More and more, I find that money, fame, and power reveal people for who they are, not necessarily when they are in abundance.
It's more revealing when these things are scarce.
Not all wealthy people are heartless.
Not all poor people are saints.
Inspiration: Living? Or Not?
Nobody ever says, "I made inspiration" or "I planned inspiration".
We almost always say, "I was hit by inspiration."
Somehow, from out in the wide unknown, inspiration smacks you in the head, and you become its host, at least for a while.
It brightens your thoughts, sharpens your mind, and puts a gleam in your eye.
Thing is, inspiration doesn't always hang around. It leaves if you don't do anything with it.
According to one school of thought, it wants to be expressed, so it leaves a passive host to find another who will do something with it.
I don't really buy that, partly because it's too simplistic, and partly because it has the marks of a very human tendency - anthropomorphising the unknown.
But I do think that inspiration isn't entirely accidental. I think it hits those who have the potential to carry it out.
They just have to.
Carry it out.
Look! Up in the sky!
Look! Up in the sky!
It's a bird!
No, it's a plane!
No, it's...
Gone...
Finding Trust and Valuable Viewpoints
The viewpoint of someone you trust can be highly valuable.
Just as fish don't notice the water around them, we often get so embroiled in our situations that we lose perspective.
Sometimes, it only takes a word to pull our awareness to where it's needed.
The difficulty is in finding that person you trust and then holding him/her in enough esteem that you don't edge into idolatry or fall into over-familiarity.