You are a humanBEING, not a humanDOING

“It is in solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts.”   - Henri Nouwen

BOOK SUGGESTION: Henri Nouwen: Adam: God's Beloved.

Henri Nouwen finished writing Adam weeks before his own death in 1996. I found it a powerful book about the power of BEING rather than DOING. Nouwen learns this powerful lesson through his experience with the L'Arche Community. It is an easy read that can be finished in one or two sittings. Even if you are not a Christian, I believe you will find a powerful message in Nouwen’s reflection.

“In short, we are worthwhile because we have successes.  And the more we allow our accomplishments – the results of our actions – to become the criteria of our self-esteem, the more we are going to talk on our mental and spiritual toes, never sure if we will be able to live up to the expectations which we created by our last successes.  In many people’s lives, there is a nearly diabolical chain in which their anxieties grow according to their successes.  The ark power has driven many of the greatest artists into self-destruction.” Henri Nouwen

More on Nouwen:

Silk.net: Biography, Quotations and More 

Henri Nouwen Society