Love, Loyalty and Lionel

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Love, Loyalty and Lionel

Welcome to Three-Peat Tuesdays!

Building from my recent book UNBEATABLE! Seven Pillars of Personal Excellence, each blog will contain three P’s: Pillar, Principle and Practical, all geared towards nourishing you on your personal and spiritual growth journey.

Pillar: Love from a pure heart

“But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith.” -1 Timothy 1:5

Principle: Love flowing from a good conscience

In a week when Argentinian superstar, Lionel Messi, did the unimaginable by moving from Spanish giants Barcelona and when the English Premier League again welcomed fans inside the stadium, we were reminded of sport’s unifying capacity.

In first-century Christianity, Timothy, a young minister was mentored spiritually by the apostle Paul. As cited above, Paul’s instructions to him consisted of three unshakeable elements: a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. Once again, inner qualities of beauty and excellence were at the centre of this relationship.

For those who followed the transfer of Lionel Messi after years of devotion to a single club, one standout moment was the torrent of tears that flowed from his eyes at a farewell press conference. They came from a place of deep gratitude and appreciation. In good conscience, he could see himself in no other football uniform.

Circumstances and, perhaps, divine will made it virtually impossible to remain at Barcelona. Sadness would, however, turn to smiles as he received a warm welcome in France from the fans of Paris Saint-Germain. A new season had begun. For a moment, though, we got a glimpse of Messi, the man, not Messi, the maestro. The purity of his emotions was magnetic. Yes, big men still cry.

How is your inner person doing today? I’m talking about the real you, not the public person everyone else sees. Is your conscience still soft and tender or have the challenges of life, like the pandemic, hardened you? Continue to keep a vigilant watch over your heart and spirit. Everything you do flows from it.

Practical: Love driven by sincerity

Recommit yourself to living a life of love, sincerity and inner purity. You will have to slow down, though, to return to that beautiful place of peace, simplicity and joy.

If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is now available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Chad Maraj

    The chase of success can indeed take a debilitating toll on adults. We forget that peace, simplicity and joy (happiness) can be achieved every day by small changes in the we think and rationalise our real priorities as humans. Your words “slow down” caught my attention today, as I continue to navigate the fine line between chasing success and staying true to myself. I believe that happiness in a choice we make every day. Being truly grateful for all that we have been blessed with is a sure way to give me a positive outlook each day. Thank you for continuing your good work sir, these posts mean a lot to your readers.

  2. J. Tyrone Marcus

    Thanks for these wonderful and meaningful perspectives, Chad. I appreciate your sentiments about where we find true happiness.

  3. Michelle Marcus

    Crying is often misread as a sign of weakness and not strength. Crying often relieves you as it expresses what a person really feels and the aim is to be able to connect on another level. Crying is a heart softener. Messi leaving was his way of connecting with the masses. For Barcelona, tears of sadness and for France, tears of joy.

  4. J.Tyrone Marcus

    Well said, Michelle!

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