"We might all try minding our own business." C.S. Lewis (spoken by the professor in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Lewis’ children’s story The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. In a recently plotted BBC miniseries, Berkeley Square, one of the 1895 era characters said, “Mend what needs mending, and don’t cry over spilled milk.” In other words, fix what you can, but if not, forget it. The ‘mind your own business’ theme goes back much farther than Lewis. Reinhold Niebuhr wrote a prayer in the early 1930’s popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups. The Serenity Prayer begins with, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
My favorite would have to be Mother Goose. But to be honest I most often pray the excerpt from the Serenity Prayer, focusing on the third part, “...the wisdom to know the difference." And, when God shows me the difference and I succeed in making the choice to let go of things that don’t concern me….well, there you have it, I find I’m a happier person. Is there someone or something you are trying to control that is not really your business? Have you faithfully taken action on the things that only you can do? What steps will you take today to turn stress into serenity, and improve your happiness quotient? Lord, save me from the temptation of thinking I know just how to orchestrate someone else’s life, when really I’m still learning how to live my own life without regrets. Amen “And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands,…so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” I Thessalonians 4:11-12 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.
Schiller) (1759-1805), German poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright. Late in life Schiller co-authored Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems, with his friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Note: W.W. Bartley (unknown), British author, one of dozens of authors and poets who wrote children’s stories, nursery rhymes, poems, plays, and pantomimes around the theme of Mother Goose. Note: Epictetus (50-135 AD), Greek-speaking philosopher, born in Turkey but lived in Rome and Greece. His pupil, Arrian, published his Discourses and Enchiridion. He was best known for his philosophy that individuals are responsible for their own actions.
2 Comments
Linda Owens
5/2/2017 08:36:53 pm
Thank you for all the wonderful quotes and tying them all together so eloquently. I plan to share this with some friends, nurses in a health ministry group. As nurses we each want to help others and this blog so elegantly shares some thoughts about what to do when there seems to be no helping.
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Libby Taylor-Worden
5/2/2017 11:15:43 pm
Linda, thank you for your comment. It has always been my goal to encourage others with my weekly blog. I'm so glad you find it encouraging. I hope as you share them with others, they will also be able to encourage others.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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