Friday, April 3, 2009

What Counts

When you haven’t blogged in a long time and there are a lot of things to say, it is often difficult to write anything at allyou don’t know where to start. So, let me just start with a quote that I came across today on an academic listserv that I subscribe to. The quote is from Mitch Albom’s book Tuesdays with Morrie.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I like this quote very much because it highlights the fact: what seems really important to us in the short run is often of least consequence in the long run. Yet, people (and that includes me too) often get so carried away with the external trappings of life that we forget to nurture the things that are most important in life. This reminds of another famous quote (attributed to Albert Einstein): “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” I hope all of us develop the wisdom to recognize the things that count in life, and discount the things that don't.

May all be happy;
May all be without disease;
May all look to the good of others;
May none have misery of any sort.

1 comment:

  1. Hmm, so your back on your blog, good to hear from you again. The hibernation that you had sent yourself to, has probably transformed you into a hermit.
    Good thoughts. Keep up your posts, it counts.

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