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Dark forces gathering momentum- Fight them before they become deadly tsunami

Photo: meaningfullife.com

In the year of Brexit and Trump, when "Post-truth" was named word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries, life-enhancing values are becoming more significant than ever.

        Black Friday and Thanksgiving!    

“A deadly force is taking over our world.  This is a monster that can do too much harm to be so commonly welcomed into our society, and it goes by the name “Materialism.”  The scariest thing about materialism is that it is so easy to fall into, especially in this day and age. So you ask what is materialism? It is a fixation on and love for material objects over actual living things”…

“How Much Is Enough? What is money and wealth for? Why do we as individuals and societies go on wanting more? What is economic growth for? Can we/ should we carry on just growing, creating, producing, consuming,…,more and more, for ever more? Do we need to satisfy our needs or our wants? Should we be a “maximiser” or “satisfier” and choose the path of “enoughness”?  Then, what is a good life? What are the main ingredients of a good, happy and peaceful life? Should we move away from Gross National Product (GDP) to Gross National Happiness? What are we here for?”-In Praise of Frugality: Materialism is a Killer

"Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The best kind of giving is thanksgiving.”-Chesterton

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”-Cicero

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”-Denis Waitley

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”-Albert Schweitzer

"If the only prayer you say in your whole life is “thank you,” that would suffice.”-Meister Eckhart

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.”-Nietzsche

Please continue to read by visiting the following links:

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

Thanksgiving vs. Black Friday: Where is the Gratitude?

In Praise of ‘Enoughness’ and 'Lagomist' Economy

Memento mori, Memento vivere and the Madness of Black Friday

Saluting Mother Nature

Photo: etf-ilse.org

And now, instead of the madness of shopping till we drop, Brexit and Trump- let us come together and celebrate the beauty, wisdom, mystery of our wisest, life-affirming friend and teacher: MOTHER NATURE

Driven by Hope for a Better World: Reclaiming the Common Good

 

 Photo: meaningfullife.com

To defeat the dark forces, and stop their destructive power of manipulation and exploitation, we must begin to contribute to the collective good: We must become for the common good.

To be for the common good is “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” Common good is the midah that lays the groundwork for so many vital traits and actions that we all strive for, namely, love of our fellow. Common good is the foundation. It is key to instilling love in our hearts towards our fellow berethern, as it nullifies hate: enabling us to move from darkness to light, despair to hope, and competition to cooperation.

Logic dictates that the inverse of this statement is also true: the absence of the common good can cause a serious deficiency in our capacity to love. Without it, there is nothing to support the best intentions in the world to cultivate goodness. When common good is not within us, the support crumbles, bringing other achievements to the ground. Bullying, bigotry, intolerance, acts of violence, and more all find their roots in the lack of the ability to understand the feelings of another. The resulting apathy can be the breeding grounds for nefarious actions, and more subtle ones as well.

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