Notes from the Rhythm of Life
I've referenced the book on here a few times, and was recently talking to a student about it. I'm going to lend it to a student, but before I did, I went to browse it and type up some of the things I highlighted in the book, and then decided to share that in a blog. This book is full of color now, thanks to the alternating pink and green highlighting I did while reading. Worth noting that the book is over 300 pages long, and the notes here in this blog are only what I highlighted in the first 77 pages.
I share this with you because these highlighted words greatly impacted me, and I hope you enjoy them. I also hope that if you enjoy what you read below, you will consider purchasing the book, or checking it out from the library at least. If you want to buy, here is the Amazon link. As I typed these up, it was good to revisit the words, and some of them feel like Proverbs to me. I share them without context, just in the order they appear in the book. If you like something here, let me know what stands out to you. Happy reading friends.
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Everything is a choice.
What will you see when you look at your life ten years from now? What will you choose?
And even if circumstances are thrust upon us, we choose how we respond to those circumstances.
You deserve to be cherished. Cherished! Not just loved. Cherished!
Have we become more interested in spectator sports and television than in our own future?
What do you want from life?
You cannot change one moment of your past, but you can change your whole future. Now is your time.
But be assured, the reason people do stupid things is because they mistakenly believe those stupid things will make them happy.
There are five questions that humanity longs to answer:
- Who am I?
- Where did I come from?
- What am I here for?
- How do I do it?
- Where am I going?
There is meaning and purpose to your life.
All of life's experiences thus far have played a part in the person you are right now.
Victimhood denies the great truth that life is choices.
We are our habits.
Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do or what you have.
The meaning and purpose of life is for you to become the best version of yourself.
Become the best version of yourself.
All too often, what is going on around us is only a reflection of what is going on within us.
We all need a startling new perspective at least once in our lives.
We never knew we could want more than that out of life...
In all of our lives there is a great danger in believing that who we are, where we are, and what we have is all that there is.
You cannot live without dreams. Dreams foster hope, and hope is one of the forces by which men and women live.
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
The shame is in failing to attempt those things.
The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
The good news is, you can re-create your dreams and become a new creation.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.
Life is short. Do not waste your life. Live life passionately.
Adopt habits that help you rekindle that desire. Otherwise your life is in danger of becoming an utter waste.
Regret over things left unsaid and undone is inconsolable.
Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.
Life is short, and you are dead an awfully long time. Live life passionately.
The gentle voice within you is interested in only one thing, helping you become the best version of yourself.
Our legitimate needs are best understood in relation to each of the four aspects of the human person- physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
The question is, are you satisfied being in the habit of surviving, or are you ready to get into the habit of thriving?
If you owned a million-dollar racehorse, would you let it eat at McDonald's?
Participate in the fulfillment of other people's needs.
The people you will most enjoy spending time with are not those who agree with you in everything you say and tell you that you should be a little easier on yourself.
The people you will want to surround yourself with are people who inspire and challenge you to become the best version of yourself.
Nothing influences us more than our peer group.
The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards.
We all need people in our lives who raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose, and challenge us.
Our greatest emotional need is for intimacy.
Our fear of rejection (driven by our need for acceptance) and our need for intimacy are constantly at odds with each other.
When others make mistakes, are we quick to judge and ridicule, or do we acknowledge it as a learning experience and part of their journey? Are we willing to take the first step and make ourselves vulnerable by beginning to reveal our true selves to others?
The more two people are able to share and accept without judgment, the more intimacy they will enjoy.
Learn to waste time with the people you love.
We become the stories we listen to.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.
Our bodies need regular exercise and a balanced diet, and so do our minds.
Make daily reading one of the defining habits of your life.
Silence, solitude, and simplicity... they remain essential to our spiritual diet if we are to find lasting joy in this changing world.
Nothing brings priority to our days like a period of silence each morning.
Learn to be quiet. Learn to be still. These are among the most valuable lessons in our journey.
Independence is a myth. We are interdependent.
Know your needs.
You never can get enough of what you don't really need. Our deepest desires are directly linked to our legitimate needs.
Our deepest physical desires are for the things we need.
The more we contribute to helping others become the best version of themselves, the more progress we make in the attainment of our essential purpose.
A common example in the emotional realm is our desire to share certain experiences of our lives with others.
When something bad happens to us, we also want to share it with someone else. The sharing diminished the anguish and heartache.
Your desire to express your feelings is only a tiny aspect of your deepest need to be heard, loved, accepted, and understood. This deeper need will be met and fulfilled only if you are able to express your feelings to the right person in the right setting.
Our first response should be to take the situation and our feelings about the situation to the classroom of silence. Sharing a situation with God in prayer can often ease our sadness and anxiety.
Leisure ignites our intellectual desires. Fatigue banishes them.
Intellectual desire is one of the great signs of human vitality. Are you thriving or are you just surviving?
Feed your mind.
The deepest desire of our hearts is not to do something or to have something, but rather for peace.
The needs that correspond with our desire for peace are silence, simplicity, and solitude.
It is also critically important that we treasure the time we do have to be alone.
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Slainte,
Gary
Comments
Just wanted you to know this blog post inspired me today. I enjoyed your write-up of this book and the highlights... and I'm intrigued enough to order my own copy, plus extras to give out to those who are ready to read, digest, and absorb.
Thank you!