I have been reading this book called This I believe and it is full of stories written by random people about the things they believe in. Some examples are - I believe everyone deserves flowers on their grave, I believe in people, I believe there is strength in surrender, I believe in God, I believe there is no God, I believe in the connection between strangers when they reach out to one another, I believe in the power of presence, I believe in Barbie, I believe in my neighbors, I believe that freedom is contagious, I believe in empathy, I believe in cultivating hidden talents, I believe it is possible for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.
Some of my favorite essays within the pages of the book were written by Bill Gates, Brian Grazer, and John Mccain. Bill Gates wrote that he believes that the power of creativity and intelligence can make the world a better place. He believes that "computers are the most incredible tool we can use to feed our curiosity and inventiveness - to help us solve problems that even the smartest people couldn't solve on their own." Brian Grazer wrote that he believes in disrupting his comfort zone. And he does this by "bombarding himself with challenging people and new situations." John Mccain wrote that he believes in honor, faith and service - to one's country and to mankind. He believes that "the means to real happiness and the true worth of a person is measured by how faithfully we serve a cause greater than our self-interest."
While reading all these little excerpts from all these people I couldn't help but wonder what I would write about. What do I believe in? What do you believe in?
According to the inside flap, "This I Believe, based on the National Public Radio of the same name, features eighty essayists - from the famous to the unknown- completing the thought that begins the book's title. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others. Featuring a list of well-known contributors, the collection also contains essays by ordinary people. The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs - and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them - reveal the American spirit at its best."
As written in the introduction, "This I Believe offers a simple, if difficult invitation: write a few hundred words expressing the core principles that guide your life - your personal credo…This I Believe was first broadcast in 1951, with Edward R. Murrow hosting. Fifty years after the original series end, we felt the time was right to bring it back. As in the 1950s, matters of belief divide our country and the world. We find ourselves in conflict over moral standards, patriotism, family, and issues of race and faith. Yet amid the most pervasive information delivery systems in history, there is little place for the encouragement of quiet listening to the beliefs of others without rebuttal or criticism…Take a moment, then, to consider the beliefs that guide the lives of others, beliefs that may confirm your own, or challenge them, or even open your mind to something new. When you are done, think about this: What would you say?"
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