Category Archives: Difficulty

The Serenity Prayer, Self-Acceptance & Self-Care, and Discernment

Posted on July 2, 2013 by John

. DISCERNMENT.  (Noun.)  A core component of wisdom.  The ability to make fine yet profound/crucial distinctions; the ability to see (comprehend) more clearly what is unclear and obscure. The Serenity Prayer (as it applies to ourselves) God, grant me the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conscience, Courage, Critical Thinking, Czeslaw Milosz, Denial, Differentiation, Difficulty, Goethe, John Kenneth Galbraith, Love, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Growth, Perspective, Self-Love, Spiritual Growth, The Examined Life, Waking Up, What is Love? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vase or Faces: Is Life Fundamentally Easy; Difficult; or Both?

Posted on February 26, 2013 by John

. How do you view life—as something that fundamentally is supposed to be easy (which means that difficulty and hardship are aberrations)?  Or is life something that is essentially / fundamentally difficult and painful, a struggle (“life is suffering” said … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, Critical Thinking, Difficulty, Jose Ortega y Gasset, M. Scott Peck, Pema Chodron, Personal Growth, Perspective, The Examined Life, The Road Less Traveled, Truth, Waking Up | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Martin Luther King on Love (and Loving the Enemy)

Posted on February 23, 2013 by John

The meaning of love is not to be confused with some sentimental outpouring. Love is much deeper than emotional bosh. Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” We should be happy that he did not say, “Like your enemies.” It is almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Agape, Difficulty, Martin Luther King Jr., Real Love, Spiritual Growth, The Examined Life, Truth, Waking Up, What is Love? | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Positive Peace versus Negative Peace: A Few Quotes & Excerpts on How Real Peace and Understanding Might Actually Be Achieved

Posted on January 18, 2013 by John

(or—How to Distinguish Those Who Really Are Trying to Promote True Peace from Those Who Are Merely Seeking Comfort, Escape, and the Appearance of Peace) . . Peace is a nebulous word, having at least *two* definitions. And the way … Continue reading →

Posted in B4Peace, Baltasar Gracián, Bloggers for Peace, Courage, Critical Thinking, Differentiation, Difficulty, Emerson, Emotional Maturity, Gandhi, Henry Ward Beecher, Luke 12:51, Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew 10:34, Perspective, Spiritual Growth, The Dalai Lama, The Examined Life, Truth, Waking Up, What is Love? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Love *Is* Difficult

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John

. Love is difficult. It is difficult to learn how to really love another person. It is difficult to learn how to love oneself. Loving another means caring deeply for that person, being good to that person, wanting the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Difficulty, Immature Love, Intimacy, Intimate Relationships, Love, Love is Not a Feeling, Mental Health, Real Love, Rilke, Truth, What is Love? | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments