Author: Susan Schulte

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”

This quote by Mahatma Gandhi is a reminder to all of us of the importance of humility.  For no matter how much knowledge we have, how much education we’ve had, and how many life experiences we’ve had, no human being is exempt from being wrong at times.  One aspect of humility is recognizing the fact that being wrong and making mistakes from time to time help us to learn, and by means of that learning, to gain in wisdom.

Gandhi’s words also cause me to think about being thankful for the wisdom the Creator has given us.  Wisdom helps us to live our lives more fully and with integrity, to keep things in perspective, and to help others.

It’s concerning that there are leaders of countries and members of governing bodies who believe that they are always right, and especially concerning when policies they enact cause harm to people.  They won’t consider investigating alternatives because they don’t think other people’s ideas and suggestions matter.  This certainly is not wisdom; it’s egocentricity.  This wrong approach also applies to anyone whose decisions adversely affect others, including employers, school administrators, and other men and women who hold leadership roles.

Accepting and then keeping in mind Gandhi’s words that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err will help us to be humble and to be open to considering the ideas of others.  And, most importantly, we should all endeavor to listen to our inner wisdom, to try to discern its guidance for us as we travel our earthly journeys.

“I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”

These words are by Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, who lived from 1809 to 1865.  He was President during the Civil War and is remembered as a man of integrity who took the first steps toward ending slavery in the United States.

Although Lincoln’s words are referring to himself and his approach to life, they express that which all of us should do.  Trying to do our best is part of living life fully, and each of us has abilities that can help us in our endeavors.

It can be disheartening to make mistakes and to deal with obstacles that get in the way of that which we’re trying to do.  It can also take a lot of effort and perseverance to keep on trying to do the best we can.  And yet it is so important to not give up, both for ourselves individually and for whoever will be affected by what we do.

Whether we are trying to do our best in our day-to-day endeavors related to family, friends, our work, staying healthy, and in other ways, or whether we’re trying our best by putting effort and time into a specific project or goal, we need to keep on doing the best we know how, as Lincoln says.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

This quote is by Martin Luther King, Jr.  His words reflect the way he lived his calling as a pastor and as a leader in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s.

There are certain qualities that are always right:  being nonjudgmental, having compassion, being generous, and having courage are some of them.  And when any of these qualities underlie what we do, they help us to do what is right.

I’ve often read about people who have done courageous and selfless things:  some men and women who stopped their cars to assist an elderly man whose car had gone off the road; a man who by using his paddleboard rescued people in his neighborhood when there was flooding and the water had risen quickly and with little warning; a woman and man who visit areas of their city where there are homeless people and give them food and tell them where there are free meals, medical care, and other resources; people, including physicians and other medical staff, who choose to stay in war-torn parts of the world helping the people there; a woman who was able to talk a man she did not know out of committing suicide.  By helping others in these ways they were doing what is right.

I’m always thankful when I read or hear about such selfless acts.  Throughout history there have been many people who have been courageous, compassionate, generous, and nonjudgmental.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was certainly one of them as were many other women and men in the civil rights movement then and since then.

I believe King’s words refer to both the extraordinary things people do and also to that which each of us can do every day.  Treating family members, coworkers, and others with whom we interact with respect and kindness is doing what is right.  Supporting meaningful causes and charitable organizations that help people in need, by contributing financially and/or by volunteering, is doing what is right.  Living with integrity and honesty is doing what is right.  Using the gifts we’ve been given in the ways we discern our Creator wants us to use them is doing what is right.

Let’s all do our best each day to do what is right.

“Live simply so others may simply live.”

This quote is by Mother Teresa, a person who gave of herself as an individual and through the charitable organizations she founded that have assisted and continue to assist people who are experiencing some of life’s most difficult situations, including poverty and end-of-life illness.  I have written several posts in the past based on Mother Teresa’s quotes.  I appreciate her selflessness, for she prioritized caring for others.  I also appreciate her emphasis on the fact that whatever each of us does that contributes to that which is positive in this world does make a difference.

I don’t know the context of Mother Teresa’s words “Live simply so others may simply live” at the time she said or wrote them.  However, one possibility is that her words were directed toward those of us who have the means to help others and therefore should do so.  We who have a home, sufficient food, a steady income, and whose basic material needs are met should be generous to others rather than just adding to our own belongings and comforts.  There are many people in our world who do not have a home, sufficient food, or a means of earning money, and many others whose shelter is in unsafe areas and who, although employed, have low-paying jobs.  By our choosing to live more simply, we are able to share the blessings we’ve been given and by doing so to help others to have better life situations. There are many nonprofit organizations and church outreach programs to which we can contribute financially.  We can also help in other ways, such as by volunteering at such programs.

