Life is better together.

People say who you are can be defined both by the way you live life and by how you view the world. I doubt whether or not who we are can ever truly be defined because I feel you and I are always changing. However, I do agree that who we truly are can be seen in our lifestyle - to an extent. I also agree that it may be helpful to identify how you and I view the world, how we think about life.

Now granted, I am definitely still figuring this out, and probably always will be.

Nevertheless, if I take the time now to give you at least a glimpse into how I currently view the world and think about life, I think it may help both of us understand each other better in the future.

The quotes, sayings, and words below express a philosophy that challenges both my way of thinking and my way of living. My hope is that this philosophy may continue to transform who I am. The terms I am about to share with you are those which currently capture and hold my attention; I think about them often - almost every day; thus, you may see them referred to again in future blogs.

If I were to sum up this philosophy in four simple words, the words would be these: Life is better together.

But I feel these express this same philosophy much more fully, powerfully, and thoughtfully. So here you are:

Namaste - many people in India exchange this as a greeting, which can be interpreted as, "I honor the holy one who lives in you" (according to Shane Claiborne's "Irresisitible Revolution"). This, I feel, expresses respect and acknowledges the dignity and worth of another. Since falling in love with this word, I have also discovered the term is commonly used in yoga to express that "the divine light in me salutes the divine light in you." I love both definitions and use this word frequently.

Ubuntu - a Bantu word which expresses a philosophy that says, "I am because we are." So without you, without the rest of humanity, I am nothing. Thus, if you are not well, then I cannot truly be well either. As a community, as brothers and sisters through our human family, we have a responsibility to one another. Thus we ought to think in terms of "we" rather than "me". A small group of people in Kansas City gather together once a month simply to discuss issues related to Africa, and they call themselves by this name; that is where I first heard this term.

"A person is a person through persons." - this Xhasa proverb expresses ideas similar to ubuntu.

Rafiki - "friend" in Swahili. I just think this word is cool and fun to use, mostly because it's the name of the old, funny-looking blue baboon in Lion King.

"If there's enough for one, there's enough for two." - this is a Burkinabe way of inviting a passerby to share your meal. If I have enough food (or whatever goods I have, be it money, clothing, time, energy, etc.) for me, then I also have enough to share with someone else. All I must do is make my own portion a bit smaller in order to make room for someone else.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other" - this is simply a phrase written by Mother Teresa that I have grown to love.

"...the only way to find God is...through the service of all. I am a part and parcel of the whole and I cannot find Him apart from the rest of humanity." - just a little piece of Mahatma Gandhi's larger philosophy and way of life, which continually inspires and challenges me.

Love God. Love people. - a concise way of referring to these words spoken by Jesus in chapter twelve of the book of Mark: " '...love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."