Blind to Wonder, Hungry for Praise

You won’t find your peace in applause that fades, but in moments that endure.

Thank you for listening!

Take this reflection into the silence, and I'll see you next time.

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Transcript

A group of tourists sits in a bus passing through gorgeously beautiful countryside. Lakes shimmer in the distance. Mountains tower majestically, and lush green fields flow alongside meandering rivers. But, ironically, the shades of the bus are pulled down. The passengers see nothing. The travelers have not the slightest idea of what magnificent landscapes lie just beyond their windows.

Instead, their entire journey is consumed by petty squabbles over who deserves the seat of honor, who will receive the most applause, whose opinions matter most. They argue. They posture. And so they remain, blind to the wonder around them, until the journey's end.

This bus, I fear, is us. We miss so much. We move through life with our metaphorical shades drawn, missing the beauty and meaning that surrounds us. The world goes unseen. We've become consumed by self-promotion and self-glorification. Pursuits that ultimately produce only emptiness. We chase applause. It fades quickly.

As the environmental educator David Orr wrote, "the planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds."

Because mindfulness steadies the soul. Gratitude awakens the heart. Genuine connection nourishes the spirit. They are the bedrock of lasting contentment. They stand firm against the crumbling promises of achievement, of status, of fleeting recognition.

You won’t find your peace in applause that fades, but in moments that endure. Not in the approval of strangers, but in the fullness of being present. Not in what you accumulate, but in what you truly experience.