“If you want to destroy people, make them comfortable. Give them every comfort they desire. Love of comfort poisons the soul by reducing our ability to hear truth and align our lives with it.
When we hear truth, we have one of two reactions. If we are living the truth we hear, we delight in the splendor of it. If we are not living that truth, we become uncomfortable, because unlived truth is always an invitation to change.
And let’s face it, there is plenty of truth we aren’t living.
A lover of comfort closes himself off from truth because it isn’t comfortable. He will even avoid the truth that he knows will liberate him from his addiction to comfort.
Don’t get too comfortable. Life isn’t supposed to be comfortable. Constant comfort isn’t good for us. Allow it to serve when you need to be restored and rejuvenated, but don’t become a lover of comfort. Comfort will destroy you long before the difficulties of life.”
“Simplicity is good for the soul. We complain about how complicated life has become, but we continue to complicate our lives. The two main ways we complicate our lives is with things and commitments. So much of our anxiety comes from these things and yet we cling to them and multiply them as is they were prizes to be cherished.
Here are seven examples of how less is more:
1. Less television means more time to read. 2. Less comparison means more contentment. 3. Less stuff means more space. 4. Less talking means more listening. 5. Fewer commitments means more time just to be. 6. Less complaining means more gratitude. 7. Less clutter means more clarity.
Less is more means different things to different people. Find out what it means to you, try it, and take note of how it changes your life.”
There’s a Message for You in This Gospel Story…If You’re Willing to Unlock It
How do you unlock the message?
It’s simple: put yourself in the shoes of the one Bible character everyone would rather overlook. Watch Matthew’s reflection now—you’ll discover a deeper understanding of who you are…and who God is.
There’s Only One Way to Find True Happiness. If you want to be truly happy, today’s Gospel holds the key. Watch now—Matthew’s reflection will guide you through a series of questions that will help you bring God (and happiness!) back into your life for good.
21 Habits That Are DRAINING Your Energy! – Matthew Kelly
“What’s draining your energy? We all have habits that drain our energy. Some of them we are aware of and some of them we participate in unconsciously.
Here are 21 things that could be draining your energy. Pick three to work on. And remember, you can see the whole list at MatthewKelly.com. We publish the transcripts to all my YouTube videos on my blog.
1. Negativity.
2. Bad posture.
3. Not drinking enough water.
4. Lack of direction and priorities.
5. Forgetting to breathe deeply.
6. Sugar, Caffeine, and Alcohol.
7. Not taking a break.
8. Checking email first thing in the morning.
9. Taking things personally that are not personal.
10. Social media.
11. The news.
12. Worrying about things you cannot influence.
13. Sleeping too much.
14. Poor diet choices.
15. Complaining.
16. Noise.
17. Light.
18. Fear or anxiety.
19. Lack of exercise or too much exercise.
20. Perfectionism.
21. Making a big deal out of little things.
22. Skipping breakfast.
23. Never taking a real vacation.
24. Alcohol before bed.
25. Checking email before bed.
26. Your attitude.
27. Clutter and disorganization.
28. Too much food or not enough food.
29. Stress.
30. Lack of self-esteem.
31. Saying yes to things you know you should say no to.
32. Half finishing tasks.
33. Gossiping.
34. Toxic people and unhealthy relationships
35. Trying to please others constantly.
36. Ruminating on the past.
37. Not moving enough.
38. Resentment.
39. Worrying about what people think about you.
40. Watching TV that drains you emotionally and beats you up psychologically.
41. Planning too far into the future.
Okay, that was 41, not 21, I got carried away. But here’s the thing. Everyday there are an unlimited number of people and activities out to steal your energy if you let them. Don’t let them.
Have a great day… and remember, don’t just be yourself, be the-best-version-of-yourself!”
“What problem are you experiencing today? What is it trying to teach you?
Every problem that occurs in our lives comes to teach us a lesson. The lessons can be understood only in relation to our essential purpose, which is to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. Every time you encounter a problem, ask yourself:
What can I learn from this situation? How can this help me to become a-better-version-of-myself? What particular virtue can this problem help me to grow stronger in?
Problems are opportunities to build character. The problems that we encounter each day give us a chance to abandon our egos and our overindulged personal preferences in order to grow in flexibility and patience. Problems are one of the time-tested paths to personal growth. The most significant periods of growth occur for most people when they are faced with problems. In fact, many of us ignore the need to grow until we are faced with problems.”
Let’s be honest: Life isn’t fair…and God isn’t either. But today’s Gospel story reveals the real reason why–and it’s better news than you might expect. Watch now!
“Throughout the Scriptures we read about God assigning angels to help people make journeys.
In Exodus God said to Moses, “Behold, I am sending you an angel to go ahead of you, to guard you along the way, and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”
God assigns each of us a Guardian Angel for many reasons including so that we will never be alone in our journey through life.
This leads me to one of the most powerful prayers I have ever heard of and experienced. I was preparing for a very difficult meeting one day and my grandmother said to me, “If you want good to come from this meeting, ask your guardian angel to speak to his guardian angel, to open his heart, and prepare the way for your conversation.”
It works. I cannot explain it. But it works. So, next time you have a difficult conversation ahead of you, pray asking your guardian angel to speak with the other person’s guardian angel. You will be amazed…”
