Finding meaning in life

“By declaring that man is responsible and must actualize the potential meaning of his life, I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system. I have termed this constitutive characteristic ‘the self-transcendence of human existence.’ It denotes the fact that being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself--be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more one forgets himself--by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love--the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.” ~ Viktor Frankl, Man in Search of Meaning

Our Inner Wounds

“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” ~ David Richo, Psychotherapist/Teacher/Author

Perseverance

A Happiness Tale

6 Ways to Sit Less Every Day

Work can often be the worst place for sedentary routines. Unless your job requires a lot of indoor or outdoor activity you may then forget how much you sit each day. Here are some simple easy ways to keep moving during work even if you spend most of your day in a cubicle or small space. See the tips here: Health.com

Ten Thoughts to Help You Avoid Discouragement .

"Judge no one, and disappointment and forgiveness won't be an issue. No one can let you down if you're not leaning on them. People can't hurt you unless you allow them to." This is number 9 from the article below. Good thoughts for all of us. See the rest of them here: Ten Thoughts to Help You Avoid Discouragement .

Black Friday - Seriously?

I do not comprehend the Black Friday phenomenon.  What is the allure of that wild masochistic activity?  Fair minded marketing experts who stay with just the facts say that a couple of weeks, sometimes just days after it's all over those great prices people fought the insanity to get drop significantly.  Why put yourself through all of that?  Supposedly, if you don't subject yourself to that stampeding, frenzy abuse you might miss getting that prized gift at a bargain price.  Most of it will be junk in a year or two.  Do we realize the value we are putting on things?  How many of us give that much energy and time and expense to our relationships?  Our job?  Our health?

Shopping can be a fun, useful, enjoyable experience.  But waiting in long lines outside some mall or giant store in the middle of the night and then once in elbowing your way through narrow aisles packed with angry, pushy shoppers seems somehow strangely messed up.  It may be good for store owners, and it might provide some kind of boost to the economy, but is this just another way of contributing to the collapse of our society?  Giving so much of ourselves to this orgy of spending at the expense of our social order, how we treat others, and what we consider really important, is worth thinking about.

Forget Black Friday.  Stay home and bake a pie.  Take your dog for a long walk.  Play with your kids at the park.  Watch a good movie.  Spend the day with someone you love.  All that stuff in the stores will still be there and probably be cheaper next week.  And if not, so what?  There will always be something else to buy.

(c) 2011 Timothy Moody

A place of quiet in the madness of the season

It is a hectic time. People are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Relatives are coming in. There is the food list to carry to the store and check off down the aisles. Gotta get the house ready. Kids are out of school and the long break has the potential for exhaustion. Take a moment to read this brief essay. See if you can find your own place of quiet in the midst of all the season's chaos. Disappear here: The Golden Hours