The bad guys increase our weaknesses while overshadowing our qualities. Benevolence grows us, it is the light of intelligence and what channels life.
Just as a house needs an attic to stock up for the harsh winter, the human dwelling needs a reserve of soul to face hostilities and shortages of heart. The heart needs to be festive in times of happiness and resilient in times of chaos. One can break a negative spiral by choosing to turn one’s back on certain frequentations. They lead us in a direction that is not our own. They interfere with our joys and alter our satisfaction.
We are like a container, to let the good emotions in, we must know how to evacuate the sad passions that eat away at us. Think of yourself as a carrot in the ground. Your true value is not apparent at first glance. Your green leaf is quite indifferent, yet your hidden tuber is all your greatness. Cultivate your inner qualities because your appearance is often only a decoy in your relationship with others, you don’t necessarily attract people who see your true value and seek to cultivate it.
Of course, value is not measurable or at least quantifiable like the zeros of your material wealth. Cultivate all the dimensions of wealth by keeping a hierarchy: moral values must always dominate material values, otherwise you will make choices that will harm you in the long run.
It is useless to try to please people who despise our fundamental values. These incompatibilities should be identified quickly to avoid getting sucked into a whirlwind. Often, clues are left to you. The words spoken, the actions you observe in the other person may be enough to be the mark of his or her character. Pay attention to details to keep only people who value your deep values and keep away those who question them.
Similarly, avoid surrounding yourself with flatterers who praise you all day long. Friends are also the ones who know how to put their finger where it doesn’t go. To find out if someone is good for you, see how you feel in their presence, does they push you towards a better version of yourself or do they pull you down? Do you simply feel at peace in their presence?
