When we’ve been careless, we can’t expect the law of sowing and reaping to be suspended just for our sake. In the real world, poor choices can be disastrous, not only for us but also for those who are affected by our actions. It pays to be careful.
It is not possible to be tranquil if we look for it in the wrong places. It doesn’t come from diets, exercises, self-help seminars, faddish lifestyles, or hip philosophies: it comes from having characters that are aligned with true-north principles.
When faced with a choice, choose beauty. Learn to appreciate beauty, and educate your taste for it. Make it one of your core values, and exhibit it in your character. Love it, and share its sharp, piercing wonder with others who love it as you do.
We need to engage actively in the conduct of “companionship.” Whoever you are, there’ll be those around you who need you to “accompany” them in some way. They need your companionship. And, in truth, you need theirs too. Companionship is a good thing.
We need some quiet, private spaces in our lives. And if it’s true that we need such spaces, it’s also true that it’s hard to find them. More and more, our lives are lived in such a way that solitude — significant solitude — is a rare commodity.
Trustworthiness is not easy; it requires discipline and sacrifice. But few gifts that we can give to others will be any more appreciated. And trustworthiness is not just a gift; it’s an obligation. We owe it to others to do as we say we’ll do.
It is true that we pay a price for trusting other people, but lack of trust is even more costly. To be mistrustful is to be miserable. “You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough” (Frank Crane).
Aspiring to significant “stature” is more than a matter of wanting to be seven feet tall physically. It’s aspiring to a character that has some greatness to it, rather than one that is petty and small. Surely that is something we should all desire.
Having steadfast convictions requires certain character qualities, and one of them is trust. Two others are patience and longsuffering. Just because a principle seems to be headed for defeat right now, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth standing up for.
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