Life is rarely as simple as a list of pros and cons can convey.
Life is far more complex than that.
We are far more complex than that.
Our hopes, fears, needs, passions, and desires cannot possibly be summed up in a simple checklist or analyzed on a spreadsheet.
We contain multitudes, paradoxes, and contradictions that pure data cannot capture.
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
If we focus on pleasing others for long enough to the detriment of our own happiness, we eventually forget what makes us happy.
In fact, we may even forget who we are altogether.
We get so lost in the wants and needs of others that we become strangers to ourselves.
It is possible, even necessary, to course correct, to regain our bearing and rediscover our own needs and desires, but it will not be easy nor will it be painless.
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
It is okay to approach courage slowly.
Not every obstacle is meant to be smashed through headfirst.
Sometimes we have to take small steps of bravery toward that which we fear but must overcome.
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
If we spend our lives seeking and finally find what we have been looking for, the result may be that we feel more lost than ever.
For some of us, the seeking itself gives us purpose.
The constant movement toward something — or away from something — gives our lives meaning.
If we are fortunate enough to have exactly what we always wanted, we now face a new challenge altogether. We must now face ourselves.
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Our actions point to our values.
We may think or say that we value certain things, but what we do often proves otherwise.
Thoughts and words are deceptive and, through them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we are capable of convincing ourselves and others of all manner of falsehood.
Our actions, on the other hand, demonstrate the truth of what and who we value most.
Meditations on God 