Goals

Seascape at Saintes-Maries, by Van Gogh.  

This is one of my favorite paintings.  It hangs in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, which I have never been to, so I've never seen it with my actual eyes, but I still love it.  I have a print of it, cut out of an old calendar (the back side is filled with my Mom's scribbles of doctors appointments and music lessons, probably from when I was in high school?  Whenever I happen to see all those notes, it makes me smile) and it hangs near my bed where I can always see it.

We had General Conference recently (our church's biannual event wherein all our leaders address us over the course of two days), and in the second talk, I heard a phrase that I just loved so much.  Elder Scott D. Whiting said, "Become the tide that raises all boats in the harbor."

How's that for beautiful?

As often happens to me, the political season is driving me nuts.  I read so many articles and see so many opinions batted around and I'm just itching to respond to it all.  I want to post and rant and rave and make people see my point.  But on the rare occasion when I actually give in to that urge it always goes badly.  I can probably count on two hands the times I've engaged and had a worthwhile conversation.  But the times when by the end of it all I've wanted to crawl into a hole and die would be... all the other times?  And there's never any point-- I've never convinced anyone of my opinions, and no one has ever changed mine.  My sister Rachael recently taught me the saying, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" and that certainly rings true to my own experiences!  The best thing that's ever come of such discussions is just a better understanding of why the other side feels that way, which is good!  But still didn't change anything other than creating a little more empathy.  

So I've been trying my best to stay out of it all.

And when I heard this quote, it really summed up a much more important thing to be doing.  Arguing politics (or anything, really) with people does not raise anyone up.  There are better ways to interact with people.

So that is my goal, and it's mostly something I'm trying to do in my home, not on social media or anywhere else.

Become the tide that raises all boats in the harbor.

What a beautiful idea.

P.S. I have another favorite painting that I recently discovered-- I'm thinking about buying myself a print!  Check out this artist's beautiful work!