We are immersed in a world that is always in a hurry, although sometimes we don’t know where it’s headed… but it runs at full speed. We are in a  “culture” of the external, of having, of  success , of image,  of smiling for the camera, of positivity even when we are broken inside… of an “allergy” to pain and effort, of sensations and emotions on the surface, driven by dopamine rushes.

All of this causes  unease,  because we are not made for this; rather, we have  a heart to love , to feel loved and to love others. And for this reason, happiness lies there…

But how can we achieve a little serenity? 

Being with ourselves in inner silence  helps us and brings us peace. This allows us to think calmly, ask ourselves essential questions about life, achieve inner order, and set goals that appeal to us… guiding us toward what inspires us and what we are each called to be.

It’s about  developing our inner senses , common sense, the  valuable and treasured knowledge  of those who came before us, knowledge that has passed through the sieve of what is obsolete, the  meaning of life , of the transcendent, of that which is not exhausted here and now but endures. And those  desires that dwell deep in our hearts , that point to  a God  who created us, and awaken in us an affection that moves us deeply…

C.S. Lewis,  creator of beautiful imaginary worlds and profound essays, and thanks to his friends, would be “surprised” by joy. As a young man, he was an atheist and experienced death firsthand in his childhood, becoming an orphan. However, he would later overcome this situation and come to believe that if human beings learned to look into their own hearts, they would discover that  what they truly yearn for is something that cannot be obtained in this world.

“If I find within myself a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most likely explanation is that I was created for another world.”

…“Earthly pleasures were probably never meant to satisfy them, but only to excite them, to suggest what is authentic.”

Sometimes it’s good to stop and reflect…

• Are we not developing a lot of technique, but with little “soul”?  A thick shell with material capabilities, but an empty heart ? And perhaps  the loss of wonder, of aesthetics in the classical sense? That  perception of the inherent beauty of the created world, of what is  good and true, that abundance of meaning it possesses, the beauty that leaps out at us, both in the grand and the minute.

In this sense, an idea from  Werner Heisenberg,  Nobel laureate in physics and pioneer of quantum mechanics: “…the order and harmony of atomic particles must have been imposed by someone.”

• More questions arise in clusters.  Where are we headed?  What course are we on? What star do we want to set our course for?

Perhaps it would help each of us to think:  Who am I,  beyond titles or professional work?  What am  I focused on?  On having, on doing, on being… or on the outdated and narcissistic “culture” of self-reference? To see what  motivates  us, to be aware of them, and to try to broaden our horizons.

And where do I want to go with my life?  What principles  guide me like a compass  so I don’t get lost in the first storm? What do I do with the  qualities and talents I’ve been given?  What goals attract me? This is how we discover our specific vocation and create a plan of action…

We all ask ourselves these kinds of questions at some point in our lives  .  Trying to answer them helps us  avoid being seduced by the myriad stimuli  that come our way, capture our attention, and  prevent us from thinking  for ourselves. And they produce great unease: so often we are “immersed in noise and distraction”…

And also to avoid being manipulated by those who seek to control us. In other words, to prevent individuals from becoming  mere functional or competitive components  of this society, focused solely on the economic and the technical. We are so much more than our outward appearance and what we can “do.” We possess a  spirit  that revitalizes and gives meaning and energy in all circumstances. With a purpose to discover and a legacy to fulfill… as Viktor Frankl demonstrated through his life, despite those extreme situations.

Ideals and principles point us “north,” like a polar star… As Nobel laureate Heisenberg points out: “Where there are no  guiding ideals  to point the way, the scale of values ​​disappears and with it the  meaning of our actions and sufferings  , and in the end only denial and despair spread… Religion is therefore the  basis of  ethics ,  and ethics the presupposition of  life .”

It is necessary that  we reclaim our inner space through  introspection , to “be” with ourselves, to discover thoughts and convictions, perhaps somewhat hidden, and  to know ourselves.  In that space, each person is in  their own  ” home ,”  where they are master of themselves,  as the great philosopher Jutta Burggraf points out. There, they can  be free,  unconditioned, think for themselves, and be themselves. Because the inner world  builds,  enables improvement, and provides the freedom to focus on noble goals.

It’s about highlighting and nurturing what is truly human  in a person. It’s about what they are called to be, with the  longing they hold in their heart, with their spiritual component,  which yearns for  Someone  with whom to converse and feel loved. This longing  makes them receptive to the light and beauty of God.  And this is what people today need most, so often surrounded by “things” but devoid of meaning. They need to be filled with light, and  to bring light, joy, and peace  to those around them.  

We were created for  beauty , open to  mystery,  also in a vertical direction…

If  the windows that look toward God, toward His goodness, beauty, and radiance, are closed,  the light cannot enter, and darkness takes hold: shadows loom. We lose  the air that renews the heart , and the  freedom and creativity  inherent in each person, designed  in the image  of that Creator, with such high dignity.

Those with  an open heart  will see that many around them are waiting for some light to guide and bring them joy, helping them emerge from the darkness… Because  kindness  is the  foundation of a healthy mind  and the best quality a person can possess. Ludwig van Beethoven powerfully reminded us of this: “The only symbol of superiority I know is kindness,” and his hymn to  joy,  born amidst suffering and deafness, opens the door to hope. For where there is joy, there is optimism and hope!  

Let us reclaim the  human being,  genuinely human,  capable of wonder, of questioning  things, and of thinking beyond oneself, with that capacity to love  others, because that is how we were created. Let us discover the  beauty  of freedom and  the dignity  of each person, which captivates and brings  hope  everywhere, even in difficult times… Capable of heroism, of transcending oneself and loving others, especially if circumstances demand it.   

We are seeing it: where those windows close, heroic people come and leave their seed of humanity even in pain…

And what’s more, in thinking of others lies the true  happiness  we all yearn for, the one we strive for perhaps without being fully aware of it, because its longing calls to us strongly… Caring for people makes us truly happy, and  human , authentically human!