Act your age! Do you remember that little chestnut thrown at you when you displayed a moment of indiscretion? It is usually remembered as a statement of opprobrium — your behavior being perceived as infantile, churlish, or immature. Later, when you are old, people fling it at you again. Now that you are much older and wiser, in theory, you should act with thoughtfulness and sagacity.
Continue reading Act your age, what’s wrong with you?Podcast Episode 43: There is a distinction between humility and modesty. Be humble before God, but modest when dealing with human beings.
Podcast Episode 42: If you want to live a long and fulfilling life, learn to develop yourself. It is easy to be unhappy, but hard to be happy. The attainment of a joyful life requires work on the self.
Memories are so compelling
We often have mental images — thoughts — that just run amok. We are happy, sad, frustrated, and anxious, almost as quickly as I write. It soon becomes self-evident that I must control this mind, this collection of images. We are always somewhat puzzled by beings who cannot control some memory of the past. It is as if they are on some interminable loop of pain. They endlessly convey the past to the present.
Continue reading Memories are so compellingPodcast Episode 41: I can’t control the weather. I am not not God, but I can control how I feel!
Podcast Episode 40: Anger must be controlled if we want to inhabit a peaceful world
Don’t be afraid to breathe
Fear: When I was a little boy, living in my tiny, isolated village, I was afraid of the outside world. It appeared to be an enormous hydra lurking just beyond the Pillars of Hercules (1) ready to emasculate and devour any who chanced to cross into its forbidden territory. The long and dusty road (at the time a three-hour trip) that took us to the next community was a grueling effort.
Continue reading Don’t be afraid to breathePodcast Episode 39: Put your cell phone down and enjoy the positive aspects of your life.
Podcast Episode 38: Yellow journalism is the bane of the modern era. We must be smart enough to discern truth from embellished fiction.
Your most intimate and yet enigmatic friend
The other day, I had quite a shocking experience. I entered the bathroom to “jump in the shower” and was startled to realize that I was not alone: an old man was also with me. I say this, of course, ”tongue in cheek.” Still, I think it is the same for most people; life unfolds like the weaving of a tapestry or the creation of a painting. It is there to be remarked on, its various points remembered (pleasantly or not), but it is lived day by day, piece by piece. Few experience a traumatic experience that changes us forever.
Continue reading Your most intimate and yet enigmatic friend