THE GREATEST LAW WE ARE AVERAGE AT LIVING BY

 "...But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"

Matthew 5:44-47

An excerpt of a Gospel reading from a Sunday morning mass. The Priest talked about the greatest commandment, the only true commandment that people, atheists and believers alike, should live by. We know it. “Love thy neighbor as yourself,” or in plainer speak, “treat others the way you wish to be treated.” A basic tenant of humanity, and yet our psychology is complex enough that this level of simplicity in living, doesn’t always compute.

Chasing Our Imperfections – Finding Our “Superself.”

Self-improvement. The desire to be better. We are addicted to inspiration. It is all over social media, billboards, book stores and podcasts. In church, at the gym, even at work. The perfect purity of optimism in all of us, even the most cynical. A drug more powerful than anything because we feel so good and there is so little cost involved to get that “high.”

Progress – a form of discipline that craves better, not perfection. This is where the message gets muddled. Our clarity in our vulnerability. It goes beyond the meditation and “self-care” we treat ourselves too. It comes from the assurance we are loved, no matter what.

Letting Go of The Ego. The Super Power of Love.

It is simple. Like any great lesson or virtue. We are humans though and we love to make things more complex. As I get older, I believe that love and faith go hand in hand. It is the only thing that is pure in its natural state. It is our ego and our own manipulation and perspectives that get in our way. The secret is not that profound. Faith is the epitome of complexity in what is simple. The more faith you have, the more courage and the more self-aware you become. The ego can now take a back seat.

Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

When I think about the definition of faith and love, it reminds me that it should be effortless. A choice we make in how we live. We are all made of the same sweet and the same sour, the capacity and choice to emphasize certain virtues that help shape our character.

In being vulnerable, we let go of expectation and meeting others where they are. We can lean into love and feel its power. This emotion, a behavior that envelopes so many things: acceptance, empathy, bravery, passion, friendship, intimacy and beauty.

I think understanding and practicing that love is the greatest mirror we can reflect on ourselves and society.

Live in splendor.