Archive for May, 2013
Sacrifice
Beyond the BBQ’s, social gatherings and other community events occurring on Memorial Day is honoring sacrifice. Honoring those throughout our Nation’s history who have paid the ultimate price and given their lives in service to us and their country.
I feel it is also important to acknowledge the sacrifice of the uncountable number of families who have given their all in support of their loved ones.
On this special day, regardless of your feelings about war, I invite you to take a few minutes to acknowledge and honor all those who have made this most precious sacrifice.
Abundance
Abundance and affluence are quite closely related, both are equated with wealth and riches with emphasis on monetary value. Modern day success, is primarily measured by what we have, not who we are.
A rich, abundant life is more than material wealth. Riding the current of contemporary economy requires extraordinary expenditures of time and energy just to pay bills and keep food on the table.
Jean Houston writes in The Wizard of Us, “Today money is the goal, which means that the expenditure of human energy, which in the past went to quality of life, now goes to the acquisition of money and the security it represents.” It also goes to acquisition of social status and the ‘things’ money can buy. However, money cannot buy inner peace, an abundant heart, a joy-filled life, the creative expression of the soul, and the deep satisfaction of a life well-lived.
Money of itself is not the root of all evil. It is an essential component of surviving in a global economy.
Fortitude
The word this week was suggested by a loyal follower of this Blog and it really resonated with me.
I don’t hear the word often and not clear about its meaning, I consulted my 1950 unabridged Webster as well as my Merriam-Webster (New Edition). The definition of fortitude in my handy Merriam-Webster is, “strength of mind that enables one to meet danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.” A good, solid definition.
The meaning of fortitude in the unabridged Webster is very similar but expands by adding, “…to encounter danger with coolness and courage or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring or depression or despondency, patient courage”. This further definition certainly reflects the zeitgeist of the 1950s. And perhaps accounts for why it is not often used in contemporary vocabulary. Has fortitude been replaced by pharmaceuticals and therapeutic processes? Perhaps.
The root of the word fortitude is from the Latin fortis, which means ‘strong’, ‘powerful’. Knowing the origin of a word deepens meaning. To be courageous in the face of adversity requires strength. To overcome adversity is empowering.
Optimism
The very word triggers awareness of its opposite. Optimism and pessimism. Two vastly different ways of viewing the world; two vastly different ways of experiencing life.
Optimists expect the best possible outcomes, Pessimists the worst. Both are active voices in our internal dialogue. The dominant voice, the one we entertain at length, has a very powerful influence on our overall well-being.
The classic glass half full, glass half empty analogy demonstrates this well. Glass half full is a thankfully sufficient attitude. A glass half empty is a woefully insufficient attitude.
In The Original Angel Cards Book, Kathy Tyler & Joy Drake state that “Optimism is an expression of faith in action.”
Cultivating an attitude of optimism is striving to keep positive; putting our focus on what we have and not on what we don’t have.