CSR: The Trusteeship Institute - Creating Common Good Corporations
About Trusteeship Institute
The Trusteeship Institute, Inc. (TI) was founded in 1973 by Terry
Mollner for the purpose of furthering economic development based on
Mohandas Gandhi’s theory of “trusteeship.” From the beginning the
mission of TI has been to further this worldview both with innovative
projects of its own and by participating in and supporting the
projects of others.
Trusteeship
Gandhi believed that the universe is one indivisible whole. He also
recognized that we are each alive for only a short period of time.
Therefore, he concluded that we are each the “trustees” of our wealth
and talents not the “owners” of them. As trustees we would naturally
mature to where we would give highest priority to the good of us all,
the one indivisible universe.
He didn’t speak to it in terms of “layers of maturity,” but this is
what Terry Mollner believed was implicit in his view of human
development.
Gandhi also believed that individual freedom must be honored: it was
only through the exercise of individual freedom that one would
discover the greater joy of being a trustee rather than being an
owner.
Therefore, he believed that each person must choose how much wealth to
keep for one’s self and how much to allocate to the common good. If
force was used the natural and healthy reaction would be to give
priority to regaining freedom before attention could be turned back to
maturation. Gandhi was confident from his own experience and what he
had observed in others that as people matured they would freely choose
to give highest priority to the common good and only keep for
themselves what was necessary.
When Terry Mollner was in India in 1979 he had the privilege to travel
the entire country and interview the people still alive who had worked
closely with Mahatma Gandhi. An old man told him this story. He was
never able to collaborate it as true. So the old man may have been
making it up to make his point.
He said Gandhi had an exchange with Mao Zedong, the founder of
Communist China. He wrote Mao and said that his system would not work.
Mao wrote back and said, “What do you mean? I am giving priority to
the good of all the people.”
Gandhi wrote back and said, “Yes, it is very good that you are giving
priority to the good of all the people. However you are having one
group decide what is best for all the people. The next stage of human
development will build on individual freedom, not take it away.”
Terry Mollner believes that this will eventually take the form of
people freely choosing to set up corporations in the private sector
where the highest priority is the common good instead of the interests
of a few, usually called “the shareholders.” Besides being a socially
responsible company in all of its activities, it will also have a cap
on the return to equity investors based on what is necessary to
acquire the needed equity. The excess each year will be permanently
set aside and managed by the company from that point forward for the
common good. This will mainly take the form of investment in “common
good investment funds” that will solely purchase successful companies
and convert them to “common good corporations” so this movement can
grow.
As this movement expands for the first time in the history of the
planet there will be many investment funds that all have the exact
same highest priority: the common good. They will associate together
and do joint ventures to buy multinational corporations.
The multinational community has discovered that it is best to be
number one or two in market share in each product sector. It is then
easy to coordinate their activities to dominate that market without
ever having to speak to each other. They can also buy any new
successful products or copy them before they are able to gain
significant market share. For instance, Coca Cola and Pepsi control
more than 75% of the soft drink market and Odwalla and Honest Tea had
little choice but to be bought by them to survive.
This has been leading to there being fewer and fewer multinationals in
each sector: duopolies, triploids, etc. which is legal whereas
monopolies are not legal. Thus, when one of these is bought it will be
in the best interests of the shareholders of each remaining company to
not be the last company bought by the common good investment funds.
Through a natural free market process all the multinationals will
eventually become common good corporations or have extremely stiff
competition as customer, employee and government preference turns
toward the common good corporation.
Terry Mollner also believes that this will be fueled by the
investments of individuals and institutions. Financial planners around
the world tell their clients that they will try to achieve an 8 to 11%
return for them each year. If the mature common good corporations are
able to provide a consistent 12% return, much of this capital will
prefer the safety of common good corporations for portions of their
investment portfolios. In addition, foundations can provide endowment
programs where the capital will only be invested in common good
corporations, creating a more positive future for human society and
the planet. In these and other ways capital will continue to flow into
supporting the development of the common good corporate sector.
