Fear and Perspective

Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis to bring some much-needed perspective to our lives, to clarify what is real and what is not. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when the world around us appeared to be collapsing, we weren't afraid whether we looked fat in those jeans or terrified how our boss would react if we asked for that raise. The challenge lies in learning how we can bring that sense of perspective and fearlessness into our everyday lives even without a crisis -- whether that crisis is a giant public one like 9/11 or an intimate personal one like an illness or the death of a loved one.

It caught my eye because of the headline, and then kept me reading because it's one of the smartest things I've read about today--and it's nice to read something that isn't frustrating, infuriating, or heartbreaking.