THE SPECTRUM
Dean Ornish M.D.
What Matters Most?
That simple question can play a powerful role in healing our lives.
Feb 27, 2008 | Updated: 6:25 p.m. ET Feb 27, 2008
An Exerpt from the article in Newsweek…
What matters most is love. And the things that matter are very simple—they're very old—and they're very, very important. These things that can't be measured are the foundation of our lives. There is meaning in everything we do. Most of us live far more meaningful lives than we know.
How so?
Recognizing that we are all connected and, because of that, we have the power to make a real difference in the life of a total stranger without even knowing their name. We often feel powerless in today's society--that you have to be wealthy, or educated or somehow more than you are in order to make any kind of significant difference in the world. And the reality is that we've already made a far greater difference than we know, we have changed the lives of many more people than we realize because there is a web of connection between us.
We have a culture that values celebrity over compassion; that values notoriety over caring. What can we learn from all of this? The entire advertising industry is based on the idea that if only you buy more, get more, do more—then you'll be happy.
Well, it's never enough because it will never fill the emptiness that only a sense of meaning can satisfy. At the end of life, when people look back to see what mattered for them and brought meaning, it's not about what they bought and what they owned. It's about what they did to help other people to live and how they related to other people and grew in wisdom. It's all about the love they gave and received, not anything else. One heart at a time.
Here's a link to the full article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/116684
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I don't remember finding this article, but I was checking an old email address today and I found that I had emailed it to myself with the subject line "blogworthy". How weird that I saved it and how weird that it directly applies to something I've been struggling with lately. I'm not sure why, but I've been feeling like I'm working and working and doing more and more, but I'm not making a difference anywhere. This article was just the reassurance that I need to remember that only God can see the whole picture of how we're all connected. My only job is to keep working to serve others and God will take care of making sure He uses me to make a difference "one heart at a time".
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