Discernment-- how to get people to know that they need it let alone try to cultivate it? Whenever I hear the story of Solomon I think to myself that he must have had a lot of wisdom already to even know that it was the thing he should have been asking for. Someone who is basing their criteria for happiness on various external goals or acquisitions will have a hard time grasping the value of a rich internal life.
I recently watched a TED Talk that shed light on something else at play in life, grit. Here's the video:
It reminds me of a study my daughter recently shared with me that she'd read, in which they gave Chinese students and American students very difficult math problems to solve. American students worked on the problems an average of 3 minutes and then gave up. The Chinese students? They never gave up. The people conducting the study literally had to take the test away from them.
How in the world to instill that in people? As you can see from the video, we don't know.
The world's major religions have been advocating lots of things that turn out to be pretty good advice now that we study what makes people happy and leads to physical and emotional health. That assembling in churches or temples? Well, now we know how healthy social connections are for us. Separating yourself for times of prayer and meditation? Turns out that's pretty good for us too. Singing and chanting? Good stuff. The compassionate care of others and living beyond yourself? One of the keys to living a truly happy life and having a feeling of significance. Fasting? Self control? Moderation? Very healthy advice.
So it isn't that we don't necessarily know what to do. The trouble comes in the doing. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Every day. All day. Or maybe that's just me. :)
Which brings me right back around to those endless every day choices...
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