Pay yourself first
Pay Tribute and Protect your Light
The air in the garden of philosophy was warm and still, scented with blooming jasmine. Sophia, her presence a soft, illuminating glow, sat at a stone table. Across from her, a thoughtful man in a simple tunic, Cicero, was lost in contemplation.
Sophia: Tell me, Cicero, you speak so beautifully about how one's appreciation of goodness can be the very spring from which all other noble traits flow. It's a powerful conviction.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.
— Cicero (106-43 BC)
Cicero: Indeed, Sophia. I've observed that when a person genuinely recognizes the benefits they've received—the gifts of life, of opportunity, of kindness—it's impossible for them to remain small-minded or selfish. That recognition, that simple thankfulness, compels them toward generosity, justice, and temperance. It’s the foundational light we must first acknowledge.
Sophia: That acknowledgment—the tribute we pay to the sources of our well-being—is so essential. But the world, as you know, is filled with shadows that can dim a person's inner fire, even one kindled by gratitude. Once that virtue is established, what then is the constant work required to protect that light? How does one ensure the habit of thankfulness doesn't fade into mere formality?
Cicero: It is a daily effort. The light must be actively used. True thankfulness isn't a passive feeling; it is expressed in action. We protect it by continuously looking outward and remembering what we cherish, even when circumstances are difficult. If we fail to do this, our own inner virtue—no matter how great its origin—will become obscured by the self-pity and forgetfulness that life naturally attempts to cast upon us. The light is protected by keeping its source in constant view.
Sophia: A beautiful symmetry. We must pay tribute to the goodness outside ourselves so that the goodness within us—our light—is continually nourished and protected.
What do you think is the greatest obstacle people face today in maintaining a consistent sense of gratitude?
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Heraclitus
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