“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
— I Corinthians 13:4-7
Whether one is religious or not, in my opinion this stands as one of the most profound and beautiful descriptions of love ever written. It is truly something worthy of our aspiration.
“Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”
— Winston Churchill
It is vitally important to make plans, to have goals, and to set things into place that will come to fruition at a future time. It is of real value to create a hopeful and abundant vision of the future, both distant and near, and then to strive to hold steadfastly to a course that will take you there. This is a vital skill, and it is a powerful tool for a successful life.
Even as this is being done, however, it is equally important to remember to keep returning to the present moment, and to ask yourself, “What can I do today? What is within my reach, right now, that will make my life, and the lives of those I love, better? What small step can I take, in this moment, that will take me further toward where I dream to be?”
It is crucial to keep the bigger picture in mind, every step of the way, just as it is essential to always hold your values and principles firmly in hand. One should also continually strive, however, to employ these elements to inform a fully engaged life in the present moment, and to live each day with mindfulness, gratitude and love.
“Love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul, the golden link which binds us to duty and truth, the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart to life, and is prophetic of eternal good.”
“Strange things blow in through my window on the wings of the night wind, and I don’t worry about my destiny.”
— Carl Sandburg
Don’t worry about destiny. It is beyond our reach, and it can be overwhelming. Instead, slow down, take a deep breath, and focus on this moment. In this day, in this hour, in this minute, pay attention and be present. And then consciously choose to do something meaningful, something beautiful, something loving, something constructive — however small it may be. It is the cumulative effect of these choices over time that create a valued destiny. Legacy is built one brick at a time. It is built by showing up every day, by paying attention, and by consciously infusing your time and space — your words, your thoughts, and your actions — with optimism, creativity, gratitude and love.
“They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming.”
“It has long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and happen to things.”
“Here I cry out, arms raised: ‘Both wealth and pleasure spring from dharma, so why is dharma not followed?’ Not for pleasure, not for fear, not for greed should one ever abandon dharma — not even to save one’s life. Dharma is eternal; happiness and misery are not eternal. The living self is eternal; the body through which it lives is not.”
