“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
― Bob Marley
There is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. When your inner world is rich and vibrant and full of joy, the presence or lack of other people doesn’t seem as important. If you are unhappy within, then perhaps it is more difficult to spend time with yourself.
Cultivating a rich inner environment is supportive to living a happy life. When your thoughts are of peace and joy, it is next to impossible to feel anything else towards others. This is the way to bring peace into the world. Take care of your inner garden and then worry about tending to the outside world.
Doing the Opposite – Tim Ferriss, time management guru, entrepreneur and author, put together an interesting list of 17 questions to ask yourself that could help increase your productivity. Things like, what if you did the opposite of everything for 48 hours, and if you could only work for two hours a week on your business, what would you do? It’s thought-provoking and a good way to clarify both your desires and to focus on what is important.
Staying Present – As we continue to navigate this challenging year, it is helpful to remain as grounded in your own reality as possible. Look around and see what you need to do to make things better in your own sphere. Consider what you might be doing or saying that adds to the fear and hatred that is so prevalent right now. Take care of what is in your own backyard and make it as wonderful as it can be.
Where We Were, Where We Are – Tomorrow marks the 31-year anniversary of a pivotal moment in history. In 1989 on June 4th, the Chinese government ordered the military to take back control of Tiananmen Square. Hundreds were killed, thousands were arrested, and the world was horrified by the image of a lone protestor standing in front of a rolling tank. What memories are we burning into the minds of our children today?
Be good to yourself and love those around you as much as you can.
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”
― H.P. Lovecraft