[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fHFdWmMtBSg7tH3h5MRvHZYxmhsKTuDYimcDHdUXy99w":3,"$fLgCoTIInRrlbujTOSRibCdb7cYMVV7A-iOYa0NxJt3U":19},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},19883,"Joan D. Chittister","J",128,null,"joan-d-chittister",[12,16],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},102,"religion",7,{"tag_id":17,"tag_name":18,"tag_count":15},111,"spirituality",{"quotes":20,"pagination":85},[21,29,35,41,47,53,59,66,73,79],{"id":22,"quote_text":23,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":9},3140208,"This compulsion to look back, to explain to myself, to others, why I did what I did – or, worse, to justify why I didn’t do something else – is one of the most direct roads to depression we have. Our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes, according to Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Healthy Aging, are “key determinants of how we age.” They can threaten the quality of time we bring to the present.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3140205,"But we are here to depart from this world as finished as we can possibly become.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},3140200,"Better to walk through life simply and without masks, than to lose ourselves in the pursuit of identities that are purely cosmetic and commercial. Then, at least, we will be known for what we are rather than for what we are not.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},3140180,"For the Jew, Passover is a sign of salvation, of “God with us” at a particular historical moment in the past. For the Christian, Easter is a sign of “God with us” in the past, but with us now also and at a time to come, as well.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},3140168,"I learned that the Italians are right. It isn’t what happens to us that counts. It’s what we do with what happens to us that makes all the difference.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3140157,"These questions do not call for the discovery of data; they call for the contemplation of possibility.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":65},3140145,"Prayer restores the soul that is dry and dulled by years of trying to create a world that never completely comes.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is likely from the writings of Joan D. Chittister, a Benedictine nun and prolific author, in the context of her spiritual reflections on creativity and the human condition. As a writer and advocate for social justice, Chittister often grappled with the tension between her idealistic vision for a better world and the reality of the challenges she faced. This quote suggests that she was reflecting on the weariness and disillusionment that can come from trying to create positive change in a world that often seems resistant to it.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe hidden insight in this quote is that the act of prayer is not just about seeking divine intervention, but also about acknowledging and accepting the limitations and frustrations of human effort. Chittister is pointing out that even the most well-intentioned and dedicated individuals can become drained and disheartened by the gap between their ideals and the reality of the world.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider incorporating moments of prayer or meditation into your creative process as a way of acknowledging and releasing the emotional weight of your endeavors. By doing so, you can cultivate a sense of perspective and renewal that allows you to approach your work with a fresh sense of purpose and energy.",{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":72},3140138,"We gain the insight to see ourselves through the friendships we make. They mirror us to ourselves. In them we see clearly what we do not have as well as what the world cannot do without. They do not judge us or condemn us or reject us. They hold us up while we grow, laughing and playing as we go. They bring us to the best of ourselves. “One’s friends,” George Santayana wrote, “are that part of the human race with which one can be human.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nGeorge Santayana, an Italian-American philosopher and writer, penned these words during the early 20th century, a time marked by rapid social change and intellectual upheaval in Europe and North America. As a key figure of the Pragmatist movement, Santayana's thoughts on human relationships reflect his emphasis on lived experience and the importance of empathy in understanding ourselves and others.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nWhile the quote emphasizes the transformative power of friendships, it subtly challenges the idea that true friendship is solely based on personal affinity or shared interests. Instead, Santayana suggests that our friends are those with whom we can be most fully human, implying a deeper level of mutual recognition and acceptance – one that transcends individual preferences.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset in today's fast-paced professional world, strive for friendships that mirror your authentic self, rather than seeking relationships that conform to your preconceived notions. By embracing the beauty of imperfect connections, you can grow both personally and professionally through the unconditionally supportive network of friends who bring out the best in you.\n\nAs a dual-expert, I'd like to add a behavioral psychology perspective: this approach encourages self-reflection and openness to diverse perspectives, which are essential for personal growth and adaptability in today's complex societies. By cultivating friendships that accept us as we truly are, we can develop greater emotional resilience and foster more meaningful connections with others.",{"id":74,"quote_text":75,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":76,"source":77,"quote_tag":78,"commentary":9},3140130,"To simply withdraw from the arena of ideas, from public discourse on public issues, from the value formation of the young – to shrug our shoulders and say, “I don’t know” or, worse, “I don’t care about those things anymore” – is to abandon the young to the mercy of their own ideas without the benefit of experience to guide them.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":80,"quote_text":81,"author_id":5,"source_id":24,"has_image":25,"author":82,"source":83,"quote_tag":84,"commentary":9},3140118,"Spirituality is not meant to be a panacea for human pain. Nor is it a substitute for critical conscience. Spirituality energizes the soul to provide what the world lacks.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":86,"totalPages":87,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":88},1,13,10]