Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Glimmers of goodness

If you resent other people for not being perfect you’ll spend all your time mired in that resentment. If you blame other people for all your problems you’ll leave yourself no agency to resolve those problems.

If you completely disengage from anyone who disagrees with you, you’ll end up in a vast and lonely landscape of paranoia and fear. If you react to every slight with shock and outrage you’ll imprison yourself in a dark and bitter realm.

Step back and remind yourself that life is not perfect yet it can be very good. Neither you nor any other person is perfect, not by a long shot, yet there is much good to be found in just about everyone.

Summon the strength and sobriety to forgive others for their lapses, and yourself as well. Notice the glimmers of goodness and direct your focus towards those.

There is progress you can make, there are joys you can share, even among those who don’t always agree with you. Indeed, your own ideas grow stronger and more useful each time you interact with differing ideas.

Whenever life moves forward, it is when forgiveness outweighs vengeance, when trust is more prevalent than suspicion. It is when people like you have the courage to turn glimmers of goodness into cascades of value, fulfillment, and joy.

— Ralph Marston

Value of the struggle Being your best next

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