Mother Teresa’s words can apply to other areas of concern as well.  They cause me to think about doing our part to decrease global warming.  We who live in wealthier countries cause more global warming than do the people who live in poorer countries.  But many of the harmful weather events caused by climate change happen more often in the poorer countries, including causing drought so that crops cannot be grown to feed the people there.  Our choosing to live more simply by reducing our carbon footprint helps people in poorer countries to have an improved quality of life.

When I think about letting others “simply live,” another idea comes to mind.  We can help people simply live by not judging them, by not repeating negative things that we have heard about someone, and by not thinking of ourselves as being better than other people.  Careless words and actions cause harm to others, including stress and sadness, decreasing their being able to simply live.

So I encourage all of us to think about the ways we can help others by choosing to live more simply.  And then to take the steps and make the changes to do so.

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because God loves us.”

This quote is by C.S. Lewis from his book Mere Christianity.  Lewis was an English author and university instructor who lived from 1898 to 1963.  He is well known for both his fiction and nonfiction works.  Most of his nonfiction books are about various aspects of Christianity and faith, and I’ve found them to be very insightful.

Lewis’ quote is a reminder to us to have humility and to embrace our Creator’s love for us.

We are humble when we acknowledge the truth that we are dependent upon our Creator for any of the things we do in the ways our Creator wants us to—in other words, doing those things that make up our goodness.  Having genuine humility helps us to avoid being egocentric, such as by thinking that somehow we do the right things without the help of our Creator.  Remembering that we are dependent on God working within us by guiding us, helping us to see our faults, giving us abilities and direction about how to use those abilities, and in many other ways is essential to our being good.

Human goodness encompasses many qualities:  compassion, selflessness, empathy, sharing of one’s time and abilities, patience, and more.  To the extent we have any degree of these qualities, they are gifts from the Divine.  And, as Lewis says, they are given to us because our Creator loves us.

“The kingdom involves the realization of our personalities according to the inner plan established within us by God; hence, the unfolding of a Self that predates and transcends the ego.”

This quote is by John A. Sanford from his book The Kingdom Within: The Inner Meaning of Jesus’ Sayings.  Dr. Sanford was a Jungian analyst, an Episcopal priest, a speaker, and the author of several books.  I encourage you to read The Kingdom Within as well as any of the other books he wrote.

One of the reasons I am drawn to Jungian psychology is that many of its concepts correspond to religious teachings and spirituality.  And one of the reasons I think so highly of Dr. Sanford was his ability to clearly write about that interrelationship.

In many of my posts I refer to our inner voice, and I encourage all of us to try to discern its guidance as we travel our life journeys.  Sanford’s words “according to the inner plan established within us by God” cause me to reflect upon how our Creator cares for each one of us, made each of us a unique creation, and gives us guidance.  Sanford saying the inner plan is an “unfolding” expresses that it is a process that continues throughout our lifetime.  And his words “predates and transcends the ego” emphasize that our Creator’s plan for us comes from a source greater than our ego.

The main purpose of the ego is to carry out the guidance we’re given from within. That’s a very important purpose.  Making choices, expressing ourselves, and doing actions based on that which we discern gives to our lives a sense of meaning that is not present otherwise.  Many people who do not have a sense of purpose or meaning feel that way because they approach life at only an ego level, either never having learned about or not accepting the truth that the unconscious affects our thinking, words, and actions far more than we realize.  The ego is a smaller part of our total being than is the unconscious.  It is only when we’ve grown in consciousness that we are able to have some understanding of this.  Therefore, endeavoring to become more conscious is vital.

It wasn’t until I began meeting with a Jungian psychotherapist many years ago that I became aware of the ways the unconscious affects our lives without our realizing it.  Through my work with the therapist and by reading about Jungian psychology and related topics, I began to grow in consciousness.  I’m able to say from personal experience that I’m living a more purposeful and meaningful life as a result.  I can also say from personal experience that I make mistakes, that the inner guidance is not always clear to me, and that I have to be watchful of when my ego desires get in the way of my inner work.

But continuing to endeavor to follow the “unfolding of the Self,” to use Sanford’s words, is what matters most.  That is why I share Sanford’s quote with you.  And that is why in my other posts I share the quotes of other people whose words of wisdom can help all of us to grow in consciousness and to live more meaningful lives.