Never before in human history has there been such a global expression of emptiness and longing, of alienation and heartfelt connection. It’s this crazy mixed bag of experience and it’s happening fast.
We hunger for happiness and, like any other biological need, not getting it makes us vulnerable to the easy fix. This desire is baited by Wall Street, where we pour our dollars into the hope of buying the feeling of being enough.
It is a seductive myth and not a fundamentally malicious one. It offers hope, which is essential to human existence. But it’s also paradoxically maladaptive, because it promotes an impractical grasping toward an unattainable goal.
We will never be trouble-free, perfect or filled with grace. We are perpetually fumbling at life. One of the most compassionate questions we can ask ourselves is, “What did I learn?” No blame, no shame.
Vivian Greene says “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” It’s going to keep coming at us, either way. Why not meet it head on?
