Thought of the Moment

The soul is healed by being with children.

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Today, there is an epidemic of what psychotherapists call "the worried well" - people whose basic needs for survival are more than being met, but who are handicapped by depression and anxiety. Some might think that this is a stretch, but I wonder if widespread adoption of mirrors was ground zero, the harbinger of an epidemic of partial paralysis from issues related to self-actualization. If we weren't hyper-aware of what we physically look like, would we be as anxious, vain, jealous, petty, afraid, and covetous as we can be at times?

My child isn’t my easel to paint on. Nor my diamond to polish.
My child isn’t my trophy to share with the world. Nor my badge of honor.
My child isn’t an idea, an expectation, or a fantasy. Nor my reflection
or legacy.
My child isn’t my puppet or a project. Nor my striving or desire.
My child is here to fumble, stumble, try, and cry. Learn and mess up.
Fail and try again. Listen to the beat of a drum faint to our adult ears.
And dance to a song that revels in freedom. My task is to step aside.

All lasting rewards come from being of service to others.

If you ever have to wonder if someone is a truly good friend or not, know that having to wonder is your answer. When you have a truly good friend, there will be no doubt.

When a person has been deeply hurtful or harmful to us, our wound creates a need to tell others about how we were mistreated. In such moments, let’s remember that what we say about others says a lot about us. Whatever relief we may feel in the moment of venting is accompanied by the listener losing trust in our integrity.

Being free doesn't mean owning nothing.

Being free is when nothing owns you.

Words unsaid never come back to haunt you.

- Virginia Dickey

When it comes to your skills, invest in your strengths.

When it comes to your qualities, invest in your weaknesses.

- Jay Shetty

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

- Ovid