Love what you have and you'll have more love. ---Regina Spektor
The above quote from my all-time favorite solo musical artist is from her 2012 song Firewood...which happens to also be my all-time #6 favorite song. The message here is one promoting contentment in life as well as gratitude. It runs counter to our society's consumer culture promoting dissatisfaction with what one has and the "need" to get "stuff" that presumably would make us happier...ain't gonna happen: happiness comes from within, not without. And allowing oneself be manipulated and swept away by charlatans in the media and politicians hell-bent on stoking fears and hatred won't bring any relief, either. We all have brains, don't we...maybe it's time for some of us to begin using them instead of subcontracting our thinking and worldviews out to others. Do I always follow Regina Spektor's advice? No, but as is the case typical of the quotes I highlight on this blog, it points me in the right direction. Spiritually speaking, there is a special prayer that also promotes this mindset of contentment, called the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the wisdom to change the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. To this I would add discernment among those things I can change to determine which ones I should. And an attitude of heartfelt gratitude for the many blessings I enjoy in my life will serve to fortify that serenity, loving what I already have...and increasing love in the process. Thanks, Regina...
