Jean-Paul Sartre famously wrote (and others infamously misinterpreted), “Hell is other people.” He meant that it’s awful to restrict our understanding of ourselves to what others think of us.
Actually, any restricted perception is awful. Thus hell includes our restricted perception of the world as harsh, ugly, unknowable, dangerous, lonely, uncaring, and riddled with scarcity.
Yuck. Let’s agree to perceive differently.
In your corner,
Mike
PS: Have a “heavenly” day.
Today’s photo credit: Matthew T Rader via photopin cc
For what it’s worth Mike, I think you’re great! Wonderful message today, it’s a concept I wish was easier for our kids to understand and believe – it would make them more bully-proof.
Ken, coming from you, it’s worth a mint! Thank you.
And you are right. When kids get that they are truly wonderful–not because anyone says so or says no–they have the confidence to navigate their lives with joy, freedom, and possibility.
The simplest and most profound thing that we can do to help them is to practice seeing that wonderfulness in them even when we think we don’t see it.
(Works for adults, too.)
Mike