By Wayne Hoover
People come to the house in which I live and tell me that it is the most amazing place they have ever been. The amount of love that is sustained here- the amount of growth- the amount of laughter is beyond what most people experience in lifetimes and yet we go through the stuff like water- its constant. And how could you not change where the motto is “only the best.”
But understand that it is not the house- or the food- or the city that make this place the best. How easy it is to look outside for answers. When things were really good in the begining I would ask myself- “Why is it so good here?” And I would attribute it to the outside; “oh the city is beautiful-” “oh my housemates are beautiful-” and the theme was constant in my life; look outside for answers.
I drew all my answers from outside myself. But I have come to understand that when I say “Only the best” I am really talking about inside. The -whole- reason things are so good is because things are so good inside. And its not some gift that I have been given from the outside. This peace is not something special that I was born with; rather I have been constantly working- inside myself- for the past years and as such things are constantly getting better. And as things got better I blamed it all on the outside- “oh its Santa Cruz-” or- “oh its my housemates” but I was wrong- really the truth of the matter is that I was growing inside- I was becoming more whole- more peaceful inside- and as such the world changed around me.
The same things happen- but what is different is my reaction. What used to just be a blur in my eye as I hurried down the path in thought is now a beautiful flower blooming just for me. What used to be anger for those who I thought harmed me has turned into a peaceful humble compassion.
The best thing that anyone could ever do for anyone else is take a moment to look inside. To work on ones self is never a selfish deed. It is the ultamite gift to you and the world.
May you all be happy-
-Wayne
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