It’s become obvious to me that the more moralistic the leader, the less moral he is likely to be.
“Morality means acting in ways that are sensitive to the needs of others….Moralism is the assumption that you know the right behavior for everyone…” ~ Thomas Moore, A Religion of One’s Own
Inhale Morality, Exhale Moralism…
Inhale Generosity, Exhale Judgment…
Inhale Grace, Exhale Sanctimony…
Just Breathe
#JustBreathe
Do you remember where you were when the ATL Airport Power Outage of 2017 occurred? I had just walked into a terminal, walked out of security to get my favorite green smoothie and was about to get in the TSA Pre Check line when the lights blinked…blinked…then went off.
As the afternoon wore on and people began to get notifications about their delayed or cancelled flights, I saw strangers sharing food, water, cell phones and their stories. I witnessed people accept what they couldn’t change and calmly cancel meetings, hotel reservations and return flights.
I don’t know how it was for folks trapped in more urgent circumstances (I’m so grateful I wasn’t actually on a plane) but I was surprised and grateful for the graciousness I saw all around me.
“Come from a space of peace and you can deal with anything.” ~ Michael Singer
Inhale Grace, Exhale Blame….
Inhale Calm, Exhale Chaos…
Inhale Acceptance, Exhale Frustration…
Just Breathe
#JustBreathe
Photo credit: AndrewC75 on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND
I didn’t really become an Oprah Winfrey fan until I retired and started working from home. At the time, I was surprised at how spiritual she was because I recalled people questioning her beliefs, her faith, her Christianity.
Since she launched her OWN network, I have come to realize the questioning was and is because her worship looks different, because she honors others’ beliefs … because she lives authentically and offers space and grace for others to do the same.
“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” ~ John 4: 23-24, MSG
Inhale Faith, Exhale Suspicion…
Inhale Grace, Exhale Separation…
Inhale Space, Exhale Segregation…
Just Breathe
#JustBreathe
#Faith
We all have different values.
Even in the same families, the values of each member reflect their individual experiences and might not mirror each other. As I sometimes remind my brother, he was born into family that was a lot different from my family. The last of five and the only male heir, he entered an established family over a decade after I was born to barely-out-of college twenty-somethings. From sleep-overs to after-school activities, our parents’ parenting philosophies reflected our personalities, their relaxation into their roles and, of course, impacted who we are.
The hard part, even among families, is the willingness to accept as valid those values that are different from our own without projecting our values as right and judging other’s values as wrong.
Inhale Grace, Exhale Judgment…
Inhale Freedom, Exhale Projection…
Inhale Acceptance, Exhale Disapproval…
Just Breathe
#JustBreathe
#Values
America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world… rich in resources, rich in ingenuity, rich in our willingness to take risks. Our richest resource is our diverse population and the innovation that comes when differences are explored versus exploited.
There is enough for all of us to have what we need, even what we want if we are willing to see the humanity in each of us and to take responsibility for using our God-given gifts to make it better for all of us.
Inhale Grace, Exhale Greed…
Inhale Sharing, Exhale Hoarding…
Inhale Contentment, Exhale Consumerism…
Just Breathe…
#JustBreathe
