 |
I’m at home visiting family this week. As Harley and I were taking our morning walk yesterday, we passed a young man wearing a T shirt from the same high school my dad and brothers attended oh so many years ago. On it were inscribed these words: TRUTH, UNITY, LOVE
I was struck by how well these three words pretty much sum up what really matters in life.
TRUTH:
“Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” Elvis Presley
I remember a therapist telling me many years ago: “Tell yourself the truth”. At the time I thought, well that’s pretty basic. (Um, how much am I paying you?) But I realized what she was inviting me to do was face myself and speak honestly about what was going on and how I was feeling.
This sounds so straightforward but it’s not always an easy thing to do.
It’s far easier to march through our days staying task oriented and checking things off our list. Why? Because if we stop long enough to feel what we’re feeling, we might get in touch with being uncomfortable, frustrated or unhappy. Then what?
Better to keep moving…
But there’s a cost to not paying attention to what we’re feeling. When we ignore the hard feelings, we inadvertently truncate the feelings we WANT to have, like joy, peace, clarity, inspiration, freedom.
Telling yourself the truth is one of the most powerful ongoing spiritual practices of a lifetime.
What’s your relationship with the truth? Are you being truthful with yourself/others? Or are you hiding behind a mask and pretending things are different/better than they are? (No judgment here, just an invitation to peek inside…)
UNITY:
“Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
Unity makes me think of coming together to help each other reach a common goal. The image I get is all of us in a group huddle. We’re different sizes and shapes but all on the same team trying to navigate this thing called life.
It’s taken me a long time to learn how much better and more profoundly beautiful life is when I connect with others, reach out for help and offer the same. The way of going it alone or trying to “pull yourself up by your own boot straps” is the way of struggle and overwhelm, not to mention a recipe for feeling isolated and lonely.
Whether we’re teammates, classmates, partners, family members, colleagues or just garden variety human beings rubbing elbows and trying to find our way, the slogan ‘we’re better together’ is right on. When we join with others, either in daily tasks or big fancy ideas, things are not only easier, they’re way more interesting and fun.
How does unity show up in your life? Are you feeling connected and supported inside yourself, as well as with others? If not, what could you do to shift that?
LOVE:
“Where there is love there is life.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
There’s so much to say and yet it’s really quite simple: Love is the healing balm that makes everything else possible.
It’s medicine for our heart; that game changing ingredient that makes life feel right and good.
It’s what makes us feel that we belong, that we matter, that our days are worth walking through. Love is the answer to everything that doesn’t make sense.
The love of friends and family, of life itself, is our collective glue.
You know the drill: ‘Love makes the world go round’. Yours, mine and ours.
How are you expressing love these days? How are you receiving it? Is there someone for whom you could show a little more love right now? Perhaps sweet little you?
I absolutely love (pun intended!) learning from YOU….Click reply and let me know what comes to YOUR mind when you think of these words.
Remember…we’re better together.