"The lesson [Henry David Thoreau] had taught himself, and which he tried to teach others, was summed up in the one word 'Simplify.' That meant simplify the outward circumstances of your life, simplify your needs and your ambitions; learn to delight in the simple pleasures which the world of Nature affords. It meant also, scorn public opinion, refuse to accept the common definitions of success, refuse to be moved by the judgment of others. And unlike most who advocate such attitudes, he put them into practice." (Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau--Edited and with an Introduction by Joseph Wood Krutch, Bantam Books, 1962, P. 1)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

A Sound Mind

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
--2 Timothy 1:7

I have this scripture handy, so that I can read it every day.
Those words mean a lot to me, especially as I struggle with attention deficit disorder. Today I looked up the word "sound" in my Roget's Thesaurus, to get a better understanding of what a sound mind is. Now I see more clearly what Timothy's declaration means.

God has not given me the anxiety and low self-worth and mental confusion I experience with ADD. He gives me all about my mind that is "whole, undamaged, healthy, robust, logical, true, valid, reliable, honorable, trustworthy, solvent, strong, firm, thorough," and, last, but not-at-all least, "unbroken."

There are things I like about having ADD. For the parts not-so-nice, I can remember what God wants for my mind to be, and look to Him for healing.
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1 comment:

Emily A. said...

True that sista! I still have problems with fear, and sometimes I wish i had more of a sound mind. Its those well balanced days that remind me that life is good and fun and well worth living.

April 26, 2007 at 6:56 PM

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