FINDING THE CENTER OF LOVE IN THE CENTER OF ANXIETY

On Saturday, I went to a special mass with my family, that was being said for my father. It was an abbreviated mass but the homily was just as poignant as it would have been on any given Sunday.

A New Opportunity to Discover Love.

In a world full of signals, it is easy to get distracted. We even utilize apps to help us find our center. The demands on our time and our poor prioritization. The love we need that nourishes is us is so close. It is within us. It is omnipotent. How come we don’t spend more time just falling into that luscious love? Why is distraction so sexy?

Damn…That Shiny Object.

We chase. What is happening outside of our orbit can make us easily distracted. Often, we prefer what is not good for us than dealing with stuff. Talk about a purpose-driven life! Lets focus on what is happening over there, so we don’t have to listen to what’s happening within us. I will admit, that it can have unintended positive consequences too, especially when you are going out of our way to help others.

According to Statista, in 2021, over 80% of men in the US had moderate to extreme stress, 73% suffered anxiety, and 61% felt depression. These are ridiculously high numbers, given how there is cultural shift towards healthier, more active lifestyles.

Exercise Active Listening…to Yourself.

We remind ourselves often to practice the art of “active” listening in our conversations. A sign of true respect, emotional intelligence and genuine interest in learning about someone else. After all, we are social animals, feeding off of the energy of others, in real life or through “social” media.

Where and when do we listen to ourselves? We prioritize priorities! There are plenty of memes, tweets and posts written to inspire but what about execution? The shiny object can easily lord over our ability to see what is obvious – gratitude is an action that comes in many forms. We cut ourselves short, if we think only the big or grand gestures count. How about just showing up? Be grateful and have gratitude for just being there – creating moments.

Chasing the Present and Silver Linings.

On the emotional ledger, its easy to mark up the debit column but leave the credit side sparse. If we only count the big things, the if’s and when’s, we dismiss what we have, silvering linings and all. Gifts of gratitude, contentment, come after all, in many different packages. Let’s not wait for the prettiest one, and instead dive deeper to respect the progress of now.