The world is mostly a cold, dark, bitter, lonely place of gladiatorial-like competition for limited resources, wealth, and power. We are not so far removed from our ancient evolutionary ancestors where we have been able to deny our instincts for territory and abundance with little concern for anyone who lacks them.
The memory of the past can be a haunting thing. A ghost risen and unsettled – wandering aimless through the hollow spaces in our minds and projecting phantom meaning upon our lives.
As the year winds down, and the holidays approach, we are reminded that this is the season to be grateful and giving.
I can not tell you how many times I have been forced to start my life over. Sometimes I have been forced to start over because I ran my life into dead ends and sometimes I have made the choice to start over because I was not satisfied with where I was headed.
It is this time of year – when the trees have dropped their brightness and thrown off the burden of their colorful autumn coats –
It is often said that time heals all wounds, but that is a sentimental lie told by people who have no other advice to give when faced with the wounds of living.
As a cause is something principled and aiming towards a deeper commitment or rise to action in the world, it is not an exaggeration to say that I have spent most of my life as a lost one.
The Stoic philosophers of ancient Greece, and later ancient Rome, had a great many spiritual practices that helped them to cultivate emotional calm and mental resilience in the face of tremendous adversity.
Many of us live lives of such constant hesitation – of a determined drive to keep things as they are, no matter how undesirable they may be.
It may not always seem like it sometimes to the people who know me, but I care a lot. I internalize a great deal of concern for other people and their struggles.