Finally, while the common good corporations will compete in the free
market and welcome its discipline, their priority is cooperation for
the common good. Therefore, they will overtly cooperate to identify
best practices, synergies, greater efficiencies through common
designs, etc. Their association will become the equivalent of a nation
by agreement rather than by geography. They will also see all the
citizens of the planet and the planet itself as part of their
responsibility in operating for the common good. Thus, through this
private sector activity many of the problems on Earth will be able to
be solved through cooperation with governments, non-profits, and all
other organizations.
Their chosen "nation by agreement" will become more important to many
than their "nation by geography."
Just as we are currently members of many governments, i.e. town,
county, state, nation, etc., many will continue to be members of those
governments but give priority to their membership in the “nations by
agreement” that will emerge where the common good of all is the
highest priority. Of course, other nations by agreement will also
emerge and operate on a more mature form of democracy also pioneered
by Mohandas Gandhi in the last years of his life (consensus building
democracy through cooperation rather than competition at the ballot
boxes). Anyone on the planet will be free to join them. The common
good corporations will work with them for the common good. Eventually
taxation could also not be necessary because the excess profits of the
common good corporations would be donated to the “consensus building
nations by agreement.”
You will be able to learn more about all of the above in a book by
Terry Mollner soon to be published entitled The Love Skill: It
Determines How We Experience Everything Else…Welcome to the
Relationship Age. Also, under Articles by Terry Mollner [ABOUT TI
Menu], you will find articles about some of the issues mentioned
above.
Terry Mollner, Founder and President
To further this in economics, business, and finance, Terry Mollner was
one of the earliest pioneers in the field of socially responsible
investing. In the mid-1970s, Robert Swann and he founded the Institute
for Community Economics, Inc. that created the first modern think tank
on socially responsible investing. Terry led a group of fifteen
leaders from around the country in writing the social screens which
are one of the basis for all progressive social screens to this day
and which also led to the creation of the Calvert Family of Social
Investment Funds of which Terry was also one of the founders and is
still a board member.
http://www.trusteeship.org/mission_action.html
Aasra Suicide Prevention.This blog is about getting people to talk about their innermost feelings and emotions in times of distress and despair.All discussions are about the issue of suicide, mental health and it's effect on society. Aasra Helpline for the depressed and suicidal. 91-22-27546669(24x7)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tackling depression without medication
We wish to inform all Karmayog and AASRA members about our free talk at HELP
HELP ( Health Education Library for People ) is organizing a free talk on* *
*"**Depression without Medicines**" *by* **Dr.Dhananjay Gambhire* on* 16th
Nov 2009* at *3.00 pm* at HELP ( Health Education Library for People )
206, National Insurance Building, Dr.D.N.Road, Wallace Street, Mumbai 400
001.To register call: 65952393/ 94, 22061101, 22031133
The HELP Team.
Health Education Library for People,
National Insurance Building, Gr Floor,
206, Dr.D.N.Road,
Mumbai - 400 001.
Tel Nos.65952393/ 65952394/22061101
www.helpforhealth.org
www.healthlibrary.com
HELP ( Health Education Library for People ) is organizing a free talk on* *
*"**Depression without Medicines**" *by* **Dr.Dhananjay Gambhire* on* 16th
Nov 2009* at *3.00 pm* at HELP ( Health Education Library for People )
206, National Insurance Building, Dr.D.N.Road, Wallace Street, Mumbai 400
001.To register call: 65952393/ 94, 22061101, 22031133
The HELP Team.
Health Education Library for People,
National Insurance Building, Gr Floor,
206, Dr.D.N.Road,
Mumbai - 400 001.
Tel Nos.65952393/ 65952394/22061101
www.helpforhealth.org
www.healthlibrary.com
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Suicide Survivors, Important Information
My name is Sue Foster and I’m a survivor of suicide, having lost my 19-year-old-daughter, Shannon , in 1991.
I’m writing to let you know about a wonderful new discussion guide that has been produced to accompany our award winning CD Chaos of the Heart to help bring comfort and healing to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
The 46 minute CD contains 5 songs, spoken words pieces, a poem, and a letter to the listener.
Ginny Sparrow, in the Spring, 2005 American Association of Suicidology newsletter, describes Chaos of the Heart as: “Thought provoking. Wonderfully healing. The songs are beautifully written.”
