"that's the gist of this story, i suppose. these are snapshots of the year i spent learning to perform less, to be myself more, and overcome a complicated fear of being known. this book is about how i realized i could have a happy life without splitting an atom or making a splash. it's true our lives can pass small and unnoticed by the masses, and we are no less dignified for having lived quietly. in fact, i've come to believe there's something noble about doing little with your life save offering love to a person who is offering it back.
here's a thought that haunts me: what if we are designed as sensitive antennas, receptors to receive love, a longing we often mistake as a need to be impressive? what if some of the most successful people in the world got that way because their success was fueled by a misappropriated need for love? what is the people we consider to be great are actually the most broken? and what if the whole time they're seeking applause they are missing out on true intimacy because they've never learned how to receive it?...
...i don't mean to overstate what is yet unknown, but part of me believes when the story of earth is told, all that will be remembered is the truth we exchanged. the vulnerable moments. the terrifying risk of love and the care we took to cultivate it. and all the rest, the distracting noise of insecurity and the flattery and the flashbulbs will flicker out like a turned-off television."
- donald miller. scary close. p. 6-7.
just finished the new book from donald miller. and, it definitely hit home. here's to remembering and learning anew to love well.
