Pope Francis has issued his top ten tips for a happy life.
His advice includes turning off your television, not converting people to your religion and spending Sundays with family.
In an interview published in part in the Argentine weekly 'Viva' July 27, the unconventional pontiff, listed his lifestyle guide
THE KEYS TO A HAPPY LIFE BY POPE FRANCIS
1. 'Live and let live.' Everyone
should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar
expression in Rome with the saying, 'Move forward and let others do the
same.'
2. Generosity. 'Be
giving of yourself to others.' 'If you withdraw into yourself, you run
the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid.'
3. 'Proceed calmly' in life. The
pope used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in
which the protagonist -- gaucho Don Segundo Sombra - looks back on how
he lived his life. 'He says that in his youth he was a stream full of
rocks that he carried with him; as an adult, a rushing river; and in old
age, he was still moving, but slowly, like a pool' of water, the pope
said. He said he likes this latter image of a pool of water - to have
'the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life.'
4. Leisure.
'The pleasures of art, literature and playing together with children
have been lost, he said. He suggests families must also turn off the TV
when they sit down to eat - having it on during mealtime 'doesn't let
you communicate' with each other.
5. Sundays. These should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because 'Sunday is for family,' he said.
6. Young people.
Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. 'We
need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities
they will get into drugs' and be more vulnerable to suicide, he
said.'It's not enough to give them food,' he said. 'Dignity is given to
you when you can bring food home' from one's own labor.
7. Respect nature.
Environmental ruination 'is one of the biggest challenges we have,' he
said. 'I think a question that we're not asking ourselves is: 'Isn't
humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use
of nature?''
8. Positivity.
'Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That
means, "I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut
others down,'' the pope said. 'Letting go of negative things quickly is
healthy.'
9. Respect others' beliefs. 'We
can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in
communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism,
which paralyzes: 'I am talking with you in order to persuade you,' No.
Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity.'
10. Peace. 'We
are living in a time of many wars,' he said, and 'the call for peace
must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet,
but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' and dynamic.
No comments:
Post a Comment