As I was approaching fifty years old I sought the wisdom of my elders. I sought out men and women older than I was to learn lessons on life that they had been learning.

Yesterday I began a series entitled A Treasure Chest Of Wisdom – Don’t Hold Grudges. 

The first lesson the wise would teach us is Don’t Hold Grudges

The second lesson I was taught and it was repeated several times by my wise mentors was “take care of your health.”

Take Care Of Your Health

If you’re like me, this has been a thought-provoking week.

The reader-response to this week’s mysilentscream.com had me thinking long and hard about the depth of our drama, the taste of our of trauma, and the deep pit in which some of our hidden pain resides.

Next week we’ll take a look at how to deal with our anger.

As this week concludes this ancient song — known as Psalm 51 — continues to echo through my mind as a prayer to God for help. 1

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.

Monday I began this dialogue with Olympics: Judge & Jury, and continued it yesterday with “Caution – We don’t know the whole story.”

One gracious reader read and replied, “I was raped by a guy when I was 22 I would judge him and say he needs help…because he did. (He victimized) 5 other women…but he is and was aware of what he was doing so I wouldn’t feel sympathy.”

As someone who has never experienced a rape I cannot begin to grasp the depth of how that would affect a victim, all I can say is “Wow, thank you you for your humble willingness to add your perspective to our dialogue.”

Caution – Course language used in this post may offend you.

Yesterday in Olympics: Judge & Jury I introduced some of the challenges we face when we assess — when we judge — the lives of other people.

I met the girl everyone thought was a “b****.” She hasn’t been spoiled all her life, just since her dad abandoned her and her mom died.  

I met the “lazy guy” who never did any housework because he wasn’t taught to do so.  His hard-working mom was too tired to clean house and too tired to parent.

Caution – Course language used in this post may offend you.

Millions, perhaps a billion people, spent time in the last two weeks watching the Olympics.

While the athletes are judged in their individual events, real life is not like the Olympics. We do not have a right to judge and award people based on competitions of our choosing.

While we do not have the right to arbitrarily create events in which we serve as judge, many people do.

Have you seen, or judged these events?
– Who’s the biggest “b****”?
– What’s up with their yard/house/car?
– Who’s gonna do something about him?
– Who’s kid is that?

I felt it while watching the Olympics.  You felt it too didn’t you?

Admiration for their courage.
Admiration for their determination.
Admiration for their discipline.
Admiration for their focus.
Admiration for their abs.

Yes, I felt it — jealousy — when I saw their abs.

Did you feel jealous too?

I’m Missing Something

Undoubtedly the recent Olympians experienced much more than the satisfaction of competition win or lose.  For instance, though I took no interest in the rowing competition, but maybe I’m missing something.

Hopefully this isn’t breaking any international laws, but I love these posts and pictures so much I thought I’d make sure that they were in your hands too!

Inspirational moments: Oscar Pistorius in the best picture you’ll see

By Yahoo.com’s  Maggie Hendricks |

Oscar Pistorius has already inspired a generation with his 400m performance, despite being a double amputee. See?

(Twitter)