Sadly, what I see in the political world lately is a lot of smallness. Where is the greatness, the integrity, the true service to others (the people)? We keep waiting and hoping. Perhaps it is too much to expect in a hierarchical pyramid, a model that tends to attract the power hungry and easily corruptible to the top?

What then, is the remedy? Do we need a completely new model of governance, one that has previously never been explored? One that is not based on hierarchy?

The great leaders we remember and hold close to our hearts often have little or nothing to do with politics. They inspire us to be better people. They nudge us into our own greatness. When we become inspired, things begin to change from the bottom up.

Inspirational Quotes

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa

“A leader… is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” ~ Nelson Mandela

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.” ~ Lao Tzu

Searching for Greatness © Susan L Hart 20201 | Friendly comments welcome | Photo courtesy sasint, Pixabay

May the light of Diwali be with all of you! In actual fact, the main Diwali (also known as Deepavali or Dipavali) festival day was yesterday, November 4th, but the celebration extends for several days every year around this time. For those readers not familiar with Diwali, you’ll find a brief synopsis of this delightful and deeply meaningful holiday in this article:

Diwali 2021: When is the festival of lights and how is it celebrated around the world?

It seems to me that the essence of an event celebrating the triumph of light over darkness should be acknowledged by all of us.

In honor of Diwali, please take a moment today to celebrate the light. It’s not that hard (or monetarily costly) to actively contribute to the light in the world. For example, you could take a moment today to bestow a random act of kindness, be it opening a door for a stranger, giving a sincere compliment from the heart,…you get the idea.

We must each aspire to behave like the light and become the light, every single day of our lives. This is how we personally vanquish darkness, candle by candle.

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Inspirational Quotes:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~ Rumi

“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

Triumph of Light © Susan L Hart 2021 | Friendly comments welcome

The brokenness of the root value systems in our societies is undeniable. We don’t need a fact checker to tell us this is true. The only proof we need is to simply look around and see the dysfunctional and chaotic nature of our world at the moment.

What is the solution? Some people wait for the more honorable politician or the more credible institution to fix it. In the long run some solutions might be found there, but for we individuals this entails a lot of waiting, hoping, and feelings of disempowerment in the process.

In this time of extreme and fast change, we do not have the luxury of just sitting back and waiting. It behooves us to dig in and make changes within ourselves, and to also actively participate in creating the changes we desire for the world.

In the Right Direction © Susan L Hart 2021 | Friendly comments welcome

If a seer told you with all certainty that today would be your last day to live, how would that change the way you lived this day?

The next question is, why would someone saying this to you make any difference in how you spend today? If you are not living fully each day anyway, perhaps it is time to ask yourself “Why am I not?”

The difference between the two is that one is living consciously and intentionally, the other is called coasting.

Your life is precious. Treat it with reverence. Strive to give yourself the life, every day, that you desire and deserve.

Live As If © Susan LHart | Friendly comments welcome

Henry David Thoreau lived in the 1800’s, born in 1817 and passing away two months short of his 45th birthday. I am astounded sometimes at the questions and observations he raised several centuries ago that we would do well to re-visit today.

I’m wondering if Thoreau time-traveled to the present day, what would he think of the overwhelm and complexity of present day life?

Thoreau retreated from society for a period of two years, and then later published the book “Walden, or, Life in the Woods” to share his process of contemplation and introspection. Most people would likely argue when they read the below quote that they don’t have this time of luxury to contemplate life or their direction in it.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” ~ Henry David Thoreau

But there are many ways to carve out space for periods of contemplation, even small ones. If we do not, we become swallowed up by society and the narrative that surrounds us. In this unprecedented era of mass media and technology, it is very easy for us to stop living consciously and deliberately. We are too busy “listening to” other people’s voices on our devices.

Do you have a quiet space to which you can retreat to contemplate and hear your own voice? When you claim that time, you can then live deliberately based on your own inner wisdom, rather than everyone else’s noise and point of view.

Living Deliberately © Susan L Hart 2021