“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.” – Henry Miller.
In the messy space of real life, values like loyalty to family, respect for elders, devotion to faith, ethnic solidarity, and communal responsibility sometimes conflict with moral codes like honesty, fairness, justice, stewardship, compassion, and respect for human dignity, and so the real struggle begins
On a podcast interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked if he thought he would be happier if he were religious. Neil replied that he was already “a pretty happy guy”. But when pressed further, he explained that religious people believe their religion to be true and can easily see that other religions are preposterous and … Read more
Think of a relationship like two people deciding to watch TV together. The quality of the relationship depends on how much they both enjoy the time (together) watching any show.
And just like watching TV, being in a relationship can fill people with happiness as much as it can lead to frustration and fights – just ask the kids who squabble over the channel to see.
“Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.” — George Orwel
I saw the movie Straw last month. And I was so angry at the critics that I started to fear for myself: How could a message so clear, loud, and urgent be so completely missed?
Straw is a very simple movie. It wasn’t like a Christopher Nolan film with layers of twists and hidden meanings. It was a straightforward Tyler Perry movie that depicted the unfolding of a horrible day in a woman’s life.
And even if it is mostly fiction, it’s important to remember that nothing in this movie is impossible, or hasn’t in some way happened to a very real person somewhere.
Many years ago, I took the bold step of moving out of my parents’ house to live alone. Why? Because I wanted to find my path as a person, make my own decisions, and suffer the consequences myself. I believed that’s how it should be. Until a person can make uninfluenced decisions, they can’t take … Read more
Yesterday, on my way from work, I passed a boutique and instinctively started looking for something my wife would love. Next to it was another boutique that sold menswear; interestingly, I walked past without even glancing. Then it hit me: almost everything I buy these days is for her, not me. Not because she asks. Not because I have to. But because I want to. That’s what love does: it redirects your focus without effort. That’s why I believe: if love feels like effort, something is wrong.
We often begin our personal development journeys because we feel we need more or lack something. Often, it is the pain of where and how we are that drives us to seek growth.
But what many of us fail to realise is that personal development is not the same as acquiring more, or even success.
putting your imperfect authentic self into the world invites the necessary feedback that helps you build a less imperfect authentic self.
The paradox is this: because being wrong publicly sucks, you become right faster by being wrong publicly.
You won’t find great friends in the library, church, or some group. You become a great person, and then great people resonate with you wherever you are. But, more importantly, you help yourselves stay great.
It is not always easy
