There has been an avalanche of negative stuff on social media recently, what with the Supreme Court decisions and other events. In the midst of it all some sane voices have prevailed. My bishop, Ken Carter, sent out a fantastic list of ways to handle the current onslaught, but my favorite list is from Pope Francis. Here it is, straight from the Catholic News Service. The points are his. The comments are mine.
The Pope’s 10 Tips for a Happier Life
1. “Live and let live.” Yes, I find trying to monitor everybody's behavior to be exhausting.
2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” I like when Clark Howard, the radio guy, says "How may I serve you today?" I like saying that to Dave.
3. “Proceed calmly” in life. I'm totally into this. I have a big jigsaw puzzle going on the dining room table. Why? Because it calms me. I like turning chaos into order.
4. A healthy sense of leisure. I like to call this "The ministry of being." (Rather than always doing.)
5. Sundays should be holidays. I get that some people have to work on Sunday but I'm totally into the concept of Sabbath. Everything works better when we lay low on a regular basis.
6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. I'm all for people of all ages working (except me, of course, I'm retired.) I think toddlers to old folks need meaning and purpose. I think there is dignity in almost all work. I used to tell me kids that I really missed them when they were away at camp because I had to do their chores. They knew they were an important part of keeping our ship afloat.
7. Respect and take care of nature. Yes, every day in every little and big way we can.
8. Stop being negative. Pope Francis says, “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. I agree. And I think it extends to talking badly about other countries, other cultures other races as well as our next door neighbor. And being negative makes me unhappy.
9. Don’t proselytize; respect others’ beliefs. Yes!
10. Work for peace.
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| I am working on this 3 feet long puzzle on the dining room table because the Pope wants me to. |
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