Story of our lives (from Matthew Kelly)

I just received this in the Matthew Kelly newsletter yesterday. He really is an inspiration. See his website http://www.matthewkelly.org/ and for American readers there is the opportunity to receive a free copy of his book Rediscovering Catholicism (I highly, highly recommend it).

Ideas shape our lives. Ideas shape history. We all have a need for a constant flow of ideas that inspire us, challenge us, illumine our minds, teach us about ourselves and our world, show us what is possible, and encourage us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves.

We need a diet of the mind just as much as we need a diet of the body. The ideas we feed our mind today tend to form our lives tomorrow.
Think of it in this way: We become the stories we listen to. It doesn't matter if we get those stories from movies, music, television, newspapers, magazines, politicians, friends, or books-the stories we listen to form our lives.
If you want to understand any period in history, simply ask two questions: "Who were the storytellers?" and "What story were they telling?"
Winston Churchill, Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Charlie Chaplin, Adolf Hitler, Bob Dylan, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Nelson Mandela, and Jesus each told a story.
If you want to know how your nation will be different tomorrow from the way it was yesterday, find out how the stories your nation is listening to are different from the stories of yesterday. If you discover that the stories we are listening to have less meaning, contain more violence, and, rather than inspire us and raise our standards, appeal more and more to the lowest common denominator, you can be sure that in the future our lives will have less meaning, contain more violence, and be more focused on the lowest common denominator.
We become the stories we listen to. But perhaps the more important question is, what stories do you listen to? What stories are forming your life?

~ excerpt from The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion & Purpose

Fasting from cricket

I'd like to share some insight on the practice of fasting today. This insight comes from a rather odd source, I found it in my December 2010 issue of the South African version of Sports Illustrated.It contains an interview with one of the best batsmen in the world - South African Hashim Amla. Hashim is a devout Muslim who refuses to wear the team sponsors logo as it is an alcoholic beverage, very brave indeed. On the topic of fasting he has the following remarks:
"Fasting? I love it! Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it. What is there not to love about it? The physical discomfort? You get that in everything. You run 5km to gain fitness. It might hurt, but you know there's benefit in it. I think I've gained more out of fasting when we're playing or training than from the rest of the year. Purely from the mental side. It really is tough... it gives me a much better understanding of what I'm capable of... and what my body's capable of."
Very inspiring.
Catholic inspirational author Matthew Kelly (in his book Rediscovering Catholicism) has these words at the end of the chapter on fasting in the Catholic tradition:
"Our bodies are vehicles that God has given our souls to experience life in the material realm. Until you get a grip on your body, you will never get a grip on any area of your life."
So next time you have the opportunity to fast grab it with both hands and tame that demanding body of yours!