The following are comments from survivors who have heard the recording:
“Thank you for Chaos of the Heart. As the wife of a man who killed himself two years ago, I can tell you that song does a great job of capturing the dichotomy of emotions we feel.” Gainesville , Florida
“Your CD comforts, encourages, and educates – throughout. “Chaos” describes the survivor’s healing journey with great insight.” Linda Flatt, Nevada .
Groups throughout the US have purchased this recording for use at survivor events. Some have recently purchased this for their local walks and the Survivor’s Day Conference on Nov. 21. Some groups are giving these away, others are purchasing to resell them. We offer a 40% discount on orders of 30 or more. Orders of 30 or more will also receive the Discussion Guide FREE of charge.
Click on the following link which will take you to the Chaos of the Heart webpage: http://www.musicforthesoul.org/chaos.html. This will enable you to read about the recording, listen to clips of the music, as well as give you instructions on how to order.
You may also call the Music for the Soul office at (877) 298-9081 for additional information or to order. We invite you to visit our website at www.musicforthesoul.org.
Sincerely,
Sue Foster
Music for the Soul
PO Box 159027
Nashville , TN 37215
(877) 298-9081 - Toll Free
(615) 297-8297 - Office
(615) 330-9919 - Cell
sue@musicforthesoul.org
www.musicforthesoul.org
www.somebodysdaughter.org
I’m writing to let you know about a wonderful new discussion guide that has been produced to accompany our award winning CD Chaos of the Heart to help bring comfort and healing to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
The 46 minute CD contains 5 songs, spoken words pieces, a poem, and a letter to the listener.
Ginny Sparrow, in the Spring, 2005 American Association of Suicidology newsletter, describes Chaos of the Heart as: “Thought provoking. Wonderfully healing. The songs are beautifully written.”
The following are comments from survivors who have heard the recording:
“Thank you for Chaos of the Heart. As the wife of a man who killed himself two years ago, I can tell you that song does a great job of capturing the dichotomy of emotions we feel.” Gainesville , Florida
“Your CD comforts, encourages, and educates – throughout. “Chaos” describes the survivor’s healing journey with great insight.” Linda Flatt, Nevada .
Groups throughout the US have purchased this recording for use at survivor events. Some have recently purchased this for their local walks and the Survivor’s Day Conference on Nov. 21. Some groups are giving these away, others are purchasing to resell them. We offer a 40% discount on orders of 30 or more. Orders of 30 or more will also receive the Discussion Guide FREE of charge.
Click on the following link which will take you to the Chaos of the Heart webpage: http://www.musicforthesoul.org/chaos.html. This will enable you to read about the recording, listen to clips of the music, as well as give you instructions on how to order.
You may also call the Music for the Soul office at (877) 298-9081 for additional information or to order. We invite you to visit our website at www.musicforthesoul.org.
Sincerely,
Sue Foster
Music for the Soul
PO Box 159027
Nashville , TN 37215
(877) 298-9081 - Toll Free
(615) 297-8297 - Office
(615) 330-9919 - Cell
sue@musicforthesoul.org
www.musicforthesoul.org
www.somebodysdaughter.org
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Mallika, Asian Co-ordinator for Befrienderws worldwide, writes about her experiencxe at the Samaritan conference, York,UK,Sept.2009
Report to Centres of Befrienders Worldwide Training Event and Samaritan Conference September 2009
The 49th Annual York Conference was held at York University between 25th and 27th September 2009. Prior to the opening of the Samaritan conference the delegates of Befrienders Worldwide met for and International Training Event on the 25th morning. There were thirty four delegates from twenty three centres.
The theme of our training event was Supporting Each Other – (What is volunteer support? How do we offer it, what works and why?) Our trainers were Joanna Ridout and David Brodtman from the Samaritans. Some of you would have met them at the Thailand conference.
We discussed the similarity between support and guidance and the feelings involved by both the receiver and the giver.
· The issues discussed were the barriers and fears involved in giving guidance
· What do you want the volunteer to take away with them after receiving guidance from a support volunteer
· What would you want to take away after receiving guidance
The conclusion was that guidance is a way of supporting a volunteer through a difficult and personally challenging situation. It is a two way process initiated by the Support Volunteer in order to tackle the identified problem or situation. The Befriender needs to feel safe, listened to, accepted and respected whether they are being supported or guided –the difference is in what they take with them from the experience. Effective guidance is about helping volunteers look at their shortcomings in a safe and supportive environment. It is about empathizing. Thinking about how you would feel when talking to someone offering you support or guidance.
