to or feared as the case may be. I’m still trying new things, but one model I’ve rejected is charting…
Tag: goodness
Must Begin
Love must begin with respect. Two people cannot move forward merely tolerating each other’s differences and looking down on each other as ignorant idiots who can’t see past the noses on your faces. No relationship can survive that. Neither can a country. There must be mutual respect for the genuine value that others bring to…
Too Much
To some, you’re too old to understand how things are. Too young to remember how things were. Too experienced to be innocent. Too innocent to have half a clue. Too educated to be in touch with reality. Too uneducated to comprehend the complexity. Too left to be right. Too right to care. Here’s to those…
Fundamental
Many of us build our lives, our identities, our platforms, on the bitter declaration, “Look what has been done to me!” That, I believe, divides us more than any of our social, political, economic or religious differences. On the other side are those who ask, “What good can I do for others?” The distinction is…
Recipes
Don’t criticize a recipe you’ve never actually followed.
Outcomes
Your actions and outcomes are affected not only by what you put in your mind but also by what you fail to put there.
Boats
Locus of control is the extent to which we take responsibility for the circumstances of our own lives. Change is certain, but we are free to determine how we respond to it. We tend to look for excuses and sources of blame outside ourselves—family, friends, teachers, religious leaders, employers, employees, customers, pandemics, movements, the economy,…
Still Never Fails
Love never fails. That eternal, profound realization hit me long ago when my kids were small and I was still struggling just to keep my patience. How incredibly all-consuming and eternal. It extends universes beyond human politics, philosophies and bottom lines. It has no geographical limits or borders. It has continued to hold me accountable…
Go Easy
We all have wounds. Some visible. Some not. Some we had the opportunity to properly mourn. Some not. Some healed. Some not. We can’t begin to identify who is or is not in pain. Go easy.
Every New Thing
There will always be demand for another new story. For another new song. For a new chord progression. For a new perspective. For a new sunrise. For a new sunset. For a new day. For a new in between. There is room for every new thing. Even while there’s a repeat of every old thing….
Rare But Never Wrong
We always have the freedom to treat others well—employees, customers, clients, contractors, vendors, colleagues and strangers we meet on the street. It’s never wrong to treat people with respect, regardless of status or circumstances—ours or theirs. It is never wrong to be kind, even in the face of disagreement or communication breakdown. These things are…
Fragmentary Life 