Happiness is not your title. It is not your salary. It is not your job. It is your family. It is your health. It is your relationships. Not the quantity of followers but the quality of lives you’ve impacted and creating your own culture where you are free to be you without fear and without apologies.
To find out more, read Tuesdays with Morrie below: “The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.” — Morrie Schwartz
The book Tuesdays with Morrie, which inspired this reflection on culture, happiness, and choosing what truly matters.
We often speak of keeping an open mind. This too is important. But the mind alone is never enough to be fully alive, to be fully human, to be fully inspired. Do what your heart tells you and you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.
If God has gifted you to tell a good story, write a good book, or direct a good play, there will be opportunities for you. You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Sadly, too often creativity is smothered rather than nurtured. There has to be a climate in which new ways of thinking, perceiving, questioning are encouraged. — Maya Angelou
American history is diverse, and there is still much that is not widely taught. A little-known site in Lorton, Virginia, is the former Workhouse Prison, now home to the Lucy Burns Museum. From 1917 to 1918, Lucy Burns and other suffragists were imprisoned there for picketing the White House in support of a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.
Entrance to the Lucy Burns Museum in Lorton, Virginia
Today, the former prison cells remain visible, now filled with powerful works of art. The transformation of confinement into creativity is striking. Thanks to the courage of these women, generations of Americans can exercise the right to vote.
LOVE sculpture in the courtyard of the Lucy Burns Museum
Among the artwork on display is a powerful painting honoring Ida B. Wells and confronting the evils of racism, a reminder that the struggle for justice has taken many forms across American history.
Artwork honoring Ida B. Wells at the Lucy Burns Museum
Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington also performed on site, adding another layer of cultural history to this remarkable place. There is much to explore at the Lucy Burns Museum. It is well worth a visit.
Places like the Lucy Burns Museum remind us that constitutional change often begins with ordinary citizens willing to endure extraordinary sacrifice. Civic progress rarely comes without courage. The right to vote, now taken for granted by many, was secured because individuals stood firm in the face of opposition. History is not only something to study. It is something to learn from.
Are there perfect human beings? No. Can a gathering of imperfect human beings create a perfect union? No. But the key word in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution is “more.” We are constantly striving toward the ideal of a more perfect Union—a nation stronger, fairer, and more united.
This Fourth of July, let us reflect on that enduring aspiration. May we work together to uphold the principles of liberty, justice, and equality, not only on national holidays but every day.
A special thanks goes to the courageous men and women who sacrifice daily to serve the United States of America, both in uniform and through acts of public service. Your dedication helps us inch closer to the ideal of a more perfect Union.
This rose symbolizes our gratitude, respect, and shared commitment to building a better future for all.
A rose for the men and women who serve, reminding us of our shared pursuit of a more perfect Union.
So I asked my son to write a letter today about any topic and addressed to anyone. Here’s what he chose to write below: “Dear God, thank you for food, water, and health. Help us humans help people. Even, the people we don’t like. Amen.” He is 7 years old and gives me hope for the future. What letter would you write today and to whom?
Writing inspires people to read. Reading can inspire people to feel a certain way. Those feelings can translate into thoughts. Those thoughts ultimately lead to actions. Every change begins with a vision. When you write you create a stream of living ideas that if allowed to flow can change the currents of life. The hardest rock can be pierced open when water keeps pounding at its surface, weathering the hurts of so many ages until finally it cracks! This is why I write: to chip away at that hardened rock of human indifference, prejudice, and intolerance. Writing exposes people to new worlds and perspectives and uncomfortable truths. Yet, it is only through exposing these truths that healing can begin. Write to unite. Write to challenge. Write to inspire. For one day it might be your idea that changes the world!
Here’s what freedom means to Persian poet and philosopher Rumi (1207-1273). What do you think?
Take someone who doesn’t keep score, who’s not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing, who has not the slightest interest even in his own personality: he’s free. – Rumi
Today is a sacred day for millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on this day two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that Siddhartha Gautama was born. While he is known to have many wise sayings and teachings, here are two of my favorites:
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
When you move your focus from competition to contribution life becomes a celebration. Never try to defeat people just win their hearts.