A volunteer who has received guidance should leave feeling empowered to:
· Deal more effectively when a similar situation occurs
· Pro-actively seek guidance when offloading
· Feel supported – not criticized by guidance
· Be more aware of their approach to callers and fellow volunteers
It was an inspiring experience – a rare opportunity of doing a training workshop with volunteers from around the world. It was also reassuring to know that the same issues give us grief no matter where we are placed on the globe and that sharing our experiences and practices brings us closer together for a common goal. I wish more of our volunteers could take part in such events.
The Samaritans conference opened after dinner on the evening of the 25th. The theme of this years’ conference was Reaching Out to Priority Groups. The opening plenary was by Dr. Mike Smith on Understanding Self Harm. He explained to us that Self Harm is actually a coping strategy. For young people who are under tremendous stress, harming themselves is very often a way of releasing their intense feelings rather than a conscious act of killing themselves. Although many self- harmers are also suicidal, it is not at that moment with the actual intent of suicide.
The other interesting plenary was on The Impact of Suicide on Those Left Behind. By Mike Bush. He spoke of his personal experiences.
Besides the plenaries there were plenty of seminars and workshops on various priority groups like bereaved children, prisoners, self harmers, trans-sexuals, etc. We were very busy through the day, but there was also time over dinner to meet, chat, exchange notes and generally enjoy the company of other volunteers.
On the 26th evening after dinner we had a Twinning Meet over wine and snacks where the international delegates got an opportunity to meet volunteers from their twinned centres. We exchanged notes and also had an opportunity to meet with Joan Guenault our Twinning Coordinator, Sophie Andrews, the present Chair of Samaritans, Catherine Johnstone, the CEO of Samaritans and also all the BWSG members.
Befrienders Worldwide also had a counter at the Exhibition Hall where volunteers could come for information. Joan and her husband Tony also had a Twinning counter. You could pick up knick knacks from around the world that the international delegates had brought to the conference and Joan sold to raise money for the Twinning project. The pearls from Hyderabad and the bracelet from Sri Lanka were as usual a big hit. Merab the delegate from Samaritans Kenya, our newest centre, pulled the lucky tickets out of the box for the raffle.
As always the Samaritans conference is an exceptional event which is run ever so efficiently. It is amazing how a group of volunteers can host a conference for 1200 delegates far better than any event manager. But that goes for any Befrienders conference. I have had the privilege to be at quite a few and can only say that the organizing of a conference showcases the commitment and passion that volunteers have for the cause they work for.
With my very best wishes,
Mallika
The 49th Annual York Conference was held at York University between 25th and 27th September 2009. Prior to the opening of the Samaritan conference the delegates of Befrienders Worldwide met for and International Training Event on the 25th morning. There were thirty four delegates from twenty three centres.
The theme of our training event was Supporting Each Other – (What is volunteer support? How do we offer it, what works and why?) Our trainers were Joanna Ridout and David Brodtman from the Samaritans. Some of you would have met them at the Thailand conference.
We discussed the similarity between support and guidance and the feelings involved by both the receiver and the giver.
· The issues discussed were the barriers and fears involved in giving guidance
· What do you want the volunteer to take away with them after receiving guidance from a support volunteer
· What would you want to take away after receiving guidance
The conclusion was that guidance is a way of supporting a volunteer through a difficult and personally challenging situation. It is a two way process initiated by the Support Volunteer in order to tackle the identified problem or situation. The Befriender needs to feel safe, listened to, accepted and respected whether they are being supported or guided –the difference is in what they take with them from the experience. Effective guidance is about helping volunteers look at their shortcomings in a safe and supportive environment. It is about empathizing. Thinking about how you would feel when talking to someone offering you support or guidance.
A volunteer who has received guidance should leave feeling empowered to:
· Deal more effectively when a similar situation occurs
· Pro-actively seek guidance when offloading
· Feel supported – not criticized by guidance
· Be more aware of their approach to callers and fellow volunteers
It was an inspiring experience – a rare opportunity of doing a training workshop with volunteers from around the world. It was also reassuring to know that the same issues give us grief no matter where we are placed on the globe and that sharing our experiences and practices brings us closer together for a common goal. I wish more of our volunteers could take part in such events.
