Friday 22 November 2013

Matthew Kelly

Becoming the Best Version of Yourself by Matthew Kelly
Bible: find the secrets to all of life's succcess
the message of Xmas: God wants to give us more, I got bigger plan
We'll only be happy when we're doing the will of God, what God creates us to do, what God tells us to do.
not a mystery, not out of reach, not unavailable to us
despair: a lie
We can know the will of God. We just don't ask the question, too scared to ask.
God wants you to become the best version of yourself: God's dream for you
Stop being second-rate versions of ourselves.
fundamental principle of life, Xtianity, spirituality: become the best version of yourself
Friendship is a good place to start.
What makes the best friendship? help you become the best version of yourself, hang on to them
causing or encouraging you to become a lesser version of yourself
purpose of marriage: can only be understood in relation to the fundamental principle, 2 people getting together encouraging, helping, challenging each other to become a best version of themselves, raising and educating children
To be holy means to become a best version of yourself.
e.g. St. Francis, Mother Teresa
Marriage is a God's vehicle to help people become holy, designed to help people become the best version of themselves.
Why do we work?
Work to become the best version of self: work hard to develop character, virtue
articulate the fundamental principle
There's genius in Catholicism.
Advent: We need to prepare for anything that's important.
We prepare for anything, everything we consider important in life.
Beware that your hearts don't become drowsy from the anxieties of daily life.
Repent means to turn back to God.
Any journey towards something means a journey away from something.
We reject the simple.
Our modern culture worships complexity.
We don't need complexity.
Our souls need simplicity.
If you really love God, show it. Prove it.
God is an internal mystery.
Love of God is total mystery.
proof is love of neighbor
ark of the covenant represented the presence of God
David dancing for joy in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant.
John the Baptist danced for joy in Elizabeth's womb.
Switch the focus off ourselves and on to others.
the paradox
We find joy by serving, not by being served.
Don't just tell me. Show me.
His dream for you is you become the best version of yourself. He doesn't want to control you.
common yearning of man: to be happy bec God gave it to us, uses it as an eternal homing devise
strong desire for happiness
bring us back to Him
4 aspects of the human person (rhythm of life):
1. physical: exercise, diet
2. emotional: focus on relationships, priority
3. intellectual: read a good book, change, grow
vision of self and world expand, vibrant
4. spiritual: silence a few minutes a day, reconnected with self and God, sense of peace & purpose, abundant life
We know what makes us happy. We just don't do them.
We're too busy trying to be happy.
Relationships thrive under carefree timelessness.
Take time to pray, reflect.
4 New Year's Resolution
1. Exercise once a week every week for the entire year.
your experience of life is only limited by the energy you have.
2. Have serious carefree timelessness once a month with significant other. Make it happen.
Have rich relationship lives.
the reason young people fall in love too easily and why adults fall out of love too easily
starve: wither and die
3. 10mins a day every day, 10 books
Books change our lives.
What we read today walks and talks with us tom.
We become the stories we listen to.
Read good books. Collect good books.
How do you judge a good book, movie?
Am I a better person?
music: inspire
matthewkelly.org
4. Get yourself a journal, bring to Mass.
Mass: the central experience of Catholicism
Billions of Catholics
center of our lives
The problem with the Mass is not out there.
The most powerful movement of the 20th, 21st century is the abdication of responsibility.
God, show me one way in this Mass I can become a better person.
Our lives change when our habits change.
Human behavior is so predictable.
We start everything very neatly.
Human behavior is phenomenally predictable.
God doesn't have any favorites.
Heroes had better habits.
It's all about choices.
misery
How often do you feel like working out? praying? reading?
Judge an activity not on how you feel but when you're done.
You gotta make a choice. You gotta access the options.
choose happiness or misery
Start choosing the best version of yourself.
God won't force you to do what you don't wanna do

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