My mini-guides to life

I'd say like most that over-analyze, I love quotes.

Two recently have become for me mantras that are great for reviewing time and time again to renew a sense of purpose and passion in day to day living.

Though I have not lived all that long, I can make the hypothesis that these aren't youthful or transient words of wisdom just for people my age, but I really think that they can and will in my case, carry out to be helpful in seeing the bigger picture for all stages of life.

The first is from Walt Whitman, and the second is from the apostle Peter:

~Love the earth and sun, and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence towards the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men, go freely with the powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church, or in any books, and dismiss whatever insults your soul.

~Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

I love the first quote, because I think it is somewhat subversive, in a great way, and absolutely speaks truth to keeping a person's heart and conscience in good repair in daily conduct. The second quote I love because it shows a path toward the progress of character, one that I guess should be cyclical, so that love, in the end, leads to faith. This guide map can then help wherever one's strengths are, so that if one has love but no faith, one can find faith, and if one has knowledge but no self-control, he or she can begin to connect the dots to see that after learning a truth, the next step is to commit to it.

Sometimes when there are too many perplexing life questions, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to return to the simplicity and instruction of these statements.