The Samaritans conference opened after dinner on the evening of the 25th. The theme of this years’ conference was Reaching Out to Priority Groups. The opening plenary was by Dr. Mike Smith on Understanding Self Harm. He explained to us that Self Harm is actually a coping strategy. For young people who are under tremendous stress, harming themselves is very often a way of releasing their intense feelings rather than a conscious act of killing themselves. Although many self- harmers are also suicidal, it is not at that moment with the actual intent of suicide.
The other interesting plenary was on The Impact of Suicide on Those Left Behind. By Mike Bush. He spoke of his personal experiences.
Besides the plenaries there were plenty of seminars and workshops on various priority groups like bereaved children, prisoners, self harmers, trans-sexuals, etc. We were very busy through the day, but there was also time over dinner to meet, chat, exchange notes and generally enjoy the company of other volunteers.
On the 26th evening after dinner we had a Twinning Meet over wine and snacks where the international delegates got an opportunity to meet volunteers from their twinned centres. We exchanged notes and also had an opportunity to meet with Joan Guenault our Twinning Coordinator, Sophie Andrews, the present Chair of Samaritans, Catherine Johnstone, the CEO of Samaritans and also all the BWSG members.
Befrienders Worldwide also had a counter at the Exhibition Hall where volunteers could come for information. Joan and her husband Tony also had a Twinning counter. You could pick up knick knacks from around the world that the international delegates had brought to the conference and Joan sold to raise money for the Twinning project. The pearls from Hyderabad and the bracelet from Sri Lanka were as usual a big hit. Merab the delegate from Samaritans Kenya, our newest centre, pulled the lucky tickets out of the box for the raffle.
As always the Samaritans conference is an exceptional event which is run ever so efficiently. It is amazing how a group of volunteers can host a conference for 1200 delegates far better than any event manager. But that goes for any Befrienders conference. I have had the privilege to be at quite a few and can only say that the organizing of a conference showcases the commitment and passion that volunteers have for the cause they work for.
With my very best wishes,
Mallika
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
life is such...
Hey, guys...I was away a long time... Sorry....but this story has to be told..
Today as I was traveling from Kurla to Vashi..I was stuck and was breathing into a person`s face...the train was disgustingly packed.
I was in a such a position that, I was looking into the persons eyes... suddenly the person started crying... when I inquired, the person said that she was coming back from hospital after a appendicitis operation,and that she was in pain...Jesus! when I looked again now, with more concentration, I found that the person was a trans gender. In the crowded train she told me her story.
At the age of 15, she was thrown out of her home... her parents don't want her. So she joined a Hijra community . There, she found that she was not happy and she promised herself that she would get a sex change operation,and she did it..but now she feels she is not happy at all..she has no boyfriend. Life is difficult....she told me she wants to commit suicide....
I didn't know what to tell her.. I had to get down at Vashi... I gave her Aasra`s number.she has promised to call.....
Today as I was traveling from Kurla to Vashi..I was stuck and was breathing into a person`s face...the train was disgustingly packed.
I was in a such a position that, I was looking into the persons eyes... suddenly the person started crying... when I inquired, the person said that she was coming back from hospital after a appendicitis operation,and that she was in pain...Jesus! when I looked again now, with more concentration, I found that the person was a trans gender. In the crowded train she told me her story.
At the age of 15, she was thrown out of her home... her parents don't want her. So she joined a Hijra community . There, she found that she was not happy and she promised herself that she would get a sex change operation,and she did it..but now she feels she is not happy at all..she has no boyfriend. Life is difficult....she told me she wants to commit suicide....
I didn't know what to tell her.. I had to get down at Vashi... I gave her Aasra`s number.she has promised to call.....
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen
Read and learn to be happy
This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.
"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk or your life on a bus or in a car or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.
People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.
Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and them to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.
You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon or found a lump in your breast?
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the colour of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.
I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face.
Learn to be happy. live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.
This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.
"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk or your life on a bus or in a car or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.
People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.
Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and them to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.
You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon or found a lump in your breast?
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the colour of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.
I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face.
Learn to be happy. live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.
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