Some words worth thinking about:
”We publish the book of our lives every day through our actions, and through our conduct we teach one another what is worthy of admiration and what is worthy of disdain.”
These words were written recently by New York Times column David Brooks. They help us take a step back and think about the lives we are leading. What would you say about your own life — are you leading a life of admiration or one of disdain? What effect do you have on others and the world?
Such a simple writing idea:
Make a list of the things that make you happy, whether it’s a certain food you love or scratching your dog’s ears or whatever it is that brings joy to your life. I’m pretty sure that some of the best things in your life are free, but that’s for you to say.
Jot down the happy things in your life, and share them with us if you like.
Enjoy!
The great American writer and thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
Think of some words you’ve read recently that made an impression on you and made you pause and think. These are the beginning words that you could jot down in a notebook, whether you call it ”bible” or ”journal” or ”book of thoughts.”
Begin today to put together your own Bible of good words. It’ll do you good and provide you with comfort over the long run and these ideas can be used in your own writings for school. These words will also provide great comfort to you when you refer to them in the future.
What is the bravest, boldest thing you’ve ever done?
(This idea comes from Susan Rhodes, ESOL Instructor, Borough of Manhattan Community College.)
A man is buried to his neck at the bottom of a 15-foot hole as a result of an earthquake. He is not seriously hurt in the initial collapse of earth that surrounds him. But every time his lungs expand, then contract, more dirt fills in around him, tightening around his stocky frame ”like a slowly coiling boa constrictor,” a newspaper reports. It is a race against time, but after eight hours the rescuers lift him to safety although he is nearly buried alive three times during the emotionally wrenching effort.
Afterward, you interview the man and ask him what was going on in his mind all the while. You want to know what kept him going. This is what he answers:
In an essay for the September 16 Wall Street Journal, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks spoke about the coming High Holy Days for Jewish people, and said something very important:
”As we ask God to write us in the Book of Life, he asks us, what have you done with your life thus far? Have you thought about others or only about yourself? Have you brought healing to a place of human pain or hope where you found despair? You may have been a success, but have you also been a blessing?…”
Such an important question, whether we have been a blessing to others, to the world. How will you answer that question?