Living from the heart

Confucius said . . .'To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

Sincerity and earnestness are vital components of character. Part of it is to simply say what you mean and mean what you say!

'I adore you,' the young man said to his girl.

'I need you; I can't live without you; I love you.'

She pushed him aside saying, 'John . . . I don't want to get serious.'

John replied, 'Who's serious?'

Like Tennessee Williams might say, he had all the sincerity of a bird hunter's whistle. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say is vital, but there is another important part to living a genuine and whole life: that is to LIVE what you say.

Make your actions and your words the same. Living what you say is at the heart of sincerity.

Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong was a superb jazz musician who also knew how to entertain. Satchmo used to say that what he played was life. He believed that his whole life, soul and spirit was to blow that horn. When he made music, it came from his heart. And it spoke to our hearts. Any life can be great when it is lived fully and sincerely from the heart.

Let your whole life, your whole soul and your whole spirit sing in harmony. It is a matter of saying what you live and living what you say. For when your words harmonize with your actions, you are living from the best part you - from your heart.

And the sincerity of your life will forever touch the hearts of others.

Written by Steve Goodier