Author: Anne

This author has written 833 articles

LONELINESS AND COMMUNITY

“We have become an individualistic culture.  There is lots to be said for self-expression, autonomy, self-realization and individualism but not at the expense of connection and community.  I think a lot of us have lived our lives going for the Holy Grail of success, however you define it.  And, along the way the debris of our own life is lost friendships, lack of attention to people that matter in our life-not being present and connected with them.  And, that catches up with us.  It is a disease causing phenomena that affects our genes, epigenetics, all of it.  It is all driven through our social network. Our social threads that connect us are more important than the genetic threads in determining our longevity and health.”

Quote by Dr. Mark Hyman in his Podcast (The Doctor’s Farmacy) interview with Dan Buettner.  The podcast:  The Keys to Living To 120: Blue Zone Wisdom  Number 478 – January 12th, 2022

REFLECTION:

  • Have you focused on the Holy Grail of Success at the expense of your relationships?
  • Assess your social network.  
  • Do you need to re-prioritize your life, what matters most?
  • Your health and vitality depend on connection and community.  Adjust accordingly.

JUDGMENT VS. LOVE

“Try not to judge people.  If you judge others then you are not loving them.  You cannot judge and love at the same time.  Instead, try to help them by seeing their needs and acting to meet them.  It isn’t what anyone may or may not have done, but what you have done that matters.”

Quote by Mother Teresa From the book DO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD  The Essential teachings of Mother Teresa – 365 Daily Reflections

REFLECTION:

  • Judgment kind of comes with the territory of being human.  Yet it is true, if we are judging them, we are not loving them. 
  • How can you see the needs of the one you are judging differently (perhaps a calling out for love… for appreciation… for help)?
  • What can you do differently?

MAKING A WAY OUT OF NO WAY

“When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”

Quote by Rev. Martin Luther King given in a address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on August 16, 1967

REFLECTION:

  • As the saying goes, “God ALWAYS makes a way out of no way.” Have you had a situation in your past that appeared to be no way out?  How did it transform?  Recall.
  • Is there a current situation that you are struggling with that is dark, dreary and you have a sense of despair?
  • Give some thought to a way out to transform this situation into a brighter tomorrow.