Sunday, August 3, 2014

Focus on what is life changing not eye pleasing


There is a truism that states that people tend to think more highly of things which are comely.  Comely is an obsolete Latin term which means 'pleasing in appearance' or simply attractive.   We don’t care for the unattractive parts of life however it’s those parts which we should give the most thought, time, and attention.  Those are the most important parts – the parts that make our bodies, the world and most everything in it, functional and relevant.  It’s the inside of the human body that is messy and unattractive; but everything in there – the heart, lungs, blood, muscles, and tissues, keep the body alive.  The inside of a car -- the engine, transmission, fluids, battery, etc— is dirty and oily.  It’s certainly not as sleek, shiny, or sculpted as the car’s body.  But without those inner workings, the car would be a useless shell.   
As that adage claims the parts that are less comely, we should treat with special honor.   Those are the parts that have a more abundant purpose than the attractive parts which “have no need.”  We have to learn to honor those things which are honorable.  They may not be as beautiful to look at, or as fun to experience, but they are important – even essential. 


Our trials in life are difficult and undesired.  But they are most important than the easy, breezy times.  Through those trials we learn our virtues, establish our values, and gain life-changing lessons. 
Our failures are no fun either.  We can leverage them, however, to lead us to future successes.
There is more to be learned from our losses than from our wins.  Our wins are validating and they feel good.  But our losses go so much further to confirm our endurance and purpose, as well as strengthen our hope and courage.


You may think your best feature is your beautiful smile, or an great pair of legs.  But, you can live without those.  You couldn't survive without your heart and mind.  Therefore, those are the parts you should nourish and treasure.  

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