By Aruna Rao-McCann November 15, 2015 Namaste. This reflection is dedicated to the memory of my late parents. I was born in New Delhi, India in a Hindu household. I attended a Catholic School and College. I had the privilege of experiencing not only the rituals and traditions of Hinduism but of all religions. India, […]
Yogi Berra once famously said, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Sound advice. But seriously, there is something profound attached to these moments where we can go right or left, and we choose, and in doing so, change the course of our lives.
I have heard it said that happiness is an inside job. In other words, no matter what may be going in one’s external world, happiness is an internal state of being and, therefore, is up to the individual. A happy or hopeful person is able to inject optimism and peace into the darkest corners of life. The Dali Lama, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Victor Frankel, and Malala Yousafzai come to mind.
And, yet I also think that external circumstances contribute to happiness, too. Perhaps Denmark’s Nordic social democracy, a seemingly balanced form of government that blends capitalism with economic and social security for all citizens, is that external factor that has enabled the Copenhagen people to live a mostly happy and hopeful existence . . . even if the city’s fall skies are gray and its daylight brief.
November 5, 2015: A Gray November Morning in Copenhagen Read More »
Glenn Koller October 18, 2015 A good death. A good death. To me, that sounds a bit oxymoronic – kinda like “a terrific IRS audit,” or “a great hole in the head.” Perhaps if I parse this out, it will bring clarity to what is meant by “a good death.” I more than agree with
Though we may not be able to fulfill the all encompassing role of “prophet,” we do have a prophetic role in each other’s lives . . . it is our challenge to tune into ourselves, to connect with one another as deeply as we dare and to never settle for the fool’s gold of perfection. We have the ability to guide and bear witness to each other and lead each other into layers of life that we could never have accessed working alone.
