The Delusion of Superiority

"It is amazing to me that, in this day and age, people still consider themselves as being superior to one another based on their job title or the salary that they make or how knowledgeable they are on any given subject." - Andy Dowd

Regardless of whether you are a surgeon or a floor cleaner, a CEO or an intern, the President of the United States or a small business owner, you are in no way superior or inferior to one other.  Superiority does not exist anywhere but in the mind as a delusional sense of self righteousness and when you show your sense of superiority to others, it does nothing but cheapen their sense of who you are. 

Do your job and be who you are to the best of your abilities with the resources available to you but always remember that the value of you as a human being regardless of your physical or intellectual abilities, your possessions, your paycheck, your investments, your mistakes, your shortcomings and so forth is equal to the value of any given human being. 

May we not be so ignorant as to believe that we reign over one another.  Rather than belittle one another or seek to show what we believe to be our great superiority over others, in every moment of every encounter we should be respectfully teaching, learning, helping, and acknowledging the importance of one another as we each set forth to complete the tasks that are set before us.

"People of small caliber are always carping.  They are bent on showing their own superiority, their knowledge or prowess or good breeding."  - Van Wyck Brooks

The Beauty of Life

The acknowledgement of the beauty of life begins with the conception of a new life and is experienced in its fullness with the end of life. 

In the hospital where I work, a lullaby is played overhead throughout the hospital when a child is born.  As a new nurse a few years ago, I was standing beside a patient along with her family listening to this overhead lullaby which was signaling the birth of a child as we watched this woman take her last breath.   I couldn't help but think of the circle of life and the utter beauty of it.   Death is not always peaceful nor is it always considered to be a beautiful thing but it certainly brings a completeness to life.  Without it, we would not have the appreciation for life that we do.

It should not be inferred that I am suggesting that life cannot be celebrated, appreciated, or fully acknowledged prior to death.  Nor am I suggesting that heartache and sadness should not be felt in the instance of death.  I am only saying that one's life is not complete until death just as it is not complete only with childbirth or only with other milestones or individual successes in one's life.  The end of one's life allows for the final embracing of the beauty of that life.  It is the end of the ability for anything better here on earth for that life.  The best has been had.  All that is to be admired or rejected has already taken place.  The rest of us can continue to reflect on that life and be happy for the things we have experienced and learned (and can continue to learn) from that life.

I admit that my views on this subject are limited and incomplete.  They are formed from personal experiences and observations along with my belief in God, in Heaven, and in peace.

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.” 

Bessie A. Stanley (a version of her original definition of the word 'success')

I do resolve...

It always takes me a while to decide on what my goals will be for the upcoming year and this year I'm a little bit late.  I want my focus this year to be more pure, more natural, more grounded, and more practical.  I want my goals to be a promise not only to me but also to my husband.

*Healthy dietary choices - we both promised when we got married to always strive towards a healthy lifestyle to maximize the quality of our years together

*More active lifestyle - we are doing the Sunrise to Sunset relay run from Ft Myers, Fl to Jensen Beach Fl)

*Less spending on superficial or nonessential items

*Less spending overall (I've created a budget spreadsheet and am so excited about it!)

*More education - have applied to USF to work towards a masters degree in oncology nursing.

*More Love, smiles, and generosity - always :)

"Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek." 

Martin Luther King, Jr.