Random Reflections

1.   What one gets reflects what one gives.

2.   There is no getting without giving.

3.   They live well who love well.

4.   Our life unfolds very gradually, just one moment at a time.

5.   You can drift through life or you can navigate through it.

6.   To be true to oneself, one has to be authentic with others, but that is not always an easy thing to do.

7.   Respect yourself if you want others to respect you.

8.   People either respect you or they don’t. It can’t be a bit of this and a bit of that.

9.   Don’t try to win someone’s respect by demanding or pleading for it. It just won’t work.

10.                     It’s good to be grateful but onerous to feel obligated.

11.                     Honour your benefactors. Never denigrate or ignore them.

12.                     If you think the world has little use for you, you may be right, but so what? Make yourself useful for yourself at least.

13.                     Think of one need in the place where you are, or even in the world at large, that you think cries out to be addressed and set about trying to do something about it. That way, you might make a very big and a very good difference.

14.                     Be useful to others, or at least don’t harm them.

15.                     We are not here to transform the world, though with every breath we take and every deed we do, the world changes a little.

16.                     Life is basically about handling relations—with God, with the world around us, with other sentient beings, with our bodies, with our minds, with our thoughts, with our feelings, etc..

17.                     Remain in your comfort zone if you want merely to survive. Come out of your comfort zone if you want to thrive.

18.                     Forgiveness must be a lifelong activity for us to be happy and at least somewhat sane.

19.                     If you are bored, reflect on experiences from your life and draw lessons from them. It’s a fine way to spend time enjoyably and usefully.

20.                     One who insults us offers us a free class, or even an entire course at no charge, in many great virtues, including tolerance, patience, forgiveness and understanding.

21.                     Travel the world as much as you can and interact and observe—it’s a great way to learn, grow, share and contribute.

22.                     Our life is what we make of it.

23.                     The more friends you have from different backgrounds, the better for you.

24.                     We all pine for love but often seek it in the wrong places.

25.                     Opportunities are a means for us to grow in our experience of life.