BRIGHT SPOTS FRIDAY!
Angie and I are into Season 5 of a re-watch of one of the best TV shows ever… The Wire!
The Baltimore accents (listen closely next time you’re in a class with Emma) and the endless one-liners aside, there is so much more to take from this look into the city’s drug trade, corrupt politics, failing schools and futile police tactics.
After years of policing “the Western District way”, Carver finally confesses how is friend Herc’s carelessness ruined a boy’s life: “It mattered,” Carver said. “It all matters. We thought it didn’t, but it does.”
Most of the time we find ourselves in a me-centered world. We miss the big picture because we only see things from one perspective. I do it sometimes at the gym. I attribute reasons why some members lose interest or lack consistency or struggle to progress. But I need to take a step back and not PROJECT my issues or mindset onto someone else. The Dalai Lama says, “Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can’t help them at least don’t hurt them. Love is the absence of judgement. The ultimate source of a happy life is warm-heartedness.”
Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius puts it another way: “The universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm. Human beings have been made for the sake of each other. Teach them or endure them.”
To this end, author Ryan Holiday writes “When other people suffer we suffer. When the world suffers, we suffer. We are all part of the same larger organism.”
My goal is to keep these thoughts in mind as we continue to grow at Nevermore. Let’s be there to HELP each other! The holiday season is an ideal time to start, but let’s challenge each other to maintain this philosophy throughout the year. This last quote from the Dalai Lama is an easy one for me to adopt as my own: “My daily conduct is usually driven by the motivation to help, to create a POSITIVE atmosphere for others.”
We have some new initiatives coming in 2019 that are wholly unique to Nevermore. Stay tuned and make sure to get involved! IT ALL MATTERS!
What is your Bright Spot this week?
PS If you have 5 minutes, check out this video on Earth from space, an astronaut’s perspective…