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Today's
quotation:
Every
year that I live I am more convinced that the waste of
life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we
have not used, the selfish prudence which will risk
nothing, and which, shirking pain, misses happiness as
well.
Mary
Cholomondeley
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Today's
Meditation:
Mary's
point is very well taken-- how much of my life has been
defined by the things that I haven't dared to do?
How much of who I am has been defined over the years by
the risks I didn't take, the help I haven't given, or the
love I haven't shared? Has my desire to avoid pain
been so strong that I've sabotaged my own possibilities
for growing, for living, for learning?
We
will feel pain in this world. People will hurt us
and disappoint us and treat us poorly. Things
outside of our control like hurricanes and snowstorms and
car accidents will happen and will cause grief and anguish
and pain. But if we spend our lives trying to avoid
these types of pain, we won't put ourselves in situations
in which we can learn and grow. If I'm afraid that
someone will hurt me, I won't share my love and strength.
I
don't want to waste my life. I want to give all that
I can to others while I'm here, and not focus simply on
career or money or the attainment of material goods.
Yes, I do have to take care of myself first and foremost,
for if I don't do so then I won't be able to take the
risks that will help me to grow, but taking care of myself
doesn't necessarily imply avoiding pain at all costs.
We
cannot make our lives gifts to other people if we don't
risk some unpleasantness. We can't use our powers
for the good of the world if we keep them to ourselves,
hidden behind walls that we've erected for
"safety," hiding from the possibility of being
hurt. We will be hurt, but how we see that hurt is
what determines whether we learn from it or allow it to
debilitate us